Micron Taoyuan union secures strike authorization, weighs 'surprise strike'

Taipei, Oct. 7 (CNA) The union representing workers at U.S. memory chipmaker Micron Technology Inc.'s operations in Taoyuan said Wednesday it had secured authorization to strike and was considering a "surprise strike" if talks with the company fail to produce results.

Of 2,258 eligible union members, 2,012 voted over the past six days, with 1,994 supporting strike action, 14 opposed and four invalid ballots.

The result meant 88.3 percent of all eligible members backed a strike, or 99 percent of those who voted.

Speaking at a news conference in Taipei, Jerry Lin (林哲瑞), the union's chairman, said no strike date had been set.

"We haven't decided on an actual strike schedule yet, but when the time comes, we will notify members by text message," Lin said, adding that a "surprise strike" was among the options being considered.

Asked later about the option, Lin said the union could announce a strike at short notice "to prevent the company from making preparations in advance."

The union said it hoped Micron's board would offer concrete proposals after a meeting scheduled for Oct. 8-9 U.S. time, before further action is taken.

At the center of the dispute is Micron's Incentive Pay Plan (IPP), which the union says lacks transparency and is part of a compensation system that disproportionately rewards senior executives and compares unfavorably with those of Micron's competitors.

The union is seeking a long-term system under which 15 percent of Micron's operating profit would be distributed to employees.

"What we want is to establish an open and transparent profit-sharing system," Lin said.

In September, Micron announced a package under which Taiwan employees would receive at least NT$1.7 million in cash compensation for the fiscal year 2026. This was rejected by the union, which said it would continue to push for a permanent, institutionalized profit-sharing system instead of a one-time measure.

The union is also encouraging employees to take leave and join a rally on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei on Monday, Oct. 19.

Micron reported on Sept. 30 that it had US$133.19 billion in revenue and US$99.34 billion in operating income for fiscal 2026, which ended Sept. 3.

Meanwhile, Micron's Taichung union will hold a second mediation session with the company on Oct. 22 before deciding its next step.

Micron has 12,300 employees in Taichung, including approximately 11,000 union members, while Taoyuan has around 3,000 employees, about 2,400 of whom are union members.

According to the union, the Taoyuan operation has no blue-collar migrant workers but employs foreign professionals, including engineers, some of whom are union members.

Responses from Micron, labor ministry

Later Wednesday, Micron said it respected employees' legal rights and applicable legal procedures, and had heard and taken seriously the concerns raised by workers.

The company said it would continue communicating with the unions in good faith through existing dialogue and mediation channels, including further mediation with the Taichung union, while seeking a constructive solution acceptable to all sides.

The Ministry of Labor said in a statement that it respected the union's strike vote, describing it as a reflection of employees' expectations for "a reasonable profit-sharing system."

The ministry urged Micron to carefully consider workers' views and put forward "concrete, feasible proposals" for negotiations.

The ministry said it would work with the Taoyuan City Government and the Central Taiwan Science Park Bureau, which oversees the park where Micron's Taichung operations are located, to facilitate further negotiations.