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Micron workers increasingly support strike over bonus pay — labor union wants profit-sharing scheme, as employees at Samsung, SK hynix enjoy bonuses worth hundreds of thousands of dollars
Micron Taiwan faces a potential strike as support for this labor action is increasing among its workers. Local media reports that a preliminary survey showed 80% of the people involved support such a move, with its labor union demanding that the current bonus system be replaced with a profit-sharing scheme, similar to what SK hynix employees receive. Micron, alongside Samsung and SK hynix, have been raking in a lot of cash because of the AI-driven memory chip shortage, and its workers want a piece of the action.
“Unions say peers offer far higher profit-based bonuses, with Samsung paying out 10.5% of profits and SK Hynix 10%,” Dan Nystedt said on X. “Formal mediation talks are expected to begin by mid-September at the latest, a mandatory requirement before an official strike vote can be held under Taiwan law.”
Support for a strike at Micron Taiwan over bonus pay hit 80% in a preliminary survey, as the US memory giant faces trouble similar to Samsung in May, when a last-minute deal averted a strike, media report. Taiwan labor unions are pushing to replace the current bonus system with a…August 28, 2026
Earlier this year, Samsung narrowly avoided a strike after it agreed to a deal that gave its foundry workers bonuses that could go as high as $400,000 per employee. It seems that Micron Taiwan’s labor union is following suit, especially as the company’s last earnings call reported a revenue of $41.46 billion and a net income of $28.24 billion, with its Cloud Memory Business Unit, which provides high-bandwidth memory (HBM) to data center customers, accounting for more than 33% of the total revenue.
It’s unclear if Micron workers from other parts of the world will be affected by any deal made in Taiwan, but 60% of its global production capacity is centered around the island, with most of its HBM output coming from its facilities there. With the two sides beginning talks in September, we have yet to see what kind of deal they will reach. But given how lucrative the data center boom has been for the memory industry and the precedent set by workers at Samsung and SK hynix, it’s likely that they will have comparable demands.
While we’re unsure how much bonuses the workers in Taiwan will get, it’s likely that management will negotiate as production disruptions could mean massive losses for the company. Nevertheless, it would also raise complications for workers in other countries, as it could build jealousy and resentment among other workers who will not be part of the bargain, similar to what some Samsung workers are experiencing with the recently closed labor deal.
Jowi Morales is a tech enthusiast with years of experience working in the industry. He’s been writing with several tech publications since 2021, where he’s been interested in tech hardware and consumer electronics.
No that is often how the trade works lower base pay as profit becomes part of compensation. The idea being that it encourages workers to want a profitable company and contribute more.
But I don't expect they are willing to drop their pay for profit sharing they want the best of both base pay and profits.
But are say doctors going to get those for doing far more essential work?
No matter what those doctors do, their human patients are going to die eventually. Building RAM chips to bring about the birth of Artilect Machine Gods is far more essential work.
Even if you work for the 4th most profitable company in the planet, they will give a 1.5% raise and say you should be thankful you have a job.
Literally, that's the case for my life.
They hate us and they want us dead.
Even if you work for the 4th most profitable company in the planet, they will give a 1.5% raise and say you should be thankful you have a job.
Literally, that's the case for my life.
They hate us and they want us dead.
That is true.
But also if you think about it, their insane profits are not a result of harder / more productive work of their employees - it is a direct result of the ridiculous demand of AI.
