Samsung Union Vote Starts Today: What Happens If Workers Reject the Deal — And What It Means for Chip Prices

# Samsung Union Vote Starts Today: What Happens If Workers Reject the Deal — And What It Means for Chip Prices

> **Quick answer:** Samsung's 48,000-member union began voting today, May 22, on a tentative deal that averted a chip strike two days ago. Voting runs through May 27, with results on May 28. If the majority rejects the deal, the 18-day strike — and its $700 million-per-day economic threat — resumes immediately. The deal on the table offers a 12% performance bonus structure with the controversial payout cap removed.

As of 2:00 p.m. Korea time today, the Samsung union vote is live. The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU) is asking its 48,000 members whether to ratify the tentative agreement reached just 48 hours ago — the deal that kept the lights on at the world's largest memory chip factory. The outcome will be known by May 28. Between now and then, every chip buyer, AI infrastructure investor, and consumer who uses a smartphone is watching.

## What the Vote Is About: The Deal That Stopped the Strike

Samsung and the NSEU reached a tentative wage and collective bargaining agreement on May 20, 2026, just hours before an 18-day general strike was set to begin. The strike, scheduled to run May 21 through June 7, would have involved over 48,000 workers at Samsung's semiconductor division — the Device Solutions (DS) group that manufactures DRAM, NAND flash, and HBM memory chips.

The core deal terms, as reported by TechTimes and Tom's Hardware: