The United Auto Workers of America (UAW) is making significant strides in its push for unionization, with the latest focus on Hyundai’s Montgomery plant, part of a broader effort to organize non-unionized auto plants in the Southern United States.
This week, workers from Hyundai congregated with union members at a Montgomery church to engage in discussions about various work-related issues at the plant. Topics included safety measures and compensation, reflecting the growing momentum of the unionization drive.
Dev Wakeley, worker policy advocate for Alabama Arise, an advocacy group aligned with the UAW, expressed enthusiasm for the increasing pace of unionization in these plants after years of efforts. Last year, Wakeley coauthored a report highlighting the economic impact of the auto industry on Alabama and its workforce. The report revealed a decline of 11% in inflation-adjusted average wages for Alabama autoworkers from 2002 to 2019.
Additionally, the report brought attention to disparities, with Black autoworkers earning 83 cents for every dollar earned by their white counterparts, and Hispanic autoworkers earning 78 cents for every dollar. Female autoworkers faced a more significant wage gap, earning just 73 cents for every dollar earned by men.
In a significant development last week, the UAW announced the successful unionization of around 1,500 workers at Mercedes-Benz’s Vance auto plant in Tuscaloosa County. With approximately 6,000 employees at Mercedes-Benz U.S. International (MBUSI), this marked a “major milestone” in the UAW’s broader campaign to organize in non-unionized auto plants across the United States.
As the union’s efforts gain traction, the focus on Hyundai’s Montgomery plant underscores the collective drive toward improved working conditions and fair compensation in the Southern auto industry.