Labor News & Commentary November 14, 2023 NLRB navigates challenges against its joint employer rule

https://onlabor.org/november-14-2023/

By Sunah Chang

Sunah Chang is a student at Harvard Law School.

In today’s news and commentary: more automobile companies declare wage increases in light of recent UAW victories, Ford production workers in Kentucky vote against the union’s tentative contract, the NLRB navigates challenges against its joint employer rule, and Starbucks’ union workers prepare for a nationwide walkout.

Hyundai announced yesterday that it would increase factory worker wages by 25% in its Alabama factory, a boost that aligns with the pay hike won by UAW from the Big Three companies. As Will reported over the weekend, this comes after other automakers, Toyota and Honda, announced wage increases for their workers. These wage hikes appear to be aimed at quelling unionization among these companies’ workers. UAW President Shawn Fain has made clear that he intends on spreading his organizing efforts to nonunion automakers, including foreign companies and Tesla.

In other UAW news, union members continue to vote on the tentative contract struck between UAW and the Big Three last month. Yesterday, a narrow majority–55%–of Ford’s production workers in Kentucky voted against UAW’s proposed contract. This comes after workers at GM’s assembly plant in Flint, Michigan also narrowly voted no on the contract last Friday. Despite this pushback against the tentative contract, most union members have voted yes on the contract thus far. However, if any of the contracts with the Big Three fails to win a majority of votes, the parties will have to return to the bargaining table to restart talks.

FULL story at link above.