Samsung's unionized chip workers rejected a $340,000 one-time bonus on May 8 and are demanding annual payouts comparable to rival SK hynix's $900,000 packages, citing the AI chip boom that has driven massive profits. The dispute is set to trigger an 18-day strike starting May 21, with industry analysts estimating potential losses up to $11.7 billion for Samsung. The framing around 'share of the AI windfall' is legitimate — Samsung's market cap exceeded $1 trillion during the AI surge, and workers are arguing they should benefit proportionally from the boom they helped create.