Samsung Electronics workers began voting on a new wage agreement on May 22, 2026. This proposed deal narrowly averted a major 18-day strike. The package includes substantial bonuses for the memory chip division following the recent AI boom. Some semiconductor employees will receive bonuses as high as US$416,000.
The agreement has sparked significant internal conflict across other company divisions. Employees in the smartphone and home appliance sectors will receive far smaller bonuses. Labor unions representing non-chip workers have voiced strong disapproval of the terms. These groups allege the deal overwhelmingly favors the semiconductor division.
Internal discord impacted the company's stock price as voting commenced. Shares initially surged 8.5% on news of the averted strike. The stock finished 2.3% lower on Friday as details of the divisive deal emerged.