- An Arizona judge has sided with two Lucid employees, who were fired after trying to unionize the automaker.
- The court found the duo were “discharged based, in part, because of anti-union animus.”
- Higher ups at Lucid reportedly eavesdropped on the employees, plotted against them, and threw away union literature.
While the UAW used to be Detroit’s headache, the union has been focusing their efforts on organizing foreign automakers as well as newcomers. This has brought major changes including the unionization of Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant.
That was a big win for the UAW and it hasn’t been the only one as a judge recently issued a temporary injunction against Lucid for firing two employees, who were trying to form a union. The petition was filed in an Arizona District Court by a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board, which protested the firing of Amie Begay and Chad Brewer.
More: UAW Files Charges Against Mercedes For Alleged Anti-Union Campaign
The two discussed forming a union at Lucid and Brewer reached out to the UAW. The duo then ramped up their efforts by distributing union leaflets in the bathroom and break area in January of 2023. While Begay was discussing unionization with a co-worker, a production manager reportedly eavesdropped on the conversation.
Begay passed out more UAW fliers in February and reportedly saw a superior throw some away. The next day she was reportedly terminated for “clocking in earlier than when she entered … [the] facility and for clocking out two hours after she left the facility on November 8, 2022 (an election day).”
Brewer was fired on the same day as Begay and his “affidavit alleges many of the same experiences” as his unionization partner.
While that’s the primer, a lot was going on behind the scenes as higher ups discussed the union literature and one reportedly commented “… the LAST thing we want moving in here is a union.” They also focused on Brewer and Begay as they sought “badge reports” to see when and where they’ve been in the facility.
Furthermore, a higher up was reportedly told to “assign salaried employees you trust to walk through the bathrooms and other areas and pick up any literature which is being posted and/or dropped on tables and benches on each shift.”
While that’s just a brief glimpse at the lengthy legalize, the judge found Lucid was aware of the unionization activity and the duo were “discharged based, in part, because of anti-union animus.” As a result, the UAW says the court ordered Lucid to reinstate the employees.
UAW President Shawn Fain released a statement saying, “Workers at Lucid, and autoworkers everywhere, won justice.” He added, “This decision tells rogue employers like Lucid that they won’t get away with attacking workers.”
