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UAW President Shawn Fain Rallies with Detroit Members Behind Rev. Kinloch for Detroit Mayor

In Detroit, UAW members and their families stand ready to knock doors, make calls, and turn out strong for the mayor’s race

Media must RSVP by Friday, June 6 at 5 p.m. ET: UAW.us/KinlochLaunchMedia


DETROIT—UAW members from Detroit will rally with President Shawn Fain and Rev. Solomon Kinloch—the union’s endorsed candidate for mayor and a former UAW Local 235 member. In May, the UAW endorsed Rev. Kinloch, a proud son of a UAW family, for his lifelong advocacy for working people and bold vision for an inclusive Detroit. Regions 1 and 1A, which cover the city, will lead a major turnout push to help elect him.

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain, Rev. Solomon Kinloch, UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English, UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson and hundreds of UAW members

WHAT: Rally celebrating the UAW’s endorsement of Rev. Kinloch for Detroit mayor

WHERE: UAW Solidarity House, 8000 E. Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48214

WHEN: Saturday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m.

The UAW firmly stands with Rev. Kinloch’s campaign message: as Detroit has made a comeback, far too many working-class families are still left behind.

Rev. Kinloch shares the UAW’s understanding that the revival of the city means nothing if it doesn’t reach everyone. He has stood in solidarity with UAW members time and again—including walking the picket line with UAW Local 900 members and feeding strikers and their families during their recent strike—proving that he doesn’t just talk about economic justice; he lives it.

The UAW is the largest union in Michigan with over 350,000 active and retired members. In the City of Detroit, UAW members and their household family members are over 120,000 strong. The UAW is ready to be a difference-maker in this election, with members of both the union and Rev. Kinloch’s church ready to knock doors, make calls, and turn out in force in Detroit’s mayor’s race.

Media must RSVP by Friday, June 6 at 5 p.m. ET: UAW.us/KinlochLaunchMedia

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UAW Releases New Video on Andrew Cuomo’s Failures for Working-Class New Yorkers

NEW YORK—Today, the UAW released a new video highlighting the failures of Andrew Cuomo as Governor of New York for working-class people and communities across the state. On Friday, UAW Region 9A endorsed Zohran Mamdani #1 for mayor along with a full ballot suggestion including explicit instructions to not rank Andrew Cuomo. UAW was the first union to endorse Mamdani and has been explicit in Cuomo’s failures for working people.

“In the UAW, our endorsements are earned,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We support politicians who stand with us, and who have the courage to fight for the working class.

“Zohran Mamdani has stood shoulder to shoulder with us in our fight against some of the toughest bosses in New York City. He’s been to countless UAW picket lines. He’s fought for better wages, for our livelihoods, and for a livable city for UAW members.

“We need new elected leaders who are not afraid to pick a side—politicians who will put workers over corporate donors every single time. That’s why our union is proud to support Zohran Mamdani and a ranked slate of pro-worker champions for mayor.”

The video can be accessed in full here and is free for use by the media.  

In 2019, UAW was the driving force behind the passage of a bill providing unemployment benefits for striking workers in the New York State legislature. Later that year, while waiting for then-Governor Cuomo to sign the bill into law, UAW members at General Motors went on a six-week strike. Instead of being able to access the benefits the legislature granted, UAW members were left in the lurch by Cuomo, who not only refused to sign the bill during the strike to provide immediate relief for the members, but also refused to visit the picket line in solidarity.

“We can’t trust politicians who got us into the current mess to lead us out,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla. “Especially when they refused to support striking workers when they needed help the most.

“20,000 UAW members in New York City know that they can stand up for a future in New York and reject the corruption and cronyism of Andrew Cuomo. We can fight for a future that includes a rent freeze, fast and free busses, and universal childcare. We have an alternative for working people on June 24 by ranking Zohran Mamdani #1 and our ranked choice slate.”

In 2023, when UAW members engaged in the historic Stand Up Strike, with the support of nearly every politician and 80% of Americans, Cuomo again was nowhere to be seen. Unlike the UAW’s endorsed slate of candidates for New York City Mayor, who have all shown up to countless picket lines in support of workers over the last decade, Andrew Cuomo has shown up to fewer picket lines than JD Vance.

Full transcript of the UAW’s new video about Cuomo’s anti-labor record here: 

UAW Local 1097 President (Rochester) Dan Maloney:

I’m sure other speakers will talk about the 15,000 seniors that died in New York State nursing homes due to Covid and the serious missteps of the Cuomo administration. I’m not here to talk about that.

I’m sure other speakers will discuss the multiple sexual harassment charges brought against former governor Cuomo, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about, either.

I’m here to tell you that when the United Auto Workers needed Governor Cuomo’s help, he turned his back on us.

UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla:

Our members want a better, safer, and more affordable city. Someone who passes up the opportunity to support workers in a time of crisis, that person is unfit to be mayor of working class New Yorkers.

UAW Region 9 CAP Director (Tonawanda) Wence Valentin III:

Our membership across the country went out on strike in September of 2019 against GM. UAW Region 9 and 9A worked hard, lobbied the state legislature to get a bill passed that would ensure that unemployment would come after one week.

Cuomo, as governor, had the chance to sign that bill into law. Not only did he not sign that bill into law, he never stepped foot on any of our strike lines. Let me repeat that. He never stepped foot on any of our strike lines. Cuomo was absent and ignored every one of our calls. This is a man who wants you all to believe he supports labor.

Zohran Mamdani:

We’re talking about a man who created tier six, which took more than $100,000 out of the pockets of working class public sector workers. A man who I just saw for the first time in my life just last week, describing tier six as ancient history.

The only thing that’s ancient history is Andrew Cuomo.

Brad Lander:

Enough with the corruption. Enough with the chaos. Enough with the yielding to corporate bosses. Let’s elect a mayor who works for working New Yorkers.

Dan Maloney:

When we needed Andrew Cuomo, Cuomo showed cowardice. So New Yorkers… Don’t get fooled again.

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2025 UAW Family Scholarship Program

For more than 55 years, the Family Education Center has been where UAW members and their families come together for an experience combining education and recreation.

It’s a place to learn about our union, unlock ideas, and build new friendships with other UAW families. This one-week summer experience will give you and your family a spirit guaranteed to strengthen your understanding and appreciation of our union.

Since 1970, thousands of UAW members and their families have participated in the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center Scholarship Program (Family Scholarship or Family Scholarship Program) – changing their lives and those of their loved ones forever.

Located in scenic Onaway, Michigan, on Black Lake, the Family Education Center was envisioned by legendary UAW President Walter Reuther to be a place where UAW members and their families could come together to learn and have fun.

Through educational and recreational activities, the Family Scholarship Program allows adults and children to learn and think about how our union empowers us to change our workplaces and communities for ourselves and future generations.

These lessons are learned through daily adult and children’s programs and family activities.

Applications must be completed and submitted by Friday, June 6, 2025.

WHO: All active or laid-off members in good standing
WHERE: Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center
Onaway, Michigan
WHEN: July 20-25, 2025

 

DOWNLOAD APPLICATION & BROCHURE

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UAW Celebrates GM’s Nearly $1 Billion Investment in Tonawanda Propulsion

TONAWANDA, NY– Yesterday, General Motors announced an additional $888 million investment in its Tonawanda Propulsion plant. For months, union leaders have been in active discussions with GM to advocate for increased investment in its UAW facilities. The investment will support the company’s next generation V-8 engines which are used in full-size trucks and SUVs.

“This enormous investment is exactly what we’ve been calling for,” said UAW Vice President Mike Booth. “Skilled UAW members, like members of UAW Local 774, make GM’s profits, so it’s great to see the company investing back into its union workforce so we can keep building quality, world-class products.”

“It’s time for Ford and Stellantis to learn from GM,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “GM is showing that it makes good business sense for major corporations to reverse course on the destructive race-to-the-bottom trade policies that have wreaked havoc on workers and destroyed blue-collar towns and cities across America.”

The announcement comes on top of GM’s $579 million investment to build the same V-8 engine at Flint Engine Operations, represented by UAW Local 659. That earlier commitment in Flint was secured in the union’s 2023 national contract through the membership’s historic Stand Up Strike.

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UAW Marine Drafters Ratify Contract, Locking in Major Gains

Groton, CT—After an unprecedented contract campaign, UAW Local 571 members have ratified a new contract with General Dynamics – Electric Boat. Members voted by 85% to ratify the new agreement.

During the campaign, the local leadership rejected closed-door bargaining, and instead regularly updated their membership on negotiations. Union members built a new network of over 100 strike captains, and signed up 2,200 members, or more than 90% of the bargaining unit, for picket duty — mounting a serious threat of a strike.

The member-driven campaign resulted in major gains for members of the Marine Draftsmen Association (MDA). The five-year agreement, covering more than 2,400 workers in Groton who design our nation’s nuclear submarines, secures a 30% wage increase over the life of the agreement and an improved wage progression. In total, MDA-UAW members will see a cumulative $115,000 per-member increase in total compensation during the agreement.

“We did negotiations differently this time,” said Bill Louis, the President of Local 571. “Our members worked hard and got involved in our campaign. After more than a decade of ‘living to fight another day,’ we finally stood up and won the respect that all workers deserve.”

“I want to congratulate the members of MDA-UAW,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla. “They showed that you don’t need to play by management’s rules. When union members get involved in the bargaining process, we win contracts that raise the standard for the entire working class.”

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StarPlus Workers in Indiana Win Union as Majority Sign Cards to Join the UAW

KOKOMO, Ind. — A majority of workers at StarPlus Energy in Kokomo, Indiana, have signed cards to join the UAW, and the company has agreed to recognize their union. StarPlus, a joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung SDI, stayed neutral during the process and did not stand in the way of the 420 workers who chose to organize. With no threats or pressure, workers came together and won their union as soon as a majority signed cards.

“This is a big deal for StarPlus workers in Indiana,” said Frank Bush, a worker at StarPlus. “We were able to decide our future without intimidation, and now we’re on a path to the good pay and benefits, and respect on the job that other autoworkers in battery are winning.”

StarPlus workers are joining a growing wave of union wins across the Midwest and South. Their success follows major victories at other battery plants, including Lordstown, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee, where workers unionized with the UAW and won strong agreements.

“The UAW members at StarPlus stood up to make sure battery jobs are good union jobs,” said Dave Green, Director of UAW Region 2B. “Workers in Indiana and across the region, know they deserve fair wages, workplace protections, and the dignity that UAW members have been fighting for the last 90 years. As a union family, they need to know that we’re going to have their back every step of the way.”

The Kokomo plant started production earlier this year and is part of a larger expansion of electric vehicle battery manufacturing in the U.S. The victory in Kokomo adds to the momentum sparked by the breakthrough contracts won by UAW members at the Lordstown and Spring Hill plants, which included major wage increases and strong health and safety protections.

“Joining the union is going to help us build a better life,” said Anna Deweese, another StarPlus worker. “We’re not asking for the moon—we just want decent pay, affordable healthcare, and to have protections in an uncertain economy.”

Sara Kidwell, also at StarPlus, added, “When you’re on your own, it’s hard to speak up. But when we stand together, they’ve got to listen. That’s what being in a union is all about.”

The protections won through the Big Three agreement provide a powerful framework for workers at new EV plants like StarPlus. With strong union support, workers are now in a better position to secure fair wages, safe workplaces, and long-term stability in this fast-growing industry.

While workers in Kokomo move forward, others are still waiting for a fair shot. At BlueOval SK in Kentucky, workers have filed for a union election but remain in limbo as the company and Ford drag out the process and deploy intimidation and surveillance tactics. The BlueOval SK facility was recently the subject of a Louisville Courier-Journal exposé, which detailed hazardous working conditions, including chemical exposure, mold, bat infestations, and workplace injuries. Workers there have pointed to the promise of union protections as a key reason for coming together. They continue to fight for a voice on the job, for safety, and for dignity—just like the workers at StarPlus.

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UAW Endorses Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. for Mayor of Detroit

Detroit, MI — The United Auto Workers have endorsed Rev. Solomon Kinloch Jr. for Mayor of Detroit. A longtime advocate for working-class people, Kinloch possesses not only a bold vision for an inclusive Detroit but also deep union roots — as a former member of UAW Local 235 and the son of a proud UAW family.

As Detroit has made a comeback, far too many working-class families have still been left behind. Rev. Kinloch understands that the revival of the city means nothing if it doesn’t reach everyone. He has stood in solidarity with UAW members time and again — including walking the picket line with UAW Local 900 members and feeding strikers and their families during their recent strike — proving that he doesn’t just talk about economic justice; he lives it.

“In this election, Detroit needs a champion who will fight for the working class and build a city that works for everyone — not just the few,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Rev. Kinloch has the heart, the vision, and the moral leadership to deliver for working people.”

“He’s one of us,” said UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English. “He knows what it means to punch a clock, stand shoulder to shoulder with your brothers and sisters, and demand dignity on the job.”

“UAW members in Region 1A know that solidarity isn’t just a slogan for Solomon Kinloch — it’s how he lives,” said UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson. “When our members were on strike and needed assistance, he didn’t hesitate. He showed up. He lifted us up. Having been a UAW member himself, he understands the power of standing together.”

The UAW is the largest union in Michigan with over 350,000 active and retired members. In the City of Detroit, UAW members and their household family members are over 120,000 strong. The UAW is ready to be a difference-maker in this election. Following a launch event later this spring, UAW members will knock doors, make calls, and turn out in force to elect Rev. Kinloch.

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Statement from UAW VP Chuck Browning on Hazardous Conditions at BlueOval SK

In response to this week’s Louisville Courier-Journal story “Chemicals, mold, bats, broken bones: Workers concerned over safety at BlueOval SK plant,” Chuck Browning, UAW Vice President and Director of the Ford Department, issued the following statement:

“The recent reporting on the dangerous conditions at BOSK is infuriating. Workers are being put at risk every single day. Every person in this country should be able to go to work and know they’ll make it home safe—not get sick or injured because of corporate greed or negligence.

Ford should know better. For over 80 years, Ford workers have had a union and a voice. But now, Ford is running an extreme anti-union campaign at BOSK to keep these workers down. It’s shameful.

These workers are demanding what they’ve earned: a real say in their working conditions, especially when it comes to health and safety. Ford, cut the crap. Let them vote.”

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UAW Statement on Mexico’s SINTTIA Organizing Drive at GM San Luis Potosí

The right to have a voice on the job—to shape your future, your working conditions, and your livelihood—is a basic human right. That right includes the freedom to form and join a union, free from coercion or interference. The UAW stands in solidarity with SINTTIA and the workers at General Motors’ San Luis Potosí plant as they exercise that fundamental right.

We applaud SINTTIA’s official filing to represent GM employees in San Luis Potosí, validated by the Federal Center for Conciliation and Labor Registry. Since the previous union failed to legitimize its contract under Mexico’s 2019 labor reform, this plant has been without union representation. SINTTIA’s leadership offers a real opportunity to restore democratic representation and win meaningful improvements for autoworkers.

SINTTIA’s record in Silao—where it won double-digit raises and inspired gains across GM Mexico—shows the power of independent unionism. But that power is now under threat. We are alarmed by credible reports of GM management colluding with a protection union to block SINTTIA, including misuse of personal data and illegal on-the-job campaigning.

These violations of labor rights and USMCA trade rules must not stand. The UAW calls on all allies to support SINTTIA and defend the workers’ right to choose.

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UAW Applauds MI House Dems for “Putting Workers First” Bills, Urges Full Legislature to Pick a Side

LANSING, MI – The UAW today applauded Michigan House Democrats for introducing a bold workers’ rights ‘May Day’ legislative package, honoring International Workers’ Day and re-committing to fight for working-class Michiganders.

“For too long, corporations have hoarded the wealth the working class creates,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Michigan House Democrats are taking a step forward in fighting for workers with long-overdue protections against corporate greed. Every lawmaker in the state needs to pick a side: the corporate class or the working class.”

The UAW, representing over 300,000 active and retired members in Michigan, has been pushing since last year’s lame-duck session for real action to deliver for workers.

Among the bills introduced is legislation targeting “captive audience meetings,” where employers force workers to attend anti-union propaganda sessions during organizing drives. Since 2023, the UAW can cite over a dozen companies in southeast Michigan that have forced workers that are organizing into captive audience meetings — including Webasto’s $1.3 million union-busting campaign — showing just how badly reform is needed.

“Politicians love to visit union halls during election season. But the real test is what you do once you’re in office,” Fain said. “We thank the elected officials who stepped up this May Day — and we loudly call on the rest of the Michigan Legislature and Governor Whitmer to pick a side: join the labor movement and back the Putting Workers First legislative package.”

“It’s great to see legislators in the Michigan House standing up for working people by introducing this package of bills on May Day,” said Jason Peek, a member of UAW Local 602. “One of the bills would make sure bosses can’t just fire someone without a good reason. Right now, in Michigan, non-union workers can be let go for no reason at all. I’ve got this protection in my union contract, and I really believe every worker should have that same basic fairness.”

“May Day 2025 means we are three years from May Day 2028, where a lot of our contracts, including at the Big Three, are lined up to expire,” said UAW Local 228 member JJ Jewell. “We want to be able to exercise the power of a strike, if we must, without companies bringing in scabs. That’s why we need a bill like the one in this package that would ban so-called ‘replacement workers’ in Michigan.”

Earlier this year, the UAW laid out its legislative priorities for Lansing, including:

  • Guaranteeing strong wages and labor protections for all workers;
  • Strengthening health care access and affordability;
  • Enhancing retirement security so every worker can retire with dignity;
  • Promoting work-life balance to allow workers to lead full, healthy lives.

The UAW will continue to mobilize members to fight for these priorities — and for a legislature that stands with workers, not corporate interests.

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