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STATEMENT FROM UAW VICE PRESIDENT MIKE BOOTH ON ANNIVERSARY OF GM BANKRUPTCY

On June 1, 2009, General Motors filed for bankruptcy. To commemorate the 14th anniversary of that event, UAW Vice President Mike Booth issued the following statement:

“Fourteen years ago this week, General Motors filed for bankruptcy. It was a scary moment for the auto industry, for our country, and for auto workers everywhere. The federal government, the American taxpayer, and – more than anyone – the auto workers rallied to save the iconic company.

Auto workers had their wages slashed, lost their retirement security, gave up their job security, had their cost-of-living adjustments suspended. We gave up so much to save this company. And it wasn’t just UAW members who took the hit — it was our families, our communities, and the whole middle class of this great nation.

In the 14 years since that moment, GM has fully bounced back. Last year, GM ranked number 25 on the Fortune 500. In the past decade, the company has made over $100 billion dollars in profit in North America.

You know who hasn’t bounced back? The US autoworker. We still live with the two-tier wage and benefits system. We still don’t have cost-of-living adjustments in a time of historic inflation. We still suffer from plant closures and an uncertain future, even when business is booming.

We’ve waited long enough. It’s time to make whole the auto workers who sacrificed to save this industry. That’s why we’re fighting for a fair contract at GM, Ford, and Stellantis in 2023.”

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NIH Fellows Rally, File for Union as They Join National Wave of Union Organizing

Bethesda, Maryland – Today, 4,800 early-career researchers at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) filed to form their union, NIH Fellows United-UAW. This is the first union within the U.S. federal government for research fellows, which includes postbaccalaureate, predoctoral, and postdoctoral researchers.

The NIH is the largest biomedical research institution in the world, and fellows’ work is integral to the development of technologies and treatments to enhance public health. Workers cited ongoing issues around low pay, a lack of support for early-career researchers, and the need for a voice at work as reasons for their collective action.

They rallied today as they celebrated this milestone and then traveled to the Federal Labor Relations Authority (FLRA) to file for their union.

“Fellows don’t have any voice or power in this institution, so it feels like we’re cheap labor rather than equal members of a team,” said Travis Kinder, Research Fellow at the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS). “The changes we need at the NIH and in the world cannot be done alone and require us to work collectively.”

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UAW President’s Statement on Supreme Court Ruling on Glacier Northwest v. Teamsters

“While Corporate America cheers on another Supreme Court attack on workers’ rights, this ruling achieves nothing that would undermine the fundamental right to strike,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Our members’ fight for justice on and off the job won’t be slowed by a court ruling or by corporate greed. While we’re disappointed to see the US Supreme Court once again try to legislate away the rights of working-class Americans, the UAW remains ready to take action, when necessary, to raise the standard for workers everywhere.”

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Region 4 Veterans Conference Report

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Webasto Workers Vote to Join UAW Local 3000

PLYMOUTH, MI — Nearly 200 workers at Webasto Roof Systems have voted to join UAW Local 3000, in the latest organizing victory for the union.

The workers, who make convertible tops for the Mustang, Jeep, Bronco, and Corvette, launched their organizing drive in November, and faced an intense anti-union campaign from management.

“We’re doing this for our coworkers,” said Sheron Johnson, a production worker at Webasto. “People have been mistreated, not getting paid, having their schedules changed with no notice. We want to leave this place better for the next generation.”

Gustavo Vasquez has worked at Webasto for 17 years. “We used to have our voices heard at Webasto, that’s all we want,” Vasquez said. “To be treated as an asset to the company and not just a number.”

“These brave workers stuck together in the face of fierce opposition from the company,” said UAW Local 3000 President Steve Gonzales. “As they move from this organizing victory to the fight for a first contract, we’ve got their back 100 percent.”

“Over and over, we’re seeing workers across the auto supply chain come together in a common cause for justice on the job,” said UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson. “Congratulations to our newest members at Webasto, and welcome to the UAW Region 1A family!”

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Constellium Workers Who Supply Ford Plants Launch Unfair Labor Practice Strike

VAN BUREN CHARTER TOWNSHIP, MI – As of midnight on the morning of May 17th,160 workers at Constellium Automotive are on strike, after weeks of the company refusing to bargain in good faith. The plant supplies parts for the Ford F-150, F-150 Lightning, Explorer and Super Duty at six UAW-represented Ford Assembly plants,

The workers, members of UAW Local 174, are seeking to address serious health and safety issues, along with unfair discipline from management.

“Our negotiating team has met with the company nine times since April 18th,” UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson said. “And on every single occasion, Constellium has made it very clear they have zero interest in taking our members’ proposals seriously. This is a prime example of employer arrogance forcing the hand of its workforce.”

The UAW has filed unfair labor practice charges against the company for bargaining in bad faith and expects to resume negotiations this week.

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500 Workers at Clarios Mark One Week on Strike, Gain Support from Senator Sherrod Brown

HOLLAND, OH – Workers who make vehicle batteries for Clarios in Holland, OH are marking one week on strike for a fair work schedule and against pay cuts, after rejecting the company’s latest offer by an overwhelming 98 percent.

In a letter to the company, US Senator Sherrod Brown wrote “in support of the members of UAW Local 12 who are currently exercising their rights to strike for fair pay they’ve earned.” Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur visited strikers on the picket line, and several other elected officials have publicly shown their support.

On Friday, the company won a temporary injunction limiting supporters to five picketers per gate, even banning livestock after a member rode their horse to the picket line.

“Using the courts as a weapon against working people standing up for their rights is extremely disrespectful,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “Clarios doesn’t need a judge to help them end this dispute – they need to come back to the bargaining table with a serious offer that our members can accept.”

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