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UAW Condemns Violent Attack on Tornel Rubber Workers in Mexico, Urges Immediate USMCA Action

The UAW today condemned the shooting of striking workers at the Tornel Rubber Company in Tultitlán, Mexico, calling it a grave attack on fundamental labor and human rights and urging swift action by Mexican authorities and USMCA partners.

On March 18, four workers were injured when armed assailants opened fire on workers on night duty as they lawfully exercised their right to strike.

The strike at Tornel Rubber Company stems from alleged violations of the Mexican Rubber Industry Contract-Law, including:

  • Non-implementation of a 40-hour workweek
  • Unpaid 44-day year-end bonus
  • Denial of proper vacation premium (25–31 days)
  • Failure to pay social security contributions
  • Non-recognition of official paid holidays (Feb. 5, Mar. 21)

The UAW is calling on Mexican authorities to ensure the safety of workers and to carry out a transparent investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

The situation reflects broader concerns about efforts within the rubber industry to weaken established labor standards and collective bargaining agreements. The UAW is urging the governments of the United States and Canada to take immediate action under the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. Specifically, the UAW is calling for USTR to immediately self-initiate a complaint under the USMCA’s Rapid Response Mechanism.

“What happened at Tornel Rubber is an outrage. It’s an attack on human rights, on labor rights, and on the basic democratic freedoms of workers. The right to strike, to organize, and to bargain collectively are non-negotiable. When workers are met with gunfire for exercising those rights, the UAW will not tolerate it. We’re committed to fighting like hell to make sure every worker can stand up, organize, and demand what they’re owed without facing violence,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.

The UAW emphasized that failure to respond decisively risks undermining labor reforms and trade commitments across North America.

UAW Demands:

  • Immediate protection for Tornel workers and their families
  • Full enforcement of the Rubber Industry Contract-Law
  • Public condemnation of the attack by Mexican authorities and industry leaders
  • Independent USMCA complaint initiated by the U.S.

The UAW reaffirmed its solidarity with Tornel workers, who voted on March 22 to continue their strike.

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Woodward MPC UAW Workers Outside Chicago Demand Respect and a Fair Contract

In a new video, Woodward MPC workers speak out as part of their fight for a fair contract after months of stalling from the employer.

The video is available for the media and public to VIEW HERE.

“Our work keeps planes in the air, maintains our nation’s defenses, and keeps Woodward making billions,” the workers share. “So, where’s our cut?”

Last year, the workers voted to affiliate with the UAW and are in the midst of contract negotiations with Woodward, an aerospace and defense company. The company is currently refusing to negotiate, in violation of US labor law.

“In 2025, CEO Chip Blankenship made $11.3 million dollars,” the workers point out, “While we’re struggling to buy groceries.”

Woodward has made over $1.8 billion in profits since 2020 and has spent over $1.4 billion of that on Wall Street payouts in the form of stock buybacks and dividends.

“We are Woodward MPC-UAW. We demand Woodward get back to bargaining table. We demand a fair and clear level progression. We demand industry-leading wages,” state the workers. “We demand respect at Woodward MPC.”

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Striking Lorain County Job and Family Services Workers Escalate Call on Commissioners to Settle Labor Crisis as Critical Public Services Remain at Risk

After over a month on strike, UAW Local 2192 members at Lorain County Jobs and Family Services are escalating their call on the County Commissioners to settle the growing labor crisis triggered by the Commissioners’ unprecedented move to reject a neutral fact-finder’s report and illegal refusal to meet at the table, which has left critical public services at risk.

On Wednesday, March 25, workers will meet with County Commissioners for the first time since going on strike in a state-mandated mediation relating to the unfair labor practice charges filed by UAW Local 2192 members after County Commissioners illegally refused to bargain. Ohio law requires both parties to meet and work through their differences in good faith to keep public services up and running for the taxpayers, a goal the Union has strived for from the beginning despite the County’s continuous pushback.

One day before the scheduled mediation, on Tuesday, March 24, workers will once again take to the County Commissioners’ Board meeting, an action that dozens of JFS workers have taken at recent meetings since the strike began on February 18.

“We are entering March 25’s mediation with one goal: to get back to the table for the residents that rely on our vital services,” said Gina Jones, Chairperson for UAW Local 2192. “This is an opportunity for the County Commission to settle this crisis. JFS workers want to be back at work serving the people of Lorain County, but they can’t do that if they can’t even afford to feed their own families. All we’re asking for is $1.00 per hour raises.”

Since February 18, 120 workers – who manage elder abuse investigations, home daycare inspections, and SNAP and Medicaid support – have held picket lines outside the JFS building every day, with additional picket lines added outside the County Administration Building. Throughout the strike, Commissioners have publicly refused to return to the negotiating table, as workers continue to mobilize and speak out at County Commissioner Board meetings.

On February 24, JFS workers filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against the County for refusing to bargain in good faith. Ohio law requires both parties to meet and work through their differences in good faith to keep public services up and running, a goal the Union has strived for from the beginning despite the County’s continuous pushback.

The workers’ remaining demand is a one dollar per hour wage adjustment to bring workers closer to the pay levels of comparable Ohio counties. The cost would total $290,000, far less than the Commissioners’ salaries, or the millions of dollars the Commission has added in dozens of new administrative positions straining the County General Revenue Fund over the past five years. JFS operations are primarily funded through state and federal pass-through dollars, not the County General Fund.

Given the nature of the crucial public services JFS workers perform, the County’s illegal refusal to bargain and misplaced priorities have created not just a workforce crisis but have pushed Lorain County to the brink of a public service crisis. While average wages for Lorain JFS workers trail nearly all Ohio counties, County Commissioners increased worker healthcare costs by 50% – leading to a crisis where 90 out of 140 positions at JFS have seen employee turnover in just the past five years.

These issues come alongside the County’s clumsy decision-making which nearly led to the repossession of police vehicles, and to the County Auditor claiming retaliation from the Commissioners after he refused illegal requests, among other blunders. County Commissioners are also up against universal opposition from local organizations, community members, and even newspaper editorial boards as they force an unpopular “megasite” development forward.

Meanwhile, as County Commissioners deny JFS workers a fair contract that addresses staffing shortages, recruitment, and excessively high turnover challenges – they have no issue with increasing six-figure management positions by 142% in the same period (growing from 65 to 157 positions making over $100,000).

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Lorain County Job and Family Services Workers Hit One-Month Strike Milestone, Call on Commissioners to Get Back to Table Ahead of Mediation Next Week

On Wednesday, March 18, UAW Local 2192 members at Lorain County Job and Family Services marked one month on strike. The strike was provoked by the Lorain County Commissioners’ refusal to negotiate in good faith after rejecting a neutral fact-finder’s report, which has put critical public services at risk.

Workers will meet with County Commissioners on Wednesday, March 25 for the first time since going on strike, in a state-mandated mediation regarding unfair labor practice charges filed by UAW Local 2192 members after County Commissioners illegally refused to bargain.

“We are entering March 25’s mediation with one goal: to get back to the table for the residents that rely on our vital services,” said Gina Jones, UAW Local 2192 Chairperson and case worker at Lorain County JFS. “This is an opportunity for the County Commission to settle this crisis. JFS workers want to be back at work serving the people of Lorain County, but they can’t do that if they can’t even afford to feed their own families. All we’re asking for is a one dollar per hour raise.”

Since February 18, 140 workers – who manage elder abuse investigations, home daycare inspections, and SNAP and Medicaid support – have held picket lines outside the JFS building every day, with additional picket lines added outside the County Administration Building. Throughout the strike, Commissioners have refused to return to the negotiating table, as workers continue to mobilize and speak out at County Commissioner Board meetings.

On February 24, JFS workers filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges against the County for refusing to bargain in good faith. Ohio law requires both parties to meet and work through their differences in good faith to keep public services up and running, a goal the Union has strived for from the beginning despite the County’s continuous pushback.

The workers’ remaining demand is a one dollar per hour wage adjustment to bring workers closer to the pay levels of comparable Ohio counties. JFS operations are primarily funded through state and federal pass-through dollars, meaning the proposed one-dollar adjustment would cost the County’s General Fund nothing.

Given the nature of the crucial public services JFS workers perform, the County’s illegal refusal to bargain and misplaced priorities have created not just a workforce crisis but have pushed Lorain County to the brink of a public service crisis. While average wages for Lorain JFS workers trail nearly all Ohio counties, County Commissioners increased worker healthcare costs by 50% – leading to a crisis where 90 out of 140 positions at JFS have seen employee turnover in just the past five years.

These issues come alongside the County’s clumsy decision-making nearly led to the repossession of police vehicles, and to the County Auditor claiming retaliation from the Commissioners after he refused illegal requests, among other blunders. County Commissioners are also up against universal opposition from local organizations, community members, and even newspaper editorial boards as they force an unpopular “megasite” development forward.

Meanwhile, as County Commissioners deny JFS workers a fair contract that addresses staffing shortages, recruitment, and excessively high turnover challenges – they have no issue with increasing six-figure management positions by 142% in the same period (growing from 65 to 157 positions making over $100,000).

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Statement From UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson on Fatality at Sharonville Transmission Plant

“The UAW is devastated to learn that a member was killed on the job at Ford’s Sharonville Transmission Plant on March 16, 2026,” said UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson, UAW Ford Department Director. “No one should ever go to work and never come home. It is our sacred duty as a union to protect the life, health, and safety of our members on the job. Members deserve a workplace free of threat to life and body. Our prayers are with the family, co-workers and loved ones of our fallen brother.”

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UAW Applauds USTR for Taking on Race to the Bottom with New Section 301 Investigations

“The UAW is glad to see the U.S. Trade Representative taking on companies and countries using wage suppression and anti-union laws,” said UAW President Shawn Fain, in response to new Section 301 investigations announced by the United States Trade Representative. “For decades, we’ve let companies offshore good jobs from the U.S. to countries where workers have no rights and are denied a living wage. Right now, we still have factories closing and leaving the country while the working class suffers the consequences. Instead of driving a race to the bottom, we need a trade policy that puts workers first.”

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NEW VIDEO: UAW Members at American Axle Lay Out Demands ahead of Contract Expiration

Today, with negotiations starting later this month, UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle & Manufacturing (also known as Dauch Corporation) released a video laying out demands ahead of their contract expiration on May 31.

The video can be accessed and used by the media here.

In 2008, workers at American Axle took major concessions to save the facility from closure during the Great Recession. Workers are still making up lost ground from the past 18 years.

“I took a $14 an hour pay cut,” states American Axle worker Jason Buchanan in the UAW’s video released today. Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages cut to $14.50. Today, wages at American Axle currently top out at $22 an hour, after a five-year progression, with inflation-adjusted wages cut in half from their pre-2008 levels.

“On May 31st, our contract expires. And we expect a deal that recognizes our value. Our sacrifice. And our fair share.”

As a Tier 1 parts supplier to General Motors, American Axle has generated $2.9 billion in profits since 2022. Over that time, the company’s CEO has been paid $47.9 million, with the top five executives receiving nearly $100 million in compensation. Meanwhile, UAW members working at the Three Rivers plant struggle to afford basic needs, with some even forced to sleep in their cars.

“In 2026, it’s time to make things right at American Axle,” workers explain. “We did what we had to do to save the company. Now it’s time for the company to do what they have to do.”

Influenced by the success of the UAW’s 2023 Stand Up Strike at Ford, GM, and Stellantis, American Axle workers are ready to make up for nearly two decades of lost wages and benefits. Members’ demands include: no concessions, fairer wages and profit sharing, better health care, stronger retirement, and job security.

The full transcript from the video released by UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle can be found below:

When autoworkers saved the auto industry in 2008, it wasn’t just at the Big Three.
Here at American Axle,
We sacrificed everything.
Wages cut in half.
“I took a $14 an hour pay cut.”
Pensions frozen.
“I lost my house.”
Hundreds of jobs lost.
“I lost my healthcare.”
Plants closed.
And 18 years later
American Axle is doing great.
So why aren’t we?
On May 31st, our contract expires.
And we expect a deal that recognizes our value. Our sacrifice. And our fair share.
We supply the axels and parts that make companies like General Motors billions of dollars.
We saved this company when they were on the ropes.
American Axle made $1.6 billion in the past ten years.
The CEO got paid over $100 million dollars.
And we got screwed.
Twenty years ago, American Axle workers were making almost 30 bucks an hour.
Now we’ve got workers sleeping in their cars.
Our pensions are frozen.
Our profit-sharing is a slap in the face.
In 2026,
It’s time to make things right at American Axle
We did what we had to do to save the company.
Now it’s time for the company to do what they have to do.
We demand.
A living wage.
We demand.
Job security.
We demand.
To make things right.
We are American Axle.
And we are coming for our fair share.

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After UAW Tariff Push, Detroit Diesel to Add Third Shift, Hire More, and Recall Laid Off Workers

Detroit Diesel, a manufacturer of diesel engines and axles in Detroit, has announced the addition of a third shift, the recall of laid-off workers, and the hiring of dozens more, in response to strategic tariff pressures.

In October, after months of lobbying, the federal government imposed a 25 percent tariff on heavy truck imports to prevent further offshoring and drive investment in the US heavy truck industry. The move is the latest win for UAW members in the union’s fight for reshoring and reinvesting in good union jobs.

“Strategic, targeted tariffs are an important tool in the toolbox to undo the damage of our free trade disaster and bring back good union jobs to the U.S.,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Companies like Detroit Diesel, and their parent company Daimler Truck North America, need to step up to reinvest in the workers who make the product and stop laying off American workers while making billions in profit. We applaud this first step in the right direction.”

“Detroit Diesel UAW members build a high-quality product that makes this company billions, and it’s only right that this company would invest right here in Michigan and recognize that success,” said UAW Region 1A Director Mark DePaoli. “We congratulate our members who are coming off of layoff and all those who will join our union with the creation of these new jobs.”

In 2025, workers from the Detroit Diesel Axle unit voted by 99 percent to ratify a new contract that won profit-sharing and cost-of-living adjustments for the first time after authorizing a strike.

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Sign the Petition: Save Conn-Selmer Eastlake!

After Conn-Selmer formally announced its decision to offshore 150 good union jobs to China at a long-time legacy Ohio company, workers are rallying community support to save the Eastlake plant from closure tentatively scheduled for June 30.

In January, on what was supposed to be day one of the latest contract negotiations between Conn-Selmer and UAW Local 2359 members, the last USA-made brass instrument brand, informed workers that it is shutting down its Ohio facility and offshoring almost all its Eastlake operations overseas to China.

This comes one year after Conn-Selmer owner John Paulson – billionaire and close adviser to President Trump – engaged in a media campaign in support of tariffs specifically to bring factory work back to the USA from China. All the while, his company was secretly building an offshoring facility in China.

Decades of an Ohio mainstay and hundreds of good, union jobs suddenly became on the chopping block because billionaire hedge fund owner John Paulson decided to lead with corporate greed over preserving an American institution – and American manufacturing.

Conn-Selmer informed UAW Local 2359 members that its “doomsday” would tentatively be June 30, 2026 – but workers are fighting back to save the Eastlake plant.

ADD YOUR NAME to send a message to The White House: President Trump can intervene and make good on his commitment to stop American companies from shipping jobs to China. This is an opportunity for the administration to stand with American workers.

SIGN ON HERE: uaw.us/SaveConnSelmer

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Volkswagen Workers Make History, Ratify First Union Contract at Major Southern Auto Plant

In a historic victory, Volkswagen workers have voted by 96 percent to ratify their first union contract. The deal locks in 20 percent wage increases, healthcare cost reductions, job security guarantees, an enforceable grievance procedure, and much more. The ratification vote caps a years-long campaign by Volkswagen Chattanooga autoworkers to join the UAW and win a better life with a union contract.

Members of the press are invited to use b-roll and photos from ratification.

“Volkswagen workers have moved yet another mountain,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “From having the courage to stand up and form their union, to having the backbone to authorize a strike and hold out for a contract that honors their worth, VW workers are leading the way for the entire labor movement and non-union autoworkers everywhere. Welcome to the UAW family.”

The over 3,000 Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga voted overwhelmingly to join the UAW in April of 2024. In October of 2025, after more than a year of negotiations, workers voted to authorize a strike in order to win a fair contract. In early February, they reached a tentative agreement with the company, which has now been ratified.

“This victory shows what happens when workers stand up and refuse to be ignored. We didn’t just win better wages and raise standards at our plant — we forced respect onto the table and got it all in writing,” said Yogi Peoples, a Bargaining Committee member from Assembly. “Our victory here at Volkswagen should send a message to autoworkers everywhere: don’t let management divide you. When workers fight together – united and unafraid — we can beat the odds and win!”

“Southern autoworkers are standing up, and I expect many more to follow Volkswagen’s lead,” said UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith. “Workers are done being left behind, and VW is just the first step towards justice for autoworkers everywhere. Who are we? U-A-W!”

Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga voted 3-to-1 to join the UAW in 2024, with support from the Volkswagen Works Council and IG Metall. Soon after the victory, workers elected a 20-member negotiating committee made up of their peers. After months of negotiations, the contract marks a breakthrough for nonunion autoworkers and manufacturing workers across the South. The agreement ensures that Volkswagen workers have a legally binding, enforceable contract guaranteeing fair pay, more affordable healthcare, safer working conditions, and clear protections against favoritism.

The details of the agreement are available at UAW.org/VW.

 

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