The United Auto Workers’ Union’s fight for better worker rights and conditions has gained more of the national spotlight over the past year. Their recent battles with Ford and Mack Trucks aren’t the end of the line for their work.
Now, U.S. Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman of Pennsylvania are warning major automakers not to illegally block any union efforts that may take place within their companies. In a letter sent to thirteen non-unionized automakers, the Senators voiced their concerns about recent reports of anti-union actions.
Some of the companies named in the letter were BMW, Tesla, Honda, Nissan, and Subaru, among others. Senators Casey and Fetterman mentioned reports of retaliatory actions at some of the listed automakers, emphasizing that such actions are “hostile to workers’ rights and must not be repeated.”
The letter urged the companies to cooperate with any unionizing that occurs, and encouraged them to implement a neutrality agreement at manufacturing plants.
A neutrality agreement would prevent management from pressuring workers into voting against unionization or delaying the election process. The Senators called this a “bare minimum standard” for manufacturers.
The letter went on to emphasize the idea that all workers should have an opportunity to join a union without any retaliation or push-back from their companies.
Both Senators Bob Casey and John Fetterman have consistently advocated for worker rights during their time in office. Casey was an original cosponsor of the PRO Act to give workers more rights to bargain in the workplace and has fought to raise minimum wage. Fetterman has always been a vocal advocate for union work and a critic of corporate greed. He’s joined multiple groups of striking workers on the picket line, has introduced legislation that allows unionizing workers to receive benefits, and is also pushing to raise the state minimum wage.
Several other Senators from across the country also signed onto the letter.
