automakers
Toyota, Honda and other automakers had been closely watching as union organizers defeated the Big Three American automakers – General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler- over the past few years. After news of the union victory spread, thousands of autoworkers at those international automakers began to move to unionize.
UAW officials estimate that there are currently more than 1,000 organized union factories in the United States, including some 700 represented by the UAW. As a result of their efforts to unionize, workers have seen significant gains in wages and improved working conditions. UAW International President Gary Jones noted, “At Toyota and Honda plants in the U.S. and around the world, workers have powerful voices and capable leadership. Now, they realize that together, they can use that power to make life better for themselves and their families.”
The UAW’s victory is like a domino effect in many ways. Seeing their peers achieve a victory, autoworkers in other international automakers now feel empowered to join together and demand better treatment and better wages for themselves. It is clear that the UAW victory has created a ripple effect throughout the auto industry, and the implications of their success will be felt for decades to come.
