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VIDEO: OVER 650 WORKERS AT LM MANUFACTURING IN DETROIT VOTE TO JOIN THE UAW 


DETROIT – Over 650 workers at LM Manufacturing in Detroit, MI, have voted by a supermajority to join the UAW as part of Local 600, one of the largest and most historic locals in UAW history.

“It makes me feel good,” LM worker Cassandra Wiley said about the ‘yes’ vote. “It makes me feel like our voices were heard. It makes us feel like we accomplished something. It’s a really good feeling to know that change is coming.”

Workers at LM Manufacturing produce seats for the Ford Bronco and Ranger. Organizing efforts at the facility began two months ago.

“The workers at LM reached out to the UAW with a desire to improve their working conditions and the UAW responded,” said Region 1A Servicing Representative, Darieus Finklea.

“These workers overwhelmingly wanted a union at their worksite,” said Region 1A Director, Laura Dickerson. “They’re excited, we’re excited, and the Local’s excited because 660 new UAW members is tremendous. We’ll be sitting down and negotiating their first contract coming up.”

“If you’re ever in a position to unionize a job, never be scared, never shy away,” said worker Doctainan Peoples. “Look danger in the face. Nothing comes easy. Don’t shy away from the UAW if they come to (unionize) your job… you’d better run up to ’em.”

 

VIDEO: Legal Aid Society Workers in NYC Hold Informational Picket, Demand Management Stop Stalling Negotiations

New York City – On Thursday August 3rd, members of the Legal Aid Society chapter of the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (UAW Local 2325) held an informational lunchtime picket across all five boroughs of New York City. The picket was organized by the chapter’s Contract Action Team (CAT).

Legal Aid Society ALAA members took to the picket line to voice their frustrations over bargaining and record attrition of their members. An unprecedented number of attorneys have left the Legal Aid Society in recent years due to stagnant wages, inflation, student debt, and rising cost of living.

All the while, Management has failed to recruit new staff. Those members who remain are facing crushing caseloads as they struggle to provide world-class legal representation to the most vulnerable New Yorkers in criminal, family, housing, and immigration courts.

“We’re really fighting for basic human dignity, a fair wage, autonomy to do our job,” said Olga Karounos, a criminal defense attorney at Legal Aid. “We’re not just fighting for our lawyers, but for our clients themselves.”

The chapter has been bargaining with management since September 2022 and is still without a contract. Management has failed to come to the union with any substantive economic offer to meet the union’s primary demand of significant base salary increases. In addition to fighting for salaries, LAS chapter members are advocating for reasonable caseload caps for our members representing clients in Housing Court and for flexible working conditions.

“This can’t be tolerated – it’s an untenable and unsustainable position for all the attorneys,” said Atusa Mozaffari, a housing attorney with the Legal Aid Society. “Hopefully, as contract negotiations continue, our voices will be heard, and we’ll get the things we deserve.”

UAW Local 997 Strikes Thombert to Protect Standard of Living, Improve Work-Life Balance

On Tuesday, August 1, 84 members of Local 997 went on strike at Thombert, Inc. in Newton, IA, after the company refused to bargain until just a week before the current collective bargaining agreement was set to expire on July 24.

Workers at Thombert produce polyurethane wheels for electric forklifts. They are fighting for fair wages and healthcare costs, a better work-life balance, and to maintain the current Accident and Sickness benefits which currently begin on day one of a claim. The company is proposing that Accident and Sickness benefits should begin on the eighth day instead.

“We brought the company’s offer to the members, and it received a 90% NO vote,” said Local 997 President Steve Wertz.

“I didn’t want to go on strike but there is no movement from the company, even after the proposal was voted down by 90%,” said Local 997 member, Jason Wickman. “There is a disconnect with management. The company is waiting to see if we crack and cross the line. We’re together. Solidarity is shining through.”

“Members all over Region 4, and the entire UAW stand with our UAW family at Local 997 in Newton, IA, while they fight to improve their work-life balance, amongst other things, against the all too typical greedy corporate bosses,” Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell stated. “Even with 150,000 of our members in the Big-3 nearing their contract deadline, members at workplaces of all sectors and all sizes have the full support of the UAW and Region 4. Our members demand, and will win, dignity for the work they do. When all the forces of the labor movement are pushing in the same direction, we will not be stopped!”

UAW President Shawn Fain acknowledged Local 997 members’ fight on his Facebook Live Tuesday evening: “Just this afternoon, our members who make forklift wheels and tires at Thombert in Newton, Iowa, went on strike. They’re members of Local 997, Unit 8. All of us understand the issues they are striking for: fair wages so they can support their families, vacation time so they can be with their families, short-term disability benefits, and shift rotations that every factory worker deserves.”

President Fain on Facebook Live: Big Three’s Record Profits Mean Record Contracts


President Shawn Fain met with UAW members on Facebook Live last night and laid out the Members’ Demands in Big Three bargaining. UAW members are thinking big and the Big Three can afford it.

Ford, General Motors and Stellantis made a combined $21 billion in profits in just the first six months of this year. That’s on top of the quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits that the Big Three made over the last decade.

“Record profits mean record contracts,” Fain said.

In past negotiations, the UAW’s core contract demands have been called the President’s Demands and the union’s president often delivered them to the company behind closed doors without even our elected National Negotiators present. This year, President Fain shared them directly with the members on Facebook Live.

Here are the Members’ Demands (download the PDF):

ELIMINATE TIERS – It’s wrong to make any worker second class. We can’t allow it any longer in the UAW. The Teamsters ended tiers at UPS. We’re going to end tiers at the Big Three.

SUBSTANTIAL WAGE INCREASES – Yes, we’re demanding double-digit pay raises. Big Three CEOs saw their pay spike 40 percent on average over the last four years. We know our members are worth the same and more.

RESTORE COLA – It’s Cost of Living Adjustments (COLA) that made sure working-class communities thrived for decades. Taking that away hammered us and our hometowns. It must be restored.

DEFINED BENEFIT PENSION FOR ALL WORKERS – All workers deserve the retirement security that UAW members had for generations.

RE-ESTABLISH RETIREE MEDICAL BENEFITS – That’s just as essential as a solid pension.

RIGHT TO STRIKE OVER PLANT CLOSURES – The Big Three have closed 65 plants over the last 20 years. That’s been as devastating for our hometowns as it has been for us. We have to have the right to defend our communities from the corporate greed that’s killing so many cities and towns.

WORKING FAMILY PROTECTION PROGRAM – It’s a program that keeps UAW members on the job. If companies try to flee our hometowns, they’ll have to pay UAW members to do community-service work. Companies can still make a healthy profit and it’ll keep our communities healthy, too.

END ABUSE OF TEMP WORKERS – We are going to end the abuse of temps. Our fight at the Big Three is a fight for every worker.

MORE PAID TIME OFF TO BE WITH FAMILIES – Our members are working 60, 70, even 80 hours a week just to make ends meet. That’s not living. It’s barely surviving and it needs to stop.

SIGNIFICANTLY INCREASE RETIREE PAY – We owe our retirees everything. They built these companies and they built our union. We will not forget them in these negotiations.

 

Join the Fight for the Members’ Demands! Sign the Support Card to get bargaining updates and the latest news on actions you can take to win a strong contract.
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Hundreds Mobilize Across the United States for a Fair Contract as NDS Continues Focus on Expansion

NEW YORK, NY – DETROIT, MI – SAN ANTONIO, HOUSTON, SAN MARCOS, TX – Across the nation, hundreds of workers at the Neighborhood Defender Service and their allies mobilized last week in support of a new collective bargaining agreement. The 200 workers are attorneys, social workers, paralegals, investigators, clerical staff, are represented by the Association of Legal Aid Attorneys (ALAA) – UAW Local 2325, which first won union representation at NDS in 2019. The Union’s contract campaign, titled, “Fulfill the Promise of Public Defense” has won the support of workers and communities as negotiations intensify.

On July 25 in Detroit, workers rallied outside the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, chanting, “When NDS clients are under attack, what do we do? Stand up! Fight Back!”. Community members, autoworkers, and others joined in to spread the message before the bargaining committee headed into a negotiation session with management.

On July 26, NDS Texas workers, who are stationed in multiple locations throughout the state, held a virtual picket where they came together to share their struggles and discuss negotiations. They were joined by public defenders throughout the country.

To wrap up the nation-wide week of action, over a hundred NDS workers in New York City, held an informational picket outside NDS’ downtown offices where their union siblings from other offices joined the picket line in solidarity.

Despite several months of bargaining, NDS and the Union have failed to reach a new agreement, and the Union has been working under an expired contract since July 1, 2023. Front and center among the Union’s concerns are improving conditions for NDS employees such that NDS clients can continue to receive stellar representation. The Union has been vocal about the huge attrition that NDS has suffered in the past years which has led to disruption in client’s cases and difficulty in attracting new workers. In order to reverse attrition and provide the highest quality representation to clients, the Union has proposed competitive compensation, enforceable workload standards, and sustainable workplace flexibility.

While the Union’s bargaining committee has stayed laser focused on achieving a fair contract and delivering excellent representation to clients, NDS has continued to chase public defense contracts across the country. Even last week, instead of focusing on wrapping up a contract covering all of its current employees, NDS was bidding for its first public defense contract in Schuyler County, New York.

“Time and time again, management has scoffed at our demands and insisted we prove to them that the status quo isn’t working. Yet meeting after meeting, management has failed to prove to the union that this organization cares about its employees and the communities we claim to serve” said Cody Bradford, Staff Attorney at NDS Detroit. “Rather, NDS, Inc. is more interested in winning contracts across the country at the expense of its existing workers and the communities we’ve already made promises to. We are at a breaking point. It’s past time that management came to these bargaining sessions to work with the union instead of fighting us.”

“Management’s continued disinterest and unwillingness to bargain in good faith affects not only employees but also clients. Management seems to think that social workers, lawyers, advocates, administrators, and all employees at NDS should bear the burden of the work, and that there is no way to fix it” said Naomi Schachter, Social Worker at NDS Harlem. “This does not have to be the status quo – membership has reasonable demands to fix these problems, but management has failed to take them seriously. We cannot provide zealous and world-class representation without fair pay, caseload caps, and flexibility. We call on management to come to the bargaining table in good faith, for the sake of their employees and our clients.”

“What we do is extremely important in helping uphold people’s constitutional rights, but our rights don’t seem to matter to management right now and we need their support to better represent clients,” said Ringo Bosley, Staff Attorney at NDS Texas. “I hope they will listen and come prepared and ready with proposals and counter proposals that truly help us bring about a better future for NDS staff and our clients.”

NDS workers will continue their fight for a contract and are ready to escalate if necessary to achieve justice for their membership and clients.

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UAW Statement on Ford’s Net Income Soaring to $1.9 Billion in the Second Quarter

Ford Motor Company far outpaced analysts’ expectations in the second quarter, reporting that its net income nearly tripled from a year ago to $1.9 billion.

For the full year, Ford expects adjusted EBIT of $11 billion to $12 billion. That’s a significant increase over the $9 billion to $11 billion Ford had predicted last quarter. In 2022, Ford’s adjusted EBIT was $10.4 billion, so even the company’s lower guidance exceeds last year’s results.

The 150,000 UAW members at Ford, GM and Stellantis began negotiations for a new contract with the Big Three automakers this month. All three companies have now reported gaudy earnings for the second quarter. (See the UAW’s statements about the second quarter earnings of General Motors and Stellantis.) The car companies’ current contract with the UAW expires on Sept. 14.

UAW President Shawn Fain Released the Following Statement:

“Like every Big Three automaker, Ford is thriving. These eye-popping numbers come on top of a decade of massive profits. The Big Three made a quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade, but they denied UAW members our fair share. No Ford worker should be stuck in a lower-tier job, without the good pay and pension that generations of autoworkers fought for. No Ford worker should wonder if the Blue Oval battery plants opening across the country will start a race to the bottom that undermines standards for all autoworkers. Seeing the billions that Ford is making, we know they can and must make things right for our workers and our communities.”

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Majority of U.S. Democratic Senators Back UAW Calling for Just Transition to EVs in Big Three Contract Talks

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A majority of U.S. Democratic Senators are calling on the Big Three automakers to support a just transition to electric vehicles (EVs) in their ongoing contract talks with the UAW.

In a letter released today, the Senators said, “Profits should translate to gains for workers. It is unacceptable that in the midst of extreme financial gains for the companies, executives, and investors, the workers making the electric vehicle batteries that will enable a transition to clean energy vehicles are making poverty-level wages. Before the expiration of UAW’s contract, we urge you to announce that all electric vehicle workers at these joint ventures will be folded into the national UAW contract.”

The UAW contract expires on Sept. 14, and it covers 150,000 autoworkers at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.

In a statement, UAW President Shawn Fain said, “These senators agree that now is the time to ensure all autoworkers have the same pay and safety standards that generations of UAW members have fought for and maintained. This senate letter puts a spotlight on EV workers and the need for a just transition in the new green economy because it’s a national concern for all our communities. These negotiations will set the future of the auto industry for decades to come, so we have to get it right. This is when real friends show up. Our members are thankful for the partnership we have with these senators.”

A copy of the letter is below and a full list of the signatories can be found HERE.

 

Dear Ms. Barra, Mr. Farley, Mr. Tavares, Mr. Eun, Dr. Rhee, and Mr. Chun:

As you engage in contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW), we urge you to negotiate in good faith to reach a fair outcome by agreeing to fold workers at all joint venture electric vehicle battery facilities into the national UAW contract. UAW workers have made General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and Stellantis the successful, innovative, and profitable companies they are today, and workers in the new electric vehicle sector will be critical to your future success. They must share in the benefits of a union contract.

Through the passage of the historic Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the United States Congress made it clear that electric vehicle production, as well as its contributing supply chain, is a national priority industry. We were proud to support the legislation that made major investments in this American clean energy industry possible – we need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to address the disrupting impact of climate change on American families, as well as ensure that the technologies of the future are designed and produced here in the United States by American workers with union contracts. We can and must do both.

Though we can all agree that investments in electric vehicle production are necessary to outpace foreign competition, these investments are not a blank check on worker conditions. Department of Energy loans made possible by the IRA require the companies to create “good-paying jobs with strong labor standards…throughout the life of the loan.”

In other words, high-tech electric vehicle manufacturing jobs should set the standard for wages and benefits for all American manufacturing jobs. These are highly skilled, technical, and strenuous jobs. To that end, it is unacceptable and a national disgrace that the starting wage at any current American joint venture electric vehicle battery facility is $16 an hour. We note that at $33,320 a year, the starting wage at one of these facilities is just above the poverty level for a family of four. American workers, especially those working full time in 21st century state-of-the-art manufacturing, should not make poverty level wages.

The starting wage at these electric vehicle facilities is particularly egregious in the face of the billions of dollars of profits GM, Stellantis, and Ford have made in the past 10 years. Between 2013 and 2022, General Motors and Ford Motor Company made over $100 billion and $75 billion in profit in North America, respectively. Stellantis announced almost $18 billion in profits in 2022 alone. This should, in theory, be great news. It is a testament to our economic resilience that profits are now well above pre-pandemic levels. But despite these impressive figures, General Motors and Stellantis have both announced plans to restart billion-dollar stock buyback programs rather than invest in their workers. In fact, in that same profitable 10-year period, GM, Ford and Stellantis have all closed or “idled” productive plants across the country, including the General Motors Lordstown Facility in Ohio and the Stellantis Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois. These closures should never have happened in the first place.

Profits should translate to gains for workers. It is unacceptable that in the midst of extreme financial gains for the companies, executives, and investors, the workers making the electric vehicle batteries that will enable a transition to clean energy vehicles are making poverty-level wages. Before the expiration of UAW’s contract, we urge you to announce that all electric vehicle workers at these joint ventures will be folded into the national UAW contract.

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UAW Local 833 Ratifies New Agreement with Kohler Company, Wins Wage Increases and Improved Benefits

Sheboygan, WI – 1,500 members of UAW Local 833 have ratified a new five-year agreement with the Kohler Company that will increase wages and improve benefits. Local 833 members work in production and skilled trades positions at the company’s Village of Kohler and Town of Mosel manufacturing facilities in Kohler, WI.

“The new contract addressed the key issues that are important to our membership,” local President, Tim Tayloe, said. “The wage increases, and retirement benefits will help Kohler hire and retain the best workers in the region. I’m glad we were able to reach a new agreement that will help everyone succeed over the long term.”

“With the membership solidly behind the UAW Local 833 Bargaining Committee, they were again able to hammer out an agreement that respects the dignity of their work,” said Region 4 Director, Brandon Campbell. “Will strike, if provoked” isn’t just a t-shirt saying for members of Local 833. In 2015, their solidarity and decision to strike for better wages, benefits, and working conditions put the employer on notice for years to come. Respect our existence or expect our resistance! The American economy would be better served if more American workers had a meaningful and legally binding voice in their workplace. Congratulations on a job well done.”

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Graduate Student Researchers at the RAND Corp. Vote to Unionize

Santa Monica, CA – Graduate student researchers at the Pardee Rand Graduate School (PRGS) have voted to form their union, PRGS Organizes-United Auto Workers (PRGSO-UAW). The vote, which was tallied today by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), was 51 to 26 — 66% of the 121 Graduate Student Researchers in the unit voted in favor of unionization.

“We are excited that our graduate worker community was able to come together to win this election,” said Tara Blagg, a 4th-year Graduate Student Researcher. “We are looking forward to bargaining with our employer to improve working conditions and create a more equitable environment for us to contribute to RAND.”

PRGS is a graduate program embedded within the RAND Corporation, a leading think tank and government contractor. Graduate student workers at PRGS are staffed on RAND Corporation research projects, which include social welfare, healthcare, education, and military research among other policy areas.

This vote to unionize is part of a wave of votes to unionize graduate student workers and think tank researchers across the U.S. In 2021, The Brookings Institution and The Urban Institute voluntarily recognized unions formed by think tank researchers with the Nonprofit Professional Employees Union (NPEU). Since 2021, student workers at the University of California, the University of Southern California (USC), the Worcester Polytechnic Institute and the University of Western Washington all unionized with the UAW.

“Building a union with my coworkers has been an empowering way to put our policy studies into action,” said Alejandra Lopez, a 2nd-year Graduate Student Researcher. “I’m excited for the opportunity to swiftly begin negotiations with RAND to make our workplace conducive to the highest quality research.”

PRGS Organizes-UAW believes that this unionization effort will help strengthen RAND’s institutional commitment to equity, ​equality and democracy, organizational values that underpinned the RAND Corporation’s long and influential history of policy research.

“We are thrilled to welcome RAND’s Graduate Student Workers to the UAW family,” said Mike Miller, Director of UAW Region 6. “The diligence and commitment these workers showed in forming their union is celebrated across the labor movement, from aerospace workers to researchers raising the standards in higher education. We are looking forward to standing behind them as they bargain their first contract.”

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