Samsung appliance workers escalate bonus fight with protests, Times Square ad in New York City
The protest is over a widening compensation gap between the appliance and semiconductor divisions.
Samsung Electronics' Donghaeng union is intensifying its fight over compensation disparities between the company's consumer device and semiconductor divisions. The union, which represents DX division workers involved in producing smartphones, televisions, and home appliances, plans to hold rallies and protests in September, marking a step up from previous demonstrations near Samsung's campuses.
The union insists management unfairly blames DX employees for poor performance while giving them lower pay compared to those in the DS division, responsible for Samsung's chip business. Donghaeng is seeking 1,000 Samsung shares per employee, a performance-based compensation pool, and equal pay increases across divisions. A 15-second video with the messages "Great products begin with people" and "We are still here" has been displayed on a Times Square billboard.
The dispute has grown as the performance gap widened, with DX reporting a first-quarter loss in Q2. The 2026 wage talks concluded in May, but Donghaeng withdrew before a vote, arguing the deal didn't address DX concerns. Samsung maintains its compensation should be performance-based.
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