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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UAW STATEMENT ON STELLANTIS REPORTING RECORD PROFITS FOR THE FIRST HALF OF 2023

This morning, Stellantis reported record profits for the first half of 2023, posting $12.1 billion (10.9 billion euros) in net profit. That’s a 37 percent increase over last year.

Only 33 percent of Stellantis’ global workforce is in North America, yet workers here made the bulk of the automaker’s operating income: 57 percent of the automaker’s $15.7 billion (14.1 billion euros) in operating income was made in North America.

The 150,000 UAW members at Stellantis, Ford and General Motors began negotiations for a new contract with the three automakers this month. Altogether, the Big Three companies made a quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade. The automakers’ current contract with the UAW expires on Sept. 14.

UAW President Shawn Fain made the following statement today:

“There are healthy profits and then there are obscene profits. These record profits are obscene, and they come off the backs of underpaid workers and broken communities. Our workers got raises of just 6 percent over the last four years even as CEO Tavares saw his compensation soar 72 percent. As Stellantis made its megaprofits, it kept our assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois sitting idle. Workers who’ve given their lives to the company have no idea what the future holds.

“Stellantis said today that they’re pouring a staggering $1.7 billion (1.5 billion euros) into a stock buyback scheme that artificially inflates the value of shares, further enriching company executives and the top 1%. That is $1.7 billion being robbed from the workers who made those profits possible and the latest in a long line of examples of how corporate greed is plundering our communities. It’s time for Stellantis to pony up and make things right for working families.”

UAW Vice President Rich Boyer, director of the union’s Stellantis department, issued the following statement:

“Stellantis counted its huge profit in euros, but it’s our workers in North America who made most of that money. Our workers are the profit engine for the company, but we’ve been getting the shaft for years. Even when plants like Belvidere make high-quality product and solid profits, Stellantis executives shut them down. These numbers show there’s no excuse for that kind of cruelty anymore. Our workers are fired up and we’re going to win what we and our communities deserve.”

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UAW STATEMENT ABOUT GENERAL MOTORS’ SECOND QUARTER EARNINGS SURGING 39% TO $3.2 BILLION

DETROIT – General Motors reported adjusted earnings of $3.2 billion in the second quarter, up 39% over last year and driven almost entirely by North American profits.

The Wall Street Journal reported that GM’s quarterly revenue was $44.7 billion, 25% more than last year and “a post-bankruptcy record.” GM far exceeded analysts’ expectations and raised its full-year adjusted earnings forecast to between $12 billion and $14 billion.

The 150,000 UAW members at GM, Ford and Stellantis began negotiations for a new contract with the three automakers this month. Altogether, the Big Three made a quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade. The car companies’ current contract with the UAW expires on Sept. 14.

UAW President Shawn Fain made the following statement today:

“General Motors has made mind boggling profits over the last decade. GM’s recently announced quarterly earnings just set a post-bankruptcy record, but autoworkers and our communities have yet to be made whole for the sacrifices we’ve made since the Great Recession. GM executives have closed 31 plants over the last 20 years and are now enriching themselves through joint venture battery plants that get billions from the federal government in taxpayer subsidies but pay poverty wages. It’s long past time for GM to pony up, end tiers, pay their employees competitive wages that keep up with the cost of living and provide everyone the ability to retire with dignity.”

UAW Vice President Mike Booth, Director of the union’s GM Department, issued this statement:

“The enormous profit General Motors announced today does not happen without the great work of our UAW-GM Members building world-class vehicles, right here in the U.S.A. For a decade now, UAW members have been GM’s profit engine. It’s time for a contract that fully rewards our members for the hard work we do.”

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UAW Kicks Off Negotiations with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network

Around 1,400 UAW members at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan and Blue Care Network are demanding economic justice as contract negotiations kicked off on July 11, 2023, at the VisTaTech Center on the campus of Schoolcraft College in Livonia, Michigan.

Workers are fighting back against stagnant wages, a prolonged wage progression, outsourcing, lack of job security, and insufficient training.

The UAW represents four bargaining units at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan: Local Union 1781 (Region 1), Local Union 2500 (Region 1), Local Union 2145 (Region 1D) and Local Union 2256 (Region 1D).

The UAW represents two bargaining units at Blue Care Network of Michigan, Local Union 1781 (Region 1) and Local Union 2145 (Region 1D).

Workers at BCBSM and BCN are employed in various fields such as Customer Services, Membership and Billing, Claims and Enrollment, Pricing, Analyst, and Maintenance.

UAW Secretary-Treasurer, Margaret Mock, who is the union’s Director of the Technical, Office and Professional (TOP) Department, stated: “As we embark on this historic first-time multi-employer bargaining, our mission is to achieve, significant wages increase, depletion of wage progression, preserve health care, and to bring jobs back to the bargaining unit that have been outsourced and insourced.”

While workers at BCBSM and BCN struggle to make ends meet, BCBSM CEO Daniel Loepp has been paid nearly $45 million in just the last three years alone.

 

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