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UAW Statement on the Passing of Kent Wong

The UAW mourns the passing of Kent Wong, who dedicated his life to defending and advocating for the rights of working people in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

Deeply committed to social and economic justice, Wong served as director of the UCLA Labor Center for over 30 years, mentoring and inspiring countless students and activists while leading efforts to expand the center’s ability to better serve the educational needs of the community.

Wong was a champion for immigrant rights and undocumented communities, helping to establish the first Dream Resource Center and the Dream Summer Fellowship program. He also understood the importance of international solidarity, working to foster relationships across borders and advocating for peaceful collective action to take on powerful interests.

Kent supported all of UAW workers’ efforts to organize at the University of California, fought alongside us in countless political battles in Los Angeles and California, provided invaluable leadership in the immigrants’ rights movement, and helped the U.S. labor movement connect with workers’ struggles around the globe.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, and the countless people Kent Wong positively affected during his brilliant and profound life.

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Independent Expert Board Finds Mexico Failing to Honor Labor Obligations Under USMCA Trade Agreement

For the first time, the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board (IMLEB), has found that Mexico has failed to live up to its labor obligations under the c (USMCA).

IMLEB is a body created by the US Congress under the USMCA to monitor and report on Mexico’s implementation and enforcement of necessary labor reforms. In its new report, submitted to Congress, the Board has determined that “Mexico is not in compliance with its labor obligations under USMCA.”

“When the United States set out to renegotiate NAFTA in 2019 with the explicit objective of dramatically reducing the U.S.-Mexico trade deficit and addressing the failures of NAFTA, there was bipartisan support in government,” the Board writes in their Conclusion.” Creating a really fair-trade deal would require a truly transformative agreement. A successful agreement would need to curb job loss in the US and reduce the wage gap between US and Mexican workers, which for decades has enabled hundreds of thousands of layoffs for US workers and heavily suppressed wages for Mexican workers.

“If a measure of success is a reduction of the wage gap between Mexican workers and their North American counterparts,” the Board continues, “USMCA is a failure.”

The UAW applauds the findings of the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board. In 2026, the USMCA agreement is up for review. The UAW is calling for a complete overhaul of our broken trade system. We need a new generation of trade deals that puts working people first. A fair-trade deal must give workers a seat at the table, raise the floor rather than race to the bottom, and enshrine the principle of equal pay for equal work across borders.

Under the USMCA, corporate America is making record profits gouging American consumers while US and Mexican workers see stagnant wages and worsening labor conditions. The USMCA has continued to pit Mexican and US workers against one another, with terrible consequences for the working class in both countries, and the deal must be abandoned or rewritten in 2026.

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Federal Agency Finds Volkswagen to Have Broken Labor Law, Orders Immediate Recognition of Union

In a massive rebuke of the German auto giant, the National Labor Relations Board has found Volkswagen to have egregiously violated the law in intimidating, disciplining, and threatening workers at its Parts Distribution Center in Cranbury, New Jersey earlier this year.

After workers organized to join the UAW, the company illegally threatened and coerced workers for exercising their federally-protected right to organize a union.

The automaker, which prides itself on its “social charter” that supposedly enshrines workers’ rights in its corporate governance, is ordered to recognize the UAW as the union of the over 150 workers involved. In addition, the Board will seek a 10(j) injunction to bring the company to the bargaining table.

“These workers did exactly what you’re supposed to do if you want a better life on the job, and Volkswagen treated them like dirt,” says UAW President Shawn Fain. “Because these badass workers refused to give up, they were able to overcome the company’s harassment, intimidation, and illegal conduct, and will now have a seat at the table. Welcome to the UAW. And Volkswagen, we’ll see you at the bargaining table.”

“We stood up because we know we deserve better from this multibillion-dollar company,” said Sergio Sumano, Jr., a warehouse worker with 7 years at the facility. “We stuck it out because we knew our cause was right. This is about a better life for me and my family, and for all of us here who make Volkswagen run. We are the UAW.”

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UAW Members at AM General Ratify Strongest Contract in Decades

Mishawaka, IN — UAW Local 5 members voted on Thursday, September 25th to ratify a new contract with AM General. Around 400 UAW members at the company’s Mishawaka complex build the Humvee and next generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicle for the nation’s military.

The new contract makes major gains, most notably a 12% wage increase over just three years, a large pension increase, and significant progress reversing a complicated, tiered pay system.

Keith Oden, the Bargaining Chairperson, said “We did it—together. This agreement reflects the priorities our members voiced through surveys, meetings, and conversations on the shop floor. Because of our strength and unity, we secured meaningful gains that move us forward without any concessions.”

This contract reverses a long history of concessionary bargaining at AM General. The company had succeeded in eliminating retiree healthcare, capping profit sharing, and creating multiple wage tiers.

“Our members got back to our fighting roots, as the oldest local in the UAW with a long history of negotiating world class contracts,” said Dave Green, UAW Region 2B Director. “We won a contract that not only makes no concessions to the company, but delivers incredibly strong wage and pension increases for the membership.”

The new contract at AM General follows several other recent bargaining victories for the UAW at major defense companies, including GE Aerospace, General Dynamics, and Rolls-Royce.

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UAW Statement on the Passing of USW President Leo W. Gerard

We mourn the passing of Leo W. Gerard, former International President of the United Steelworkers, whose life was dedicated to advancing the cause of working people around the world.

Gerard was a tireless advocate for global solidarity. He understood that the fight for workers’ rights could not stop at national borders, and he worked to ensure that unions spoke with a united voice in the face of corporate power.

His leadership was pivotal in many international struggles, including efforts in Mexico to support the independent union movement and the campaign to hold Volkswagen accountable for union-busting in Chattanooga. When the decision arose at the IndustriALL Executive Committee meeting over whether to maintain the Global Framework Agreement with Volkswagen, Gerard’s intervention was decisive in backing the UAW. He made it crystal clear that union-busting would not be tolerated and that at the global level, labor would stand as one.

Leo Gerard leaves behind a legacy of courage, conviction, and solidarity. His vision of a labor movement united across borders will continue to guide the fight for justice for generations to come.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, to his colleagues, and to the entire United Steelworkers community.

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UAW Members at GE Aerospace Approve New Contract

CINCINNATI—After an intense three weeks on strike, the picket lines in Evendale, OH and Erlanger, KY are winding down as UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace voted by 82% to approve a new five-year contract today.

“Together we stood like David against Goliath—shoulder to shoulder against a billion-dollar company, refusing to be treated as just numbers,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “We secured job security, more time with our families, and money to offset health care costs.”

The deal delivers significant gains for UAW Local 647 members, including:

· Minimum workforce guarantees to protect jobs

· Payments to offset health care cost increases

· Additional personal time and vacation time

“I’d like to congratulate the 600 plus UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace for standing up and using your collective strength,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “For over three weeks, across Erlanger and Evendale, you never wavered. Your grit, resilience—and, of course, your solidarity—showed a multi-billion dollar company what power really looks like.”

The newly ratified agreement is effective September 15 and expires September 15, 2030.

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Unprocessed Unemployment Claims, Frozen Medicaid, and Public Safety Risks: UAW Members at the State of Michigan Outline Alarming Risks of Looming Shutdown

UAW Local 6000, representing 16,000 State of Michigan employees across 1,200 worksites, sounded the alarm with Senator Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) in the Capitol as October 1 shutdown deadline looms.

LANSING — With October 1’s deadline for a Michigan government shutdown looming large in Lansing, the UAW sounded the alarm today about the critical State of Michigan (SOM) services that are in jeopardy. UAW Local 6000 represents 16,000 SOM employees across 1,200 worksites in Michigan, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary of State, and state corrections offices, among other critical departments.

“UAW Local 6000 members are on the front lines of ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable populations, providing critical services to people who depend on basic necessities essential to their survival,” said UAW Local 6000 President Rachel Dickinson. “When UAW Local 6000 members aren’t on the job, Michigan feels it fast—unemployment claims don’t get processed, SNAP and Medicaid slow down or grind to a halt, public safety is put at risk. This isn’t just paperwork; it’s people’s lives and the stability of our state.”

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with UAW Local 6000 members in Lansing today, Senator Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) further elaborated on the stakes of the House’s bad budget that is spiraling Michigan towards a shutdown.

“As the daughter of two proud UAW retirees, I am proud to stand with UAW Local 6000 today and every day,” said Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing). “When we support our state employees, we support the very fabric of Michigan’s success. Senate Democrats will keep standing with our state workers and working around the clock until we pass a balanced state budget that funds essential human services, protects our workers, and invests in the future of our state.”

This week, SOM employees are expecting to see two-week notice letters in their mailboxes warning of the imminent shutdown on October 1. The ominous deadline comes following the Republican-majority Michigan House’s passage of a ruthless slash and burn budget that would impact working-class communities the harshest.

“It’s time for House Republicans to quit messing around with people’s livelihoods and the core services on which Michiganders rely,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). “These folks do the oftentimes unglamorous work of keeping our state running, yet have been maligned as ‘waste, fraud, and abuse.’ We won’t stand for it. In this moment, they deserve honest leadership from the legislature and nothing less.”

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After Two Weeks Holding the Line, UAW Members at GE Aerospace Secure Strong Tentative Agreement Addressing All Core Issues

CINCINNATI—After an intense, two-week strike, UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace have secured a strong tentative agreement with the company. The major victory comes just after the strike’s two-week anniversary and was won via the courage and solidarity of over 600 Cincinnati-area workers between GE’s Erlanger, KY, and Evendale, OH facilities who held strong on the picket like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“UAW Local 647 members showed that you don’t beat a multi-billion-dollar company by backing down—you win by standing up and joining together in a common cause,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.

Of the three main sticking points that mobilized UAW Local 647 members to stand firm when GE forced workers to the streets at midnight on August 28—job security, health care costs, and time off—workers secured victories on all fronts. The company will cover nearly all health care premium increases over the term of the contract and workers will receive additional vacation time. The deal also secures strong job security protections for both Erlanger and Evendale locations, including minimum headcount and new work.

“I’m so proud of how UAW Local 647 stuck together,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “Our members held strong and had the courage to fight for more. Our bargaining team delivered on our members’ main demands: strong job security, more time off the job to spend with families, and money to offset the health care cost increase. My message to my entire UAW family: Continue to do the right thing, speak the truth, stand in unity, and you will prosper!”

The tentative agreement covers a five-year term, with a ratification vote set for Friday, September 19.

“Companies need to respect the UAW,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “We’ve made a choice to do things differently as a union and our members at GE Aerospace are part of that. They knew they had to fight for a better contract today, in order to protect their tomorrow. I am proud of the resilience and grit Local 647’s members and leaders displayed to protect their future.”

Throughout the strike, GE workers shared their stories with local media, while keeping the full membership up to date with bargaining updates on the website and through text every day. This communication was critical in maintaining workers’ solidarity to secure a TA addressing the most critical concerns that led to the walk out.

“After 31 years at GE, I was tired of their corporate greed,” said Don Luknis, UAW Local 647 member, and strike captain out of GE’s Evendale facility. “I’m proud of our teamwork to keep each other going along the way. UAW Local 647 is a stronger union now than the day we walked out on strike against this corporate giant. One day longer, one day stronger!”

UAW members in Evendale, the larger facility, proudly build marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy. In Erlanger, UAW members are the distribution heart of GE global—feeding plants all over the world. The strike was the first UAW strike at GE since 1988.

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UAW Announces Results of Special Election in Region 1A

Detroit—The UAW has announced the results of an election held today in UAW Region 1A to fill the vacancy created when former Regional Director Laura Dickerson was elected UAW Vice President.

Delegates at a special regional convention elected UAW Local 600 1st Vice President Mark DePaoli to serve as the next Regional Director of UAW Region 1A, which covers thousands of active and retired UAW members across southeast Michigan.

“Laura Dickerson has been a dedicated leader and now brings her experience and commitment to our members in the Ford Department,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We welcome Mark DePaoli to the International Executive Board and look forward to his leadership in Region 1A.”

DePaoli said, “I am honored to serve the members of Region 1A and to continue building our union’s strength in the workplace and our communities. Together, we will stand up for justice, fairness, and a better future for the working class.”

While the union has moved to a system of regular direct elections for its International Executive Board, mid-term vacancies at the regional level are filled by a vote of delegates, as outlined in the UAW constitution.

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KMWU and UAW Joint Statement: We Stand United Against All Attacks Restricting the Rights of Workers

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) strongly condemn the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) mass arrest and detention of 475 workers at the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions construction site in Georgia. We declare our shared commitment to resist and fight back against all forms of attacks that violate workers’ rights.

Video footage of the ICE crackdown shows workers shackled with chains around their hands, feet and waists. This constitutes a violation of articles 47 and 48 of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules) which prohibit chaining human beings as “inherently degrading” and require “the least intrusive method” of restraint only when necessary and based on the level of risk. This crackdown constitutes a clear abuse of human rights and violation of international norms.

The fundamental rights of workers at U.S.-based plants invested in by Korean companies — regardless of nationality, race, employment type, or company affiliation — must be guaranteed. However, Korean companies have failed to create the conditions and environment for workers in the supply chain to be able to do their job safely. Three workers lost their lives at the Hyundai Metaplant site in Georgia, the most recent case this last May. On top of this, many workers are working under foreseeable risks, shouldering the risks relating to visas. Capital must stop shifting the burden of identified crises onto the backs of workers and instead take full responsibility for ensuring a safe work environment.

And what of the Trump administration, which forcibly entered a workplace arresting and detaining 475 workers? While receiving investment from Korean companies, the U.S. government launched a militarized operation targeting the workers at those sites. What the government should be doing is not cracking down on workers, but changing the structures that exploit workers, creating safe working environments, and providing support on the ground.

Of the 475 detained workers, approximately 300 Koreans began the journey home on the 11th. However, the workers originating from other countries remain in detention. KMWU and UAW call for the release of all the detained workers.

Capital crosses borders to exploit labor. The state, having abandoned its obligation to protect human rights, seems now obsessed with “hunting down workers.” At this moment, international solidarity among labor unions is more urgent than ever. KMWU and UAW will take the lead and respond together to defend the rights of workers around the world.

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