You’re correct of course. I would think that the company that is already adapted to European workers and are themselves European, could see the benefit of saying, “these American workers would like more pay and benefits. Let’s give them those”, rather than “We aren’t as good as Hyundai at EVs yet, let’s shut down plants and lay people off.”
Why the executives can’t understand that giving a little bit to help others, helps them, I’m not sure. I guess greed and fear get in the way somewhere in their minds. If they would meet the unions demands, and especially if they would actually take the climate crisis seriously, consumers would be falling over themselves to buy those cars.