UAW Members at Pennsylvania BMW Distribution Center Vote to Authorize Strike, If Necessary

Nazareth, PA – On Saturday, June 8, workers at BMW’s Regional Distribution Center in Nazareth, PA, voted by 99% to authorize a strike if necessary. The contract covers warehouse workers and expires on June 30.

The workers at the distribution center are facing stagnant wages and calls for concessions against a backdrop of rising cost of living and massive profits and shareholder payouts by BMW. Many of the workers have gone without a pay increase for over a decade, and the wage for most at the facility is less than $22 per hour, far lower than what economists estimate it costs for a family to live in the region.

“We’re part of the reason BMW’s raked in billions in profits, but workers in Nazareth haven’t seen that translate into pay raises. In fact, we’re falling behind,” said Zach Haas, bargaining unit chair. “We’re united and ready to join the stand up movement if we need to so we can get our fair share.” 

BMW has amassed $50 billion since 2021, with more than 20% of its revenue generated in the United States. The company has spent more than $3 billion in stock buyback schemes in the last two years and has announced plans to lavish another $1 billion on Wall Street shareholders in the future. BMW CEO Oliver Zipse received $9.6 million in total compensation last year alone.

BMW workers are the latest UAW members standing up to corporate greed. Thousands of UAW members have won record contracts in the last year, including auto workers at Daimler Truck, the Big Three automakers, and Allison Transmission workers in Indianapolis, IN.