Semiconductor Giant Micron Agrees to Meet with CWA to Discuss Workers' Rights at New Plants

Last week, the Biden Administration announced that chipmaker Micron will meet with CWA to discuss a labor peace agreement as part of the $6.1 billion in federal funding from the CHIPS and Science Act the company is set to receive. A written agreement will be critical to ensuring that the thousands of workers Micron intends to hire in its new semiconductor plants in New York and Idaho will be free to form a union if they choose to and to fight for the kinds of wages and benefits that will grow local economies.

“We are looking forward to sitting down with Micron’s management to negotiate a labor peace agreement that fulfills the promise of this funding to create good jobs in this critical sector of our economy,” said IUE-CWA President Carl Kennebrew. IUE-CWA currently represents workers at one of the only union-represented chip factories in the country as well as at multiple semiconductor supply chain facilities and negotiated the first-ever comprehensive labor peace agreement in the semiconductor industry at Akash Systems last year.

During an event in Syracuse announcing the CHIPS Act award, both Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and President Joe Biden highlighted Micron’s commitment to creating good, union jobs at the new facilities. “I’m pleased that Micron is planning to sit down with unions to discuss labor peace,” President Biden said during his remarks.

“Micron has publicly committed to the rights of workers to form and join unions and collectively bargain. Micron is leading the way as the only major company to agree to sit down with unions and have a conversation about the future of their workforce,” Senator Schumer said.

---

This post originally appeared on cwa-union.org.