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Union seeks worker pay, safety commitments from Micron

A 1TB Micron SD Card for a phone.
Micron
/
micron.com
A 1TB Micron SD Card for a phone.

Micron’s recently signed agreement with the federal government to build a massive chip making facility in Clay is renewing demands for family sustaining wages and worker protections. The company is receiving more than $13 billion from the CHIPS and Science Act.

The union Communications Workers of America says Micron promised to meet back in April to discuss compensation, when the preliminary funding agreement was first announced. CWA semiconductor campaigns director Etana Jacobi says they’re still waiting.

“Rather than engage in meaningful dialogue, they're dragging their feet," Jacobi said. "We really think it's important for them to live up to that commitment and work with us to bring thousands of permanent good paying community sustaining jobs in New York.”

Jacobi says the CWA is looking for guarantees outlined in what they call their Good Jobs and Equitable Access Platform. She says none of the conditions are included in the funding agreement with the department of commerce.

“Unfortunately, the contract does not lay out job quality standards," Jacobi said. "It doesn't include an enforcement commitment for Micron to allow its workers to join a union free from intimidation. It doesn't include minimum job creation numbers. It doesn't include minimum wages or benefits.”

Jacobi says that’s troubling because Micron and elected officials have consistently celebrated the thousands of promised high-paying jobs without providing specifics. She says the bureau of labor statistics shows wage for the most common industry job title of “assembler” is under $18 an hour. For a typical chip “technician,” it’s just over $23 an hour.

“That's median. That is not a family sustaining or community sustaining wage," Jacobi said. "And this is just a fraction of the six figure salaries that communities have been promised with CHIPS Act investment.”

Jacobi says they want Micron to commit to a labor peace agreement to ensure higher wages. But she acknowledges it’s an uphill battle in an industry with a unionized workforce of less than one percent. Micron did not respond to a request for comment.

Scott Willis covers politics, local government, transportation, and arts and culture for WAER. He came to Syracuse from Detroit in 2001, where he began his career in radio as an intern and freelance reporter. Scott is honored and privileged to bring the day’s news and in-depth feature reporting to WAER’s dedicated and generous listeners. You can find him on twitter @swillisWAER and email him at srwillis@syr.edu.