Automakers’ Shift to Electric Vehicles Puts Union Jobs on Line

The shift to electric vehicles is threatening labor unions’ ironclad grip on the U.S. auto industry, thanks in part to an obscure portion of federal labor law that gives car manufacturers authority to swap union workers for non-union workers.

President Joe Biden last week hailed the arrival of Ford’s electric F-150, saying at an appearance in Michigan he would create jobs by moving key elements of production to U.S. soil. But even if his administration succeeds, there’s no guarantee those jobs will be the same high-paying union jobs he seeks—a potential threat to the United Auto Workers, already battling the ...