United Auto Workers Membership Increases For First Time In Six Years

DETROIT - United Auto Workers membership rose for the first time in six years in 2010, helped by a recovering U.S. auto industry and expanding to include workers outside that industry, the UAW said in a federal filing on Thursday.
UAW membership rose 6 percent in 2010 to 376,612 members, the first rise since 2004, when UAW-represented workers totaled 654,657.

Still, membership is way down since 1979, when it hovered near 1.5 million.

"This increase is a reflection of new organizing by the UAW, the recovery of the domestic auto industry and UAW members who won a first contract during the year," said UAW President Bob King. "We hope to continue this growth in 2011 and beyond, as we fight to win a more fair and democratic process for workers to organize unions in the United States."

Membership has risen in areas outside of the auto industry as the UAW expanded its footprint with gaming workers in Atlantic City, New Jersey, post-doctoral workers at the University of California system and other public and private company workers.

The UAW is currently trying to increase membership by appealing to auto workers at U.S. plants of companies based in Japan including Toyota Motor Corp (7203.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Honda Motor Co (7267.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), and Nissan Motor Co (7201.T: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co (005380.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Kia Motors (000270.KS: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Germany's Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and BMW (BMWG.DE: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

The UAW enters contract talks this summer with the three major U.S. automakers General Motors Co (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz), Ford Motor Co (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) and Chrysler, which is managed by Fiat SpA (FIA.MI: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz).

(Reporting by Bernie Woodall; Editing by Gary Hill)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Douvie]

10:18 AM on 04/03/2011

If I were the UAW, I would spend a great deal of time and money forming and enhancing international coalitions. That is the only way they will become a meaningful force in today's global economy.

[Dianne Crampton]

11:21 PM on 04/02/2011

Unions certainly have a role as a collective bargaining unit for worker safety and fairness. We need to be mindful, however, that it is very difficult for a union to gain a foothold in an organization that fosters an environment where trust exists on all levels of operation, is interdependent and cooperative, where management in genuine and transparent, where empathy lays the groundwork for understanding, where appropriate risk paves the way for innovation and success is understood and experienced by all. Workers in organizations like this defend their company against unfairness coming from the other direction.

[1776 or 1984]

08:19 AM on 04/03/2011

Unions wouldn't exist if what you described existed. And Union membership is not down because of your scenario existing, it is down because of fear, intimidation and offshoring.

[ruburnt]

08:11 PM on 04/01/2011

So.. the unions are going after the foreign automakers.....great way to run them out of the country and take their jobs with them. They won't fall into the same trap as the big three, $51 dollars for Toyota workers compared to $57 for GM.....MMMmmm time for automakers to move to China compliments of the UAW.

[1776 or 1984]

08:22 AM on 04/03/2011

Moving to the bottom will occur regardless of unions. I am in an industry that is not unionized and have nonetheless seen massive offshoring to India. Those are corporate decisions friendo all the way.

[Douvie]

10:20 AM on 04/03/2011

You can't reason with a frozen ideology, but faved for the effort.

[BCinVA]

07:00 PM on 04/01/2011

Glad to see them doing better but they will have their hands full trying to organize a Toyota or Honda for example. After the beating they took with the big three, the transplants are offering a better deal than they are getting for their members at the big three. There is no incentive for the workers at Toyota to join. They already make better money and their jobs are practically lay off proof. UAW would be wise to save that money for now and go after non-automotive targets where they could offer workers and upgrade.

[1776 or 1984]

08:28 AM on 04/03/2011

The goal of unions is to increase the living standards of workers. UAW is accomplishing that for the workers at the Japanese and Korean transplants simply by threatening membership drives. In the end, if corporations deliver responsible and fair wages, then everyone wins.

But make no mistake, if the UAW wasn't always at their doorstep, those autoworkers in Mississippi would be making far less.

[the964kid]

10:48 AM on 04/01/2011

Which is exactly why the Republicans were prepared to let the entire auto industry collapse.

What was McCain's 2008 slogan? Oh yeah: Country First...

[joebiteme]

10:36 PM on 03/31/2011

Hmm the unions continue to hammer the domestics while they leave the imports alone, now that's a smart tactic

[ThursdaysChild]

01:42 AM on 04/01/2011

Did you not read the article?

[trespanieli]

07:51 PM on 03/31/2011

This is only the beginning.

[irochfpst]

07:45 PM on 03/31/2011

bravo. as long as the republican attack on middle class americans continues, the labor movement will grow. i just don't understand why the unions haven't sent out invitations to the medical community?

[MIVOTE]

04:53 PM on 04/01/2011

SEIU...represents them.

[camelias and sweet tea]

07:47 PM on 04/01/2011

Thank You Wisconsin for waking up all the Union and some non-union people to the importance of unions.. And the importance of standing together

[SitandStay]

07:42 PM on 03/31/2011

The IAM, International Association of Machinists, at Eastern Air Lines, represented mechanics, aircraft servicers, fuelers, freight and baggage laborers. The head of the union had the contract include even non-contract workers included in the contract to receive company stock and management wanted work productivity to be the basis for bonuses, which the productivity was almost always met. The contract also included a seat on the Board of Directors and the allowance to look at the books. It was leading up to the strike that the accountant began to see signs of fraud in the books. Management closed the books, not allowing further inspection. The strike was honored by ALPA, Airline Pilots Association and the flight attendants union, TWU. This was the first time I believe that every union honored a strike in commercial airline carriers history.
Bush # 41 vetoed a bill that would have investigated the carrier and the transfer of assets, even though it had passed the House and the Senate. Newt Gingrich, whose home state of Georgia was the largest hub with the most workers of EAL, never assisted as he had promised the pilots he would.

[chemguy]

07:01 PM on 03/31/2011

Academic workers in Washington have been part of UAW for a while. It's seems weird, but it make me feel like part of the good fight.
In Solidarity,
UAW 4121

[knightoftheroundtable]

05:46 PM on 03/31/2011

Nice to see a gain. Would like to see UAW organize non union auto manufactures down south.

[nofriendofrepublicans]

05:48 PM on 03/31/2011

2nd.

[StJames]

09:44 PM on 03/31/2011

The states would fight them tooth and nail...it would be like reconstruction all over again.