If you’re a new member of the UAW, the New Member issue of Solidarity magazine will help give you a better understanding of how our organization functions on a day-to-day basis. It’s a valuable resource for any member interested in increasing their knowledge of our union.
Welcome to the UAW: President Shawn Fain welcomes new members to our union and explains why having a collective voice with coworkers at the workplace is just as important today than ever before.
Our Members are the Highest Authority: Find out how the UAW is structured and how our members are the ultimate authority in shaping the policies and direction of our union.
Membership Dues: Learn how your monthly membership dues are allocated in order to keep the UAW strong and ready to take on corporate greed.
The UAW and Politics: Learn the many ways our union fights for worker and civil rights, in our communities and in the legislative halls.
Your Rights are Protected: The Public Review Board and Ethics Hotline are just two of the ways your rights as a UAW member are safeguarded.
UAW Bargaining Highlights: Through the years, the UAW has led the way in securing historic economic gains for the working class.
And more!
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/New-magazine-announcement-2.png10882833Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-02-09 13:58:482024-02-09 14:19:00New Member Issue of Solidarity Magazine is Now Online!
Chattanooga, Tenn. – A majority of workers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tennessee plant have signed cards to join the UAW, less than sixty days after the workers announced their campaign to form a union at the German automaker’s only US assembly plant.
The milestone marks the first non-union auto plant to publicly announce majority support among the dozens of auto plants where workers have begun organizing in recent months. The grassroots effort sprang up in the wake of the record victories for Big Three autoworkers in the UAW’s historic Stand Up Strike win.
“The excitement has been building, and now that we have reached 50%, it is just continuing to grow. New organizers are joining each day spreading our effort to every area of the plant,” said Zach Costello, a Volkswagen worker and trainer in the plant’s Proficiency Room. “Just because we are in the South, it does not mean that our work is worth less, that our benefits should be diminished, or that we don’t have rights. All workers should have a voice, and I hope the success that we’re having here is showing workers across the country what is possible.”
“We realized that the working conditions could be a lot better,” said Victor Vaughn, a logistics team member at Volkswagen. “And the employees, we don’t have a say in any of the decisions that are going on within the plant. We’re not being recognized as a major resource for the company. We have a very important job, to put a vehicle on the road that our families are buying, that our kids are riding in. We take pride in what we do, but we don’t have a voice in how we operate. That’s why we’re taking the lead.”
The Chattanooga plant employs over 4,000 autoworkers, a clear majority of whom have signed cards to join the UAW. Workers at Mercedes in Vance, Alabama, and at Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama have also announced public campaigns to join the UAW, with dozens of other plants actively organizing. For more information on the campaigns, visit UAW.org/join.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/VolkswagenPhotoforPosts-scaled-e1743133011552.jpg11102398Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-02-06 12:03:472024-02-06 12:07:31“We’re Taking the Lead”: Over Half of Volkswagen Workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee Sign Cards to Join the UAW in Less than 60 Days
Howell, MI — On January 30, nearly 400 workers at Antolin Interiors USA in Howell, Michigan, voted overwhelmingly to join UAW Local 163, Region 1A. The workers, who make instrument panels and door panels for Ford, GM, Stellantis, and PACCAR, launched their organizing drive last October after years of disrespect and unacceptable working conditions.
Antolin workers voted to join the UAW “to stand united and have a voice against management as a whole,” said Jarrod Yost, a shipping and receiving worker at Antolin. “To be on common ground, to work together rather than against each other, and to gain more respect.”
“Our organizing efforts at Antolin Howell have been successful. Our members chose to organize after many losses to the company,” said James Matheny, a Materials worker. “We lose eight hours per week of our weekly total if we have a day off or even a holiday. Favoritism is rampant and policy is manipulated. We are now Union Brothers & Sisters. We can fight for a fair contract and work with the company, so we all succeed!”
“We’ve been dancing with the devil for way too long,” said Lanita Wilson, a production worker at Antolin Interiors. “UAW, we needed you now and now we have you! A contract in place will help us have a piece of mind that they can’t just change the rules at their whim.”
“Workers at Antolin in Howell, Michigan expressed a desire for change in their workplace,” said UAW Local 163 President Al Byrd. “They called on UAW Local 163 for assistance. With Local 163’s help and Antolin’s hard work, Antolin won an election to get that change. UAW Local 163 is proud to welcome workers of Antolin Howell as new UAW members with recognition from the NLRB.”
“Region 1A is proud to welcome the workers of Antolin to the UAW,” said UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson. “I am so proud of them for choosing to ‘Stand Up’ against the company and join our union.”
The victory at Antolin Interiors is the latest organizing success story for the UAW, as workers across the country continue to take on the boss and win union recognition and dignity at their workplaces.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/Antolin-Organizers-e1706818630687.jpg9451440Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-02-02 10:02:462024-02-02 10:02:47400 Workers at Auto Supplier Antolin Vote Overwhelmingly to Join UAW
Montgomery, Ala. — Workers at Hyundai’s sole US plant, in Montgomery, Alabama, have announced a major milestone in their campaign to join the UAW, with over 30 percent of autoworkers at the plant having signed union cards.
In a new video, “Montgomery Can’t Wait,” Hyundai workers speak out on the ties between the union movement at the Korean automaker and the civil rights legacy of “Montgomery, the city where Rosa Parks sat down, and where thousands of Hyundai workers are ready to Stand Up.”
The video announcing the campaign can be accessed at uaw.org/hyundai and the media is invited to use the footage.
“I’m getting close to retirement and the company has literally broken me down,” said Drena Smith, a team member who has spent most of her 19 years at Hyundai in the paint shop and has had rotator cuff surgery on both shoulders and carpal tunnel surgery in one hand. “We need compensation for that when we retire. Not just a cake and a car discount for a car we can’t afford to buy because we won’t have any income. We need a real retirement; we need to win our union.”
“My oldest son works at the plant, over on General Assembly (GA),” said Dewayne Naylor, who currently does Body Shop Quality Control. “I went through 14 years in GA, and I know what it’ll do to your body over there. I don’t want the younger generation to go through what we did. Over the last ten years, most of my raises have been just 12 or 13 cents an hour. The price of their cars, they go up every year. But my pay don’t. If we don’t get the union here, our pay will never keep up.”
“I was a temp at Hyundai from 2014 to 2017. I made $11.03 an hour the entire time,” said Ronald Terry, a team member on Final 3 and 5 in General Assembly. “They kept saying, just wait a little longer, you’ll make it to full time. I finally did, but the pay is still mediocre. With the union, we can bring our pay and benefits up to a higher standard. That’s how you motivate your workers. It’s not just good for us, it’s good for the product we produce.”
“When you’re injured, management pushes you back on the line too soon,” said Peggy Howard, who works on F1 Final in General Assembly. “I had surgery on my rotator cuff in September and I had to go back to work the last of December. I didn’t get the two weeks ramp up and now I’m having pains over again. I had a cortisone injection three weeks ago and I’m about to go back for another injection. If that doesn’t work, the doctor told me he’ll have to do the surgery over again. We need to make our jobs safer; we need the union.”
“Here’s when I knew we needed the union,” said Quichelle Liggins, a Quality Inspector at Hyundai. “My youngest son had a basketball game, and I scheduled a half day of vacation time. Someone was supposed to come to the line to relieve me, but no one came. Finally, I clocked out and I missed the first quarter of his game. They still wanted to write me up for job abandonment. I had to go in front of team relations, and I explained what happened, that I was legit in having this personal day. And my group leader stopped me and said this job is more important than your family. At that moment, I just froze. That was sickening. I knew things at Hyundai had gone too far.”
The announcement marks the third major breakthrough in the national movement of non-union autoworkers organizing to join the UAW in the wake of the historic Stand Up Strike victory at the Big Three auto companies. Over 10,000 non-union autoworkers have signed union cards in recent months, with public campaigns launched at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Mercedes in Vance, Alabama, while workers at over two dozen other facilities continue to organize.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/Hyundaipost2.png9701789Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-02-01 10:03:332024-02-01 10:03:56“Montgomery Can’t Wait”: Hyundai Autoworkers in Montgomery, Alabama Announce Public Campaign to Join the UAW in Latest Organizing Milestone
Over 10,000 autoworkers across 13 non-union companies have signed union cards with the UAW, as momentum builds across the auto industry for better wages, benefits, and rights on the job. The major milestone comes less than 90 days after UAW members ratified record contracts at the Big Three.
“Our Stand Up movement has caught fire among America’s autoworkers, far beyond the Big Three,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “These workers are standing up for themselves, for their families, and for their communities, and our union will have their back every step of the way.”
In the wake of the UAW’s historic Stand Up Strike victory at the Big Three automakers (Ford, GM, Stellantis), thousands of non-union autoworkers began organizing their own unions with the UAW across the entire non-union auto industry.
In just two months, workers at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Tenn., and at Mercedes in Vance, Ala., have gone public with their campaigns, nearing a majority of workers signed up at both plants. Workers at more than two dozen other facilities have begun organizing in the thousands, inspired by the Big Three victory and the non-union autoworkers’ public announcements.
For more information on the non-union autoworkers’ organizing efforts at Volkswagen, Mercedes, Toyota, Honda, Volvo, Tesla, Nissan, BMW, Subaru, Mazda, Rivian, Lucid, and Hyundai, visit UAW.org/join.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/10000CARDS-scaled.jpg16322560Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-01-29 12:08:242024-01-29 12:08:25Over 10,000 Autoworkers Sign Union Cards Across 13 Non-Union Automakers in Major Milestone for Historic Organizing Drive
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/UAW-Wheel-Logo-Yellow-on-Blue-850x478-1.png478850Chris Skellyhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngChris Skelly2024-01-24 17:03:042025-01-10 16:29:58UAW Endorses Joe Biden for President of the United States
The UAW kicked off its biannual National Cap Conference in Washington D.C. with hundreds of union members gathering at the Marriott Marquis Hotel to set the union’s upcoming political and legislative work. Tying into the spirit of last fall’s wildly successful Stand Up Strike at the Big Three automakers, the theme for this year’s conference is “Stand Up For Your Future,” with a focus on retirement security.
UAW President Shawn Fain was the keynote speaker for the day’s proceedings. He addressed an energetic crowd of delegates and received a standing ovation on numerous occasions during an impassioned speech presenting a vision of a member-led, powerful, reenergized UAW.
“We’re here to turn our union, our families, and our communities from quiet supporters of the cause of economic and social justice into an army of working-class warriors ready to stand up,” Fain said to those in attendance. “As the working class, we know we have the majority. But it must not be a silent majority. We know we have the power. But it must not be disorganized power. We know we are on the right side of history. But we can’t wait for the history books to vindicate us. We must act now.”
UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock gave a powerful speech on reproductive justice. “The attack on women’s reproductive healthcare will be on every ballot across America in 2024,” Mock said. “We need the entire nation standing with women. We must lobby every politician that receives our CAP dollars and our votes to support legislation which provides choice for women. Everyone must join us in this unprecedented battle for reproductive freedom for women. If women are not truly free, no one else can be either.”
UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock addresses delegates at the UAW National CAP Conference in Washington D.C.
Each of the UAW’s three Vice Presidents spoke on the issue of retirement security, discussing the need for post-retirement healthcare as an essential next battle for the UAW in the legislative halls and at the bargaining table.
“The fight for retirement security in this country is bigger than any one employer,” said Vice President Rich Boyer. “It’s bigger than any one industry. We have to have an aggressive plan to win – just like we did during the Stand Up Strike. We need a strategy that lifts up all workers and creates real standards in this country. We need to win real retirement security for all.”
“When these companies listen to Wall Street and say we can’t afford to care for the people who made us all this money, I say there’s something very wrong with that,” Vice President Mike Booth stated. “There’s something wrong with these corporations, there’s something wrong with congress, and there’s something wrong with our for-profit health care industry. These are not problems we can solve one worksite at a time or one industry at a time but solve them we must. The American people want real retirement security. We need real retirement security. And it’s about time that we fight like hell for real retirement security.”
UAW President Shawn Fain speaking with a CAP delegate during the day one conference dinner.
“We were incredibly effective during the Stand Up Strike because we were aggressive, united, and because we took the boss by surprise,” Vice President Chuck Browning told delegates. “It’s time that we used those same aggressive tactics and applied them to our political program. It’s time for us to take the boss fight to the next level. That’s how we win.”
Many delegates made the short trip to Capitol Hill to stop into congressional offices to lobby for workers’ rights on numerous issues.
U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders speaking at the UAW National CAP Conference in Washington D.C.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders gave a rousing keynotes speech during the day one conference dinner, speaking on the many challenges facing the working class and the importance of fighting for working people in 2024 and beyond.
“Amidst all of those challenges, there is some extraordinaire good news taking place,” Senator Sanders said. “We are currently seeing a major revitalization of the trade union movement in America. And, in that regard, I want to thank the UAW for all that you are doing, because you are helping to lead that revolution.
Sanders’ speech was followed by an interactive session where the Senator Sanders and delegates took turns asking and answering each other’s questions.
The National CAP Conference is the heart of the union’s political work. Delegates and leaders work together to shape the UAW’s political and legislative priorities moving forward.
CAP delegates listen to U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders during his keynote address.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/BernieCAPdinner-scaled.jpg16722560Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-01-23 15:42:192024-03-08 11:54:00UAW Kicks Off National CAP Conference in Washington D.C., Sets Political & Legislative Agenda
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Local 1391 members in UAW Region 4 have been holding the line on strike at CVR Nitrogen in East Dubuque, IL, since October of last year, courageously standing up to protect their retirement security.
Workers walked out after the company refused to guarantee they will provide a match to workers’ 401(k) contributions during current contract negotiations.
In a new video released by the UAW, workers at CVR Nitrogen speak out about why they are willing to stay out on strike as long as it takes to secure their future.
“In our (previous) contract, it stated that the 401(k) could be changed at any time,” Dusty Glab says in the video. “And by change you would assume it would be maybe a percentage or so. But they took it away. They took the 401(k) match from us.”
“A year later, they reinstated it, and they claim they’re never going to do it again. So, we’re just asking for that to be put into writing.” Dustin Cady explains.
“That is the only retirement that we have,” Larry Flogel says. “We do not receive any type of pension plan or any other benefits whatsoever toward retirement.”
“I think it’s a David and Goliath fight because it’s corporate greed against the hardworking American man trying to make a living for his family,” Dean Beschen says. “(CVR) thought we were going to fold within a week (on strike). They’re hoping and they were telling the employees that were running the plant that it ain’t going to be long, that we’re going to fold.”
“I’m willing to stay out indefinitely, if that’s what it takes,” Cady says.
“This is bigger than 94 people on strike,” Local 1391 President Doug Glab says about the importance of standing up against the company’s greed.
“It’s more about a principle and a belief and, honestly, what we believe we deserve,” Dusty Glab adds.
The strike at CVR comes on the heels of UAW members winning record contracts at the Big Three automakers and Allison Transmission in Indianapolis, Indiana.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/CVRAgain.png6731435Justin Mayhughhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngJustin Mayhugh2024-01-19 12:59:392024-01-19 14:25:19VIDEO: Local 1391 on Strike at CVR Nitrogen Fertilizer in East Dubuque
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