,

UAW Statement on John Deere Plans to Close Two Plants in Iowa

The UAW is disgusted by John Deere’s latest attack on the working class of Iowa. The UAW will use every tool at our disposal, from our contract negotiations in 2027, to legislative and executive action, to keep good jobs in Iowa and stop the one-sided class war waged by John Deere. We are done seeing the massive profits our labor generates given away to Wall Street and our jobs being destroyed so some executive can make an extra buck. It’s time for America to come together to save John Deere from its own corporate greed, and fight back in the war on America’s factory workers.

,

UAW Members Successfully Oust Commissioner Responsible for 8-Month Strike in Lorain County, Ohio

After months of organizing that began in July, the UAW has helped oust Lorain County Commissioner Jeff Riddell, who refused to settle a fair contract with striking Lorain County Job and Family Services workers. Frustrated by his resistance to good-faith negotiations, the union shifted its fight from the bargaining table to the voting booth, reaching ten thousand doors of UAW members across Lorain County to turn out the vote for Riddell’s opponent, Carolyn White.

“Our members put in the work to ensure elected officials are held accountable to the voters they serve,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “UAW members stayed focused on making sure county, state, and federal governments work to make people’s lives better, not harder. When elected officials fail working people, UAW members have shown they will hold them accountable at the ballot box.”

The UAW’s electoral program mobilized 150 UAW members and volunteers to knock on thousands of doors and make tens of thousands of phone calls to union members in Elyria, North Ridgeville, Avon, Vermilion, Oberlin, Wellington, Grafton, and Sheffield in Lorain County. Since February 18, UAW Local 2192 members at Lorain County Job and Family Services have been on strike after county commissioners, including Riddell, refused to approve the $1-per-hour raises workers need to keep up with today’s affordability crisis.

“This is absolute proof: voters in Lorain County are sick of corrupt elected officials like Jeff Riddell who are bad at their jobs,” said UAW Local 2192 bargaining committee chair and case worker on strike at Job and Family Services. “We’re facing too much of an affordability crisis that all of us are hurt by. Our strike has been the clearest example of how important it is to elect people who represent the interests of the working class.”

Riddell’s refusal to reach a fair agreement with public service workers prolonged Lorain County’s public service crisis, extending what is already the longest public-sector strike in Ohio history and putting it just weeks away from becoming the longest in U.S. history.

UAW canvassers knocking on doors across Lorain County came from workplaces throughout the area represented by the union. Even while on strike during the week, UAW Local 2192 members volunteered on Saturdays, joining large-scale canvass efforts to talk with fellow UAW members and their families about why Commissioner Jeff Riddell needed to be ousted on November 3.

,

UAW Local 405 Members Will Walk Out on Strike After Company Fails to Propose Fair Deal

UAW Local 405 members are set to launch an unfair labor practice strike at Triumph Engine Control Systems beginning at 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 2, after the company committed multiple unfair labor practices and refused to present a fair economic proposal that meets the membership’s needs.

The 175 members of Local 405 build and overhaul fuel systems for U.S. military aircraft, including the Chinook, Apache and Black Hawk. Their contract expired at midnight on October 31.

Negotiations opened September 22. The union presented its economic proposals on October 15. The company did not respond with any economic proposal until October 23, eight days before expiration. Talks broke down Thursday when the company acknowledged major movement by the union, then immediately presented a last, best and final offer and refused further discussion of the union’s core issues: job security, successorship, cost-of-living protection, aerospace sector standard wages, and healthcare costs.

“A deal means two sides coming to an agreement, not the company dictating conditions to make lives harder for our membership and our families. We were always ready to negotiate but they gave us nothing, and handed us a take-it-or-leave-it offer instead with none of our priorities even acknowledged” said UAW Local 405 President Ben Wilcox.

The highly profitable Triumph was purchased by private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Berkshire Partners last year for approximately $3 billion. The company has told the union it intends to sell the business again and has refused to agree to standard successorship language requiring a future buyer to recognize the union and the contract, an existential threat to the local.

“Wall Street didn’t build this plant, and they won’t be here to run it in five years. Our members will,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla.

During the 2021-2026 agreement, the company overhauled the health plan and shifted tens of thousands of dollars in deductibles and out-of-pocket costs onto members. Workers with chronic conditions such as MS, those facing catastrophic events including car accidents and cancer, and families with children who have genetic disorders have been hit hardest.

Members voted 148 to 1 to authorize a strike, with 86 percent participation.

The union says it remains willing to meet at any time and has room to move toward an agreement on job security, healthcare and wages.

 

,

UAW Members’ Demands Will Shape Next Congress as Union Runs its Most Ambitious Electoral Program in Decades

After months of organizing that began early in the summer, the UAW is on track to knock more than 300,000 doors with UAW members and union households as part of its biggest electoral program in decades.

The UAW is using its membership-focused political program, modeled on the success of the 2023 Stand Up Strike, to reach working-class voters from UAW households in key Senate and House races nationwide. In several key districts where UAW membership exceeds the previous election’s margin of victory, the UAW has more than 130 full-time political organizers in the field and has mobilized thousands of volunteers.

The focus of the program has been empowering members to have honest conversations with UAW families about UAW’s core four issues: wages, healthcare, retirement, and time off. Since launching in July, the member-led program has reached hundreds of thousands of working-class voters across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, California, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona, Washington, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine. The groundwork has been substantial.

By election day, the union projects it will have completed:

  • More than 300,000 doors knocked
  • 750,000 calls made
  • More than 4,000 volunteers recruited

“Our political program is like everything else about the UAW: it’s member-driven,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We’ve been flexing our muscle at the bargaining table for the last few years. Now we’re building that same muscle in our politics. This year, our members are leading a bold political program, shaking up the political status quo. We’ll start by electing UAW champions to office – but our members will lead the work that comes after election day to win a working-class agenda in the halls of power.”

Organizing Where Members Can Make the Difference
Michigan and Ohio are central to the effort, reflecting the importance of industrial jobs, economic security, and workers’ rights in the region’s political landscape.

“I have been knocking doors in elections for 25 years, and this one has had more energy than I’ve felt in a long time talking to UAW voters and their families,” said Tielece Perry, UAW Local 7 member from Belleville, MI. “Talking about being able to make ends meet is what we do with our coworkers every time we are bargaining a new union contract, and affordability is by far the number one issue voters care about right now. The UAW has the organizational structure, the relationships across Michigan, and the vision to turn those concerns into collective action — and real votes for our endorsed slate.”

In Ohio, the UAW has committed significant resources to bring Sherrod Brown, a longtime ally of working-class people, back to the Senate. The Union is also working to protect Marcy Kaptur’s seat in District 09, one of the country’s densest UAW districts, where members make up 10% of all voters. Members are also working to flip District 07 for fellow union member Brian Poindexter.

In Lorain County—the only Ohio county to vote for both Sherrod Brown and Donald Trump in 2024—the UAW has added a contentious County Commission race to its campaign. UAW-represented county workers have been on strike since February 18, underscoring the connection between political decisions and workers’ ability to secure fair treatment on the job.

“I’ve been active in CAP for a long time now and this year is different from previous years,” said Kim Daniels, a UAW Local 12 member in Toledo, OH. “For months, our boots have been on the ground throughout the state of Ohio. With our unity and power, Ohio will become the number one state for working-class people. This program will be the driving force for Ohio.”

“I’m really proud to be involved with the UAW’s political program this election cycle,” said Shawn Smith, a UAW Local 677 member in Allentown, PA. “I’ve noticed there’s less negativity towards us at doors, no matter which side someone is on. We all realize we are going in the wrong direction where nothing is affordable anymore. Our UAW program isn’t just about UAW members – it’s about fighting to lift up the entire working-class with candidates like our union brother Bob Brooks in PA-07.”

“Serving on UAW’s release staff this fall has changed my life. For the first time, I know that working people like me and my fellow UAW members can change the course of politics when we organize,” said Sarah Van Dijk, UAW Local 4811 member in San Diego, CA. “We’ve built a GOTV program unlike anything we’ve done before.”

Election Day Is Tuesday. Building Power Doesn’t Stop There.
Conversations at the doors are also helping shape the UAW’s working-class agenda for the new Congress in 2027. The concerns and priorities workers share at the doors are informing the union’s broader political work, strengthening the connection between what working people experience on the job and the decisions made by elected officials.

Following Election Day, the UAW will take the fight for higher wages, affordable healthcare, a secure retirement and more time off directly to Congress and state legislatures. With the power of its members behind it, the union will hold lawmakers accountable and fight for an economy that puts working people first.

Looking ahead to 2028, the UAW is working to build worker power from the shop floor up and fighting to restore the American Dream by ensuring every worker can earn a good living, retire with dignity and have time for family and life outside the job.

,

UAW Stands Against Divide and Conquer Politics in Michigan Senate Race

The United Auto Workers stands against the disgusting divide-and-conquer politics being used in the Michigan Senate race against the candidate of the working class, Abdul El-Sayed. When our members endorsed El-Sayed early in this race, it was because of his aspirational vision for what is possible when we come together and fight for all of us.

We are living in a time of the worst wealth inequality in our nation’s history, a time when working-class people are struggling to live. For over 90 years, our union has fought for a united working class that can take on the billionaire class and their corporate lapdogs like Mike Rogers. For over 90 years, billionaires have tried to divide us by race, religion, and more, to keep us weak and fighting amongst ourselves, instead of fighting our common enemies. And for over 90 years, we have rejected division in the name of civil and human rights, solidarity, unity, and common cause across race, religion, and gender.

And in Michigan, we have proved time and time again that it is possible for working people to prevail over their divide and conquer tactics. That is how we birthed the American Dream and created the middle class, and it is what will win the future.

On Tuesday, we are going to prove it again, when we send Abdul El-Sayed to the U.S. Senate and send Mike Rogers back to Florida. This is a “Which Side Are You On?” Moment for all working-class Michiganders. The UAW – Black, Brown, White, Jewish, Christian, Muslim – is on the side of justice and working-class unity, and we are proud to stand with our next Senator, Abdul El-Sayed.

,

UAW Members Drive Ambitious Political Operation to Oust Commissioner Responsible for 8-Month Strike

After months of organizing that began in the summer, the UAW is on track to knock the doors of tens of thousands of union members in Lorain County to turn out the vote against County Commissioner Jeff Riddell.

Since February 18, UAW Local 2192 members from Lorain County Job and Family Services have been out on strike due to Commissioners like Riddell refusing to bargain in good faith and denying the $1 per hour raises the workforce needs to afford to survive today’s affordability crisis.

Already the longest public-sector strike in Ohio’s history, the Lorain Country Job and Family Services strike is weeks from becoming the longest public-sector strike in U.S. history. In May’s primary, Riddell defeated his Republican opponent by only 18 votes – after initially making it into the seat in 2022 by just over 100 votes.

“We have dozens of UAW canvassers in the field across Lorain County knocking doors to elect Amy Acton, Sherrod Brown, and Carolyn White for Lorain County Commissioner,” said Gina Jones, UAW Local 2192 bargaining committee co-chair and case worker on strike at Lorain County Job and Family Services. “Voters in Lorain County are sick of elected officials like Jeff Riddell who are bad at their jobs. We’re facing too much of an affordability crisis that all of us are hurt by. Our strike is the clearest example of how important it is to elect people who represent the interests of the working class. We need to elect candidates of all levels of government that aren’t driven by big money interests.”

UAW canvassers knocking doors in Lorain County come from various workplaces represented by the UAW in the area. UAW Local 2192 members on strike during the week have been volunteering on Saturdays to join the large-scale canvass walks to reach out to UAW voters and their families about why Commissioner Jeff Riddell needs to be ousted on November 3.

,

UAW Members at Triumph Group Vote 99% to Authorize Strike

After a two-day vote, UAW Local 405 members at Triumph Group who make engine controls and other components for U.S. military aircrafts voted 99% (148-1 with 86% turning out) in favor of authorizing a strike for any time after the current union contract expires at midnight on October 31. Core demands include sectoral standard wages, job security, cost-of-living protection, affordable healthcare and no concessions, among other priority issues the company has not even attempted to meet the bargaining committee on.

“This vote should send a clear message to Triumph Group that UAW Local 405 members are not settling for their abysmal proposals,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla. “During the life of our last contract, Triumph Group made $680 million off the work of these members. Our members in West Hartford are no different than UAW aerospace workers across the country. Triumph can afford to do better and this vote is a sign that they must put a better offer forward.”

In addition to $687 million in profits over the same five-year duration as the term of the current union contract, Triumph’s CEO was paid $31.7 million – for a total of $61.6 million total paid to the CEO in the last decade.

Right now, new hires at Triumph are paid $25.25 per hour. The average wage for a Triumph worker is $39.34, with no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to protect against historic inflation. Meanwhile, the production and assembly rates for UAW members at Rolls Royce and GE Aerospace are $43.70 and $43.79, respectively, and they have cost-of-living protections.

“It was just hours before our strike vote that the company finally gave us an economic proposal – 8 days before our contract expiration,” said UAW Local 405 President Benjamin Wilcox. “Frankly, the company is still not taking our membership seriously. Here’s hoping the results of this strike vote helps convince them just how different we are doing things this year.”

UAW Local 405 represents 174 members at Triumph Group in West Hartford, CT, where they perform highly skilled manufacturing, machining, assembly, and technical work supporting the aerospace industry. These UAW members contribute to the production, repair, and overhaul of critical U.S. military aircraft components and systems, meeting the highest standards of quality, safety, and reliability.

,

Ford Plant Health Clinic Providers Vote to Join UAW

The nurses and providers who care for our members at Ford plants across the country are now joining UAW themselves.  

On October 20th, the three registered nurses at the Chicago Stamping Plant voted unanimously for their union in an NLRB election.  

The previous day, the physician assistant at Kansas City Assembly voted in a self-determination election to be a part of the nurses bargaining unit at Kansas City. They are the first physician assistant to be added to the Ford Salaried Agreement. Plant nurses are also salaried employees. 

In April of this year, the nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly plant started this momentum by voting to join the UAW. 

“I’m excited to welcome the nurses at the Chicago Stamping Plant to the UAW,” Region 4 Director Lucas DeSpain said. “They work for Ford too, and they deserve the ability to protect their rights and interests just like their coworkers on the line do.”  

“The nurses, physician assistants, and other health care providers at Ford plants play a vital role in keeping our members healthy and safe at work. We are honored to have them join our union. We look forward to protecting their rights and ensuring they are also treated fairly by Ford,” said UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson, Ford Department Director. “Ford plant clinic workers are welcome in the UAW, and we encourage them to join us.” 

,

UAW Vice President Ryan Hiestand Statement on Toxic Spill in Toledo

In light of the serious event in Toledo, the UAW-GM department stands with the UAW family and Toledo community. Local 14 was conducting testing and it was determined that the air quality was safe to continue production. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will respond quickly if the situation becomes unsafe. Our members’ safety is our highest priority, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.

,

UAW Vice President Kevin Gotinsky Statement on Toxic Spill in Toledo

We are closely tracking the toxic spill in Toledo affecting our members who live and work in the city, especially those at Toledo Assembly Plant. Our top priority is keeping our members safe, and we will continue to advocate that Stellantis puts safety first as we monitor the situation.

Every worker has the right to a safe work environment, and the UAW has your back. Please direct any questions or concerns to your union representatives.

UAW Logo

UAW SOLIDARITY HOUSE

8000 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48214

(313) 926-5000

Connect

Union Plus Logo

Organize

Members