NuAxiSemiconductor trade intelligence

5 years’ worth of salary in bonuses given to 700 eligible Micron workers as company continues to battle union — more than 4,300 production-line staff to receive three bonuses of more than $31,000, plus quarterly profit bonuses starting next year

What happened

Micron announced that about 700 eligible employees in Taiwan will receive five years' worth of salary in bonuses as three bonuses are paid in a single payout; according to Digitimes this covers roughly 17% of the more than 4,300 production-line employees at Micron Taiwan, while the remaining staff will also receive three bonuses in October. The lump-sum payout consists of an annual performance bonus estimated at 7.5 to 12.5 months of salary for the majority of workers, a mass-production bonus of 20% of annual salary, and a one-time $31,000 (NT$1,000,000) appreciation bonus prorated for employees with less than a full year of service. Micron workers across the globe also expect a new quarterly profit bonus paid 50% in cash and 50% in stock, starting January 2027, with the first one paid 100% in cash. The source states this is a direct effect of the AI-driven memory chip boom, which brought Micron, Samsung and SK hynix massive orders from AI hyperscalers and record profits; Samsung workers voted to accept a $340,000 average bonus in May 2026, while SK hynix workers are set to receive $477,000 in bonuses this year, potentially growing to almost $900,000 in 2027. Meanwhile, the Micron Taoyuan union remains in a pay dispute with management: some officials have launched a one-day strike demanding clearer profit-sharing arrangements and bonus terms, nearly 70% of Taoyuan members turned down management's latest offer, and the two sides are tentatively set to meet again on November 6; the Micron Taichung union has already agreed to a 10% employer's pension contribution and a tripling of the day-shift allowance. The article notes that reliance on performance and profit bonuses means these incentives could fall sharply if AI demand declines and the demand cycle normalizes.