U.S. employees of the three Asian brands' production facilities will see raises of 14%, 9% and 11%, respectively.
Non-union automaker Hyundai has joined Toyota and Honda in raising wages following a historic strike from the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
Speculation has swirled since the beginning of the six-week UAW strikes against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis as to whether wages would increase at non-union factories in the U.S. The question has been answered, as Hyundai announced plans Nov. 13 to increase wages for its workers by 14%, with plans to boost pay by 25% by 2028, first reported by Automotive News.
The move will be applied to roughly 4,000 “production team members” at Hyundai’s manufacturing facility in Montgomery, AL, and to a plant expected to open in 2025 in Bryan County, GA, expected to employ around 8,500 people. Dubbed the Metaplant complex, the Georgia site is set to build six EVs for the Hyundai, Genesis and Kia brands.
A spokesperson didn’t comment on whether the decision was related to the UAW strikes, saying only that the wage hikes were meant to help “retain and attract top talent.” The company also said it raised wages earlier this year at the Alabama factory.
Hyundai North America CEO Jose Muñoz said the company hires “the best team members in the industry and is compensating them accordingly,” adding that the Korean automaker “continuously strives to maintain competitive wage and benefits commensurate to industry peers.”
Similarly, Honda announced plans to increase wages by 11%, while Toyota shared plans to boost pay by 9%, both set to begin in January.
