UAW launches campaign to unionize all automakers at once – Tesla, Toyota, etc
The UAW has launched an unprecedented campaign to unionize the entire US auto sector at once, with thousands of auto workers at 13 companies announcing simultaneous unionization campaigns.
After UAW’s big strike win, winning 25%+ pay increases at the “Big Three” American automakers after a simultaneous strike at GM, Ford and Stellantis, the union is looking to maintain that momentum and go bigger.
Immediately after declaring victory, UAW President Shawn Fain said that in the next negotiation in 2028, UAW wants to come back to the bargaining table to negotiate not just with the Big Three, but with “a Big Five or a Big Six” – implying that the union planned to expand to other automakers. And President Biden said that he would support a UAW push to unionize Tesla and Toyota.
Now we’ve seen an official announcement that UAW isn’t just looking to unionize two or three more automakers, but all of them at once. Typically, unionization campaigns focus on a single company at a time, but here UAW is targeting a whole sector with simultaneous campaigns at each individual company. This seems like a tall order, but UAW’s triple-strike against the Big Three seemed to work out well, so it’s now applying that simultaneous tactic to organizing new union drives.
In service of its goal, UAW launched a new website at uaw.org/join, asking workers at each company to sign their union card. The website mentions several automakers by name, and has links to individual campaigns for each automaker where workers can go to express their interest in unionizing:
The campaign was accompanies by a video narrated by Fain making his union pitch. In short, UAW says that automakers and investors are making record profits, but that worker compensation has not kept up. The video specifically mentions Tesla and Rivian’s recent quarterly results, and also states that the Japanese/Korean automakers have combined to make $470 billion in profits, and the German automakers have made an additional $460 billion, in the last ten years.
Since the UAW’s big wins, other automakers have moved to increase pay to (partially) keep up with pay increases at the Big Three. VW, Hyundai, Toyota and Honda have all announced hikes in pay, showing how union wins can buoy an entire industry by making automakers compete for workers with higher pay.
But UAW doesn’t want to stop at a few voluntary pay hikes from other companies, it thinks that unionizing those companies can give workers a better deal. One worker at Toyota’s Georgetown, Kentucky plant put it thusly:
We’ve lost so much since I started here, and the raise won’t make up for that. It won’t make up for the health benefits we’ve lost, it won’t make up for the wear and tear on our bodies. We still build a quality vehicle. People take pride in that, but morale is at an all-time low. They can give you a raise today and jack up your health benefits tomorrow. A union contract is the only way to win what’s fair.
Jeff Allen, 29-year Toyota assembly worker
UAW also quoted workers at Hyundai, VW, Mercedes and Rivian in its release, focusing on how they think unionization would improve safety and benefits at these automakers.
Electrek’s Take
Unions are having a bit of a moment in the US, reaching their highest popularity ever since surveys started asking about them.
Much of union popularity has been driven by COVID-related disruptions across the economy, with workers becoming unsatisfied due to mistreatment (labeling everyone “essential,” companies ending work-from-home) and with the labor market getting tighter with over 1 million Americans dead from the virus and another 2-4 million (and counting) out of work due to long COVID.
Unions have seized on this dissatisfaction to build momentum in the labor movement, with successful strikes across many industries and organizers starting to organize workforces that had previously been nonunion.
But union membership has been down over several decades in the US, and as a result, pay hasn’t kept pace with worker productivity and income distribution has become more unequal over time. It’s really not hard to see this influence when you plot these trends against each other.
It’s quite clear that lower union membership has resulted in lower inflation-adjusted compensation for workers, even as productivity has skyrocketed. As workers have produced more and more value for their companies, those earnings have gone more and more to their bosses rather than to the workers who produce that value. And it all began in the 80s, around the time of Reagan – a timeline that should be familiar to those who study social ills in America.
All of this isn’t just true in the US but also internationally. If you look at other countries with high levels of labor organization, they tend to have more fair wealth distribution across the economy and more ability for workers to get their fair share.
We’re seeing this in Sweden right now, as Tesla workers are striking for better conditions. Since Sweden has 90% collective bargaining coverage, it tends to have a happy and well-paid workforce, and it seems clear that these two things are correlated. And while that strike is continuing, meaning we haven’t yet seen the end of it, most observers think that the workers will eventually get what they want since collective bargaining is so strong in that country.
These are all reasons why, as I’ve mentioned in many of these UAW-related articles, I’m pro-union. And I think everyone should be – it only makes sense that people should have their interests collectively represented and that people should be able to join together to support each other and exercise their power collectively instead of individually.
This is precisely what companies do with industry organizations, lobby organizations, chambers of commerce, and so on. And it’s what people do when sorting themselves into local, state, or national governments. So naturally, workers should do the same. It’s just fair.
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bp pulse is continuing to roll out public DC fast charging across the US, and the company has opened its first-ever site in Arizona, along with new fast-charging locations in Texas, Florida, and Ohio.
In Arizona, bp pulse’s first site is now online at the Petro Travel Center in Eloy, just off Interstate 10 at Exit 200 (pictured). The location features 16 charging bays delivering up to 400 kilowatts, with both CCS and NACS connectors available. While charging, drivers can take advantage of the travel center’s onsite diner, convenience store, ATM, barber shop, and restrooms.
In South Florida, bp pulse’s new fast-charging site is at 2400 Miami Road in Fort Lauderdale, about three miles from Fort Lauderdale–Hollywood International Airport. The site features 16 charging bays, offering a mix of 150 kW and 400 kW speeds, with both CCS and NACS connectors. Its proximity to the airport makes it a handy stop for ride-hail drivers, EV rental returns, and airport pickups and drop-offs, with hotels, restaurants, and convenience stores nearby.
Texas is also getting more high-power charging, with a new bp pulse site at the Petro Travel Center in El Paso, located off Interstate 10 at Exit 37. This location offers 12 charging bays capable of delivering up to 400 kW, again with both CCS and NACS connectors. Drivers can take advantage of the diner, convenience store, barber shop, and restrooms while they charge.
In Ohio, bp pulse has opened a smaller but still high-powered site at a TravelCenters of America location in Hebron, just off Interstate 70 at Exit 126. The site includes six 400 kW charging bays with CCS and NACS connectors, along with access to a convenience store, fast-food options, and restrooms.
These openings are part of bp pulse’s broader plan to build out EV charging across bp’s retail footprint, including bp, Amoco, ampm, Thorntons, and TravelCenters of America locations. Many of those sites are designed to combine fast charging with food, restrooms, and other travel amenities. bp has also said it plans to begin adding EV chargers at Waffle House locations starting in 2026.
Read more: bp pulse opens a huge airport EV fast charging hub in Houston
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The Cadillac Lyriq and Chevy Blazer EV were among the vehicles that saw the biggest lease price drops in December.
Cadillac and Chevy EV lease prices drop in December
With the $7,500 federal EV tax credit now gone, automakers are filling the gap with their own incentives. Some are passing on the savings as bonus cash, conquest cash, lease discounts, and more.
Two General Motors electric SUVs, the Chevy Blazer EV and the Cadillac Lyriq, had some of the largest lease price drops of any vehicle in December.
The 2026 Cadillac Lyriq AWD Luxury model is now listed at $439 per month for 24 months. With $4,979 due at signing, the effective rate is $646, or $28 less per month than in November.
That’s after the Lyriq already saw prices drop by $115 a month from October. However, the December deal includes a $2,000 competitive bonus for owners and lessees of a 2011 model year or newer non-GM vehicle.
The 2026 Chevy Blazer EV FWD LT is now available to lease for as low as $319 a month for 24 months. With $6,039 due at signing, the effective rate is $571 per month, about $60 less than in November. The deal includes a $750 competitive bonus and $1,000 customer cash allowance.
Chevy and Cadillac are offering discounts across their entire EV lineup. All 2025 Chevy electric vehicles, including the Blazer EV, Equinox EV, and Silverado EV, are available with 0% APR financing for 60 months.
Intestingly, the 2026 Chevy Equinox EV is also available with 0% APR financing, while the 2026 Blazer EV is listed with 1.9% APR for 36 months.
Cadillac is offering a $2,000 conquest or loyalty bonus for the 2026 Cadillac Vistiq and select 2025/2026 Optiq and Lyriq models, plus 2.9% APR for 60 months.
The 2026 Cadillac Optiq is available to lease for as low as $319 per month for 24 months, while the 2026 Vistiq is available to lease for $619 per month for 24 months.
Want to try one out? We’ve got you covered. Check out the links below to see what Cadillac and Chevy EVs are nearby.
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Electric vehicle prices edged lower and incentives jumped in November, but the month still saw a sales slowdown as the US EV market continues to hunt for a new normal.
Initial estimates from Kelley Blue Book show that EV sales came in at just over 70,000 units in November, more than 40% lower than a year ago and about 5% below October’s level.
The average transaction price (ATP) for a new EV in November was $58,638. That’s up 3.7% year-over-year but down 0.8% from October. Incentives told a different story: Discounts averaged 13.3% of ATP, which is lower than in November 2024 but jumped 20.1% compared to October.
Tesla continued to feel the pressure. The automaker’s ATP was $54,310 in November – down 1.7% from the same period a year ago but up 1.5% month-over-month. Sales declined for the second straight month and were down 22.7% year-over-year, mainly because of a drop in Model 3 demand.
Model 3 sales slid 42.1% compared to November 2024 and fell 11.9% from October. Meanwhile, the Model Y, still the best‑selling EV in the US, saw prices increase 0.9% year-over-year and month-over-month. Model Y sales were slightly lower than last November, down 0.5%, but rose 2.5% compared to October.
The Tesla Cybertruck showed signs of cooling. Once the best‑selling vehicle priced above $100,000, Cybertruck sales fell to 1,194 units in November, the lowest monthly total of 2025 so far. Its average price was $94,254, higher both year-over-year and compared to October.
Taken together, the numbers paint a picture of an EV market in transition: prices are easing, incentives are rising, but buyers are still holding back as the industry tries to settle into its next phase.
Cox Automotive executive analyst Erin Keating said, “It’s important to remember that the KBB ATP is a measure of what is bought, not what is available. Nearly half of new-vehicle buyers are over the age of 55 and in their peak earning years. These buyers are more likely shopping for a high-end SUV, not something cheap and cheerful. In November, the over-$75,000 price point saw more volume than under-$30,000.”
Read more: October EV sales slid, but deals and rebates are still in play
If you’re looking to replace your old HVAC equipment, it’s always a good idea to get quotes from a few installers. To make sure you’re finding a trusted, reliable HVAC installer near you that offers competitive pricing on heat pumps, check out EnergySage. EnergySage is a free service that makes it easy for you to get a heat pump. They have pre-vetted heat pump installers competing for your business, ensuring you get high quality solutions. Plus, it’s free to use!
Your personalized heat pump quotes are easy to compare online and you’ll get access to unbiased Energy Advisors to help you every step of the way. Get started here. – *ad
FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.
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