UAW Freeloaders – Hyundai Ups Wages of US Factory Workers

Hyundai today announced wage increases for its production team members at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama (HMMA) and Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA) in Georgia. HMMA has been producing vehicles in Montgomery, Alabama since 2005. HMGMA, Hyundai’s EV-dedicated plant in Bryan County, Georgia, is scheduled to begin production in early 2025. In a move mirroring similar ones by non-unionized Toyota Motor and Honda in the US following the UAW Detroit Three contract sweep, wages will increase ~25%. There are ~ 4000 production workers at HMMA. (AutoInformed:UAW October Sweep – GM and UAW Tentative Agreement)

“We have the best team members in the industry, and we are compensating them accordingly,” said José Muñoz, president and global COO, Hyundai Motor Company and president and CEO, Hyundai and Genesis Motor North America.

Hyundai will begin raising wages in January 2024 that will result in U.S. production team member hourly wages increasing 25% by 2028. The company is increasing its wage structure to remain competitive and to recruit and retain top talent, it claimed, not mentioning that the UAW is preparing a new organizing effort in non-union transplants. Production team members in Alabama achieved production targets this year, including successful preparations to begin production of the all-new Hyundai Santa Fe in January 2024 (which will be shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week) and Genesis Electrified GV70, earlier this year.

At the beginning of 2024, HMMA will have increased pay for production team members by 14% over the last year, including a raise received earlier in 2023. HMMA wage progression to the top rate is at 30 months (2.5 years) and HMMA provides 25 vacation days to team members with 15 years of service.

Hyundai cars and sport utility vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced by more than 830 Hyundai dealerships across North America. Sold ~724,000 vehicles in the U.S. in 2022.