The second day of the Special Bargaining Convention was a busy one for those in attendance.

Wages, profit-sharing, healthcare, work schedules, health and safety, organizing, higher education, and support for veterans were among the issues discussed and debated by delegates on the Convention floor, as they continued to fine-tune their vision for the union’s bargaining strategy moving forward.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer addressed the delegates, hailing the UAW for its support of the state’s recent repeal of so-called “right to work.”

“We have shown the world that here in Michigan we have each others’ backs,” Whitmer said to a cheering crowd. “That’s what being in a union is all about.”

UAW Vice President Rich Boyer gave an impassioned speech about Stellantis’s recent decision to idle its Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois. Boyer expressed the need for all UAW members to stand together to stop the Big Three from arbitrarily closing US plants despite record profits.

“I’m going to make one commitment to everybody in this room,” Boyer said. “If you’re in trouble, we’re coming. We’re coming to your side. We’re going to walk the line with you. We’re going to do whatever we’ve got to do to make sure you survive.”

The final day of the Special Bargaining Convention will convene at 9 am tomorrow.