In a bid to expand its membership, the United Auto Workers (UAW) has announced a drive to organize the U.S. factories of Toyota, Tesla, Honda, and other non-unionized automakers. The UAW aims to capitalize on the success it achieved in negotiating record contracts with Detroit's Big Three automakers, namely Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.

To kickstart the campaign, the UAW has unveiled a website where workers at 13 different companies, including BMW, Hyundai, Nissan, Tesla, and Volkswagen, can electronically sign union authorization cards. This move marks the first step in the UAW's efforts to organize these factories and build a stronger presence.

While the UAW faces a challenging battle, as its past attempts to organize non-unionized automakers have failed, the union remains optimistic. Many of the factories targeted in this campaign are located in southern states where local laws, politics, and culture make it more difficult for unions to organize.

The UAW's optimism stems from the significant pay increases it secured for workers in the new contracts with the Big Three automakers. These contracts include wage hikes of at least 25 percent over 4½ years, higher company contributions to retirement accounts, and increased paid time off. These achievements have encouraged thousands of workers at the nonunionized companies to contact the UAW and sign union authorization cards, although specific figures were not disclosed.

In an online video announcing the campaign, UAW President Shawn Fain argued that companies are reaping substantial profits while workers struggle to keep up. Fain has previously rallied Big Three workers to strike, highlighting the glaring disparities between worker compensation and corporate success.

Several nonunionized automakers, such as Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, and Volkswagen, have recently granted double-digit pay raises to their U.S. employees, seemingly in an attempt to dissuade unionization efforts. Honda, for instance, stated that it has achieved success over the past 40 years by maintaining competitive wages and benefits for its associates. The company believes that an external union would not enhance the employment experience or the outstanding track record of success and employment stability that Honda manufacturing associates in America have experienced.

Volkswagen and Rivian declined to comment on the UAW's campaign, while other companies, including Mazda, Mercedes, Subaru, and Volvo, did not immediately respond to requests for comment or could not be reached.

The UAW aims to target approximately 150,000 employees across the 13 nonunionized companies in its campaign. The union plans to involve the workers at these factories in organizing the campaign.

The UAW's campaign comes amidst a growing movement of workplace activism, with workers from various industries demanding better pay and benefits. This year has witnessed significant victories for workers in various sectors, such as UPS drivers, Hollywood actors and writers, and healthcare workers.

However, the challenge for the UAW lies in translating the current interest in unions into new memberships. Union membership has declined in recent decades, including within the UAW itself, which now boasts around 400,000 members across different industries, including healthcare and academia. Approximately 150,000 members work in the automotive sector.

Notably, some of the UAW's targets, including Tesla, have actively opposed unionization efforts in the past. The UAW's campaign specifically calls out Tesla founder Elon Musk, emphasizing his immense wealth and the company's soaring production and sales figures. The UAW urges Tesla workers to stand up and fight for their fair share.

Additionally, while some of the targeted automakers have heavily unionized workforces in their home countries, their U.S. factories face a more challenging environment due to the potentially antagonistic stance of local laws and politics towards unions.

When the UAW attempted to organize Volkswagen facilities in Tennessee previously, the company maintained a neutral stance, but local politicians voiced opposition, influencing workers against unionization efforts.

Signing union authorization cards is the initial step in organizing a workforce, enabling workers to call for an election to determine whether the workplace will unionize once 30 percent of eligible workers have signed. The UAW aims to achieve a high level of card-signing to bolster its campaign and plans to publicly announce an organizing committee at a company once the 30 percent threshold is reached. The union will continue pushing to recruit more workers and organize a public rally with President Fain and workers at the factory if the campaign reaches 50 percent support. The UAW will demand union recognition from the company after reaching 70 percent sign-up, and if the company refuses, the union will request the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to hold an election.

The UAW's campaign to organize non-unionized automakers' U.S. factories reflects its efforts to expand membership and secure better pay and benefits for workers across the industry. While the road ahead may not be easy, the UAW is driven by the successes it achieved in negotiating record contracts with the Big Three automakers and hopes to build on this momentum to drive change for workers in the nonunionized sector.