Senators urge automakers not to interfere in UAW organizing efforts

A group of 33 U.S. senators, led by Michigan's Gary Peters and Debbie Stabenow, both Democrats, sent a letter Thursday to Tesla's Elon Musk and other auto executives urging them not to interfere in the UAW's efforts to organize their workforces.

The letter — sent to chief executives of Tesla, Rivian, Lucid, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Mazda, Mercedes, Nissan, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo — noted reports of anti-union activity among some carmakers following the UAW's successful strike and ratification of new agreements at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis and the union's stated intention of organizing other manufacturers.

“We are concerned by reporting at numerous automakers that management has acted illegally to block unionization efforts,” the senators wrote. "These retaliatory actions are hostile to workers’ rights and must not be repeated if further organizing efforts are made by these companies’ workers."

The letter referenced what it said were employee reports that Volkswagen managers "confiscated and destroyed" organizing materials and Hyundai supervisors "banned pro-union material" in nonworking areas of facilities even outside of normal working hours. It also said the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) had found that Tesla "employed multiple illegal tactics aimed at topping organizing efforts."

Last month, workers trying to organize with the UAW filed unfair labor claims against Honda in Indiana, Hyundai in Alabama and Volkswagen in Tennessee with the NLRB.

Spokespeople for those automakers have refuted claims of union-busting and said their companies support workers' rights.

On Tuesday, a regional NLRB director issued a complaint against Lucid as well, alleging "that the employer unlawfully terminated two employees and moved a third employee to a position with higher wages because these employees joined and assisted the union and to discourage employees from engaging in protected concerted activity," according to Kayla Blado, an NLRB spokeswoman. Lucid is also accused of confiscating union literature, threatening employees and creating the impression of surveillance. A message seeking comment was sent to a Lucid media email address.

In response to the letter from the senators, UAW President Shawn Fain, in a news release, said, “every autoworker in this country deserves their fair share of the auto industry’s record profits, whether at the Big Three or the non-union thirteen. … It’s time for the auto companies to stop breaking the law and take their boot off the neck of the American autoworker, whether they’re at Volkswagen, Toyota, Tesla, or any other corporation doing business in this country.”

Some of those automakers announced wage increases following the UAW's deals with the Detroit Three, which Fain called the "UAW bump."

Organizing nonunion auto plants, many of which are located in the South, has been a long elusive goal of the UAW but recent momentum by the labor movement has raised hopes among supporters that a change on that front is possible.

Nelson Lichtenstein, a research professor in history and labor expert at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told the Free Press last month that “even if they’re partially successful it would be a big turning point in terms of ending the era of stagnating wages for blue-collar workers in America.”

The letter from the senators doesn't threaten any action if the automakers don't comply but urges them to enact neutrality agreements, where they promise to neither encourage nor discourage union organizing by workers.

More: Ford trucks dominate while UAW strike affected sales

The senators, however, also noted that they included consumer tax credits and other potential benefits to automakers — especially for the manufacture and sale of electric vehicles — in legislation passed by Congress, which is always subject to change.

"In order for the electric vehicle transition to be a success for our economy and climate, we must make sure it includes a just transition for workers, not just for workers at the Big Three (GM, Ford and Stellantis)," the senators wrote. "We believe the electric vehicle transition will not and cannot come at the expense of workers’ ability to form a union and collectively bargain."

Contact Todd Spangler: tspangler@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @tsspangler. Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Senators urge automakers not to interfere in UAW organizing efforts