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Workers at Major Parts Plant in Chicago Win Their Union, Vote Overwhelmingly to Join the UAW

CHICAGO — Workers at Flex-N-Gate have voted overwhelmingly to form a union with the United Auto Workers (UAW). In the election, held yesterday and today, the 370 workers at the auto parts manufacturer in Chicago overcame an aggressive anti-union campaign by the company that included threats, intimidation and even firings of union supporters.

Flex-N-Gate is a major parts supplier for Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant. The net worth of Flex-N-Gate owner Shahid Khan is $13.3 billion, but Flex-N-Gate workers in Chicago make as little as $17.50 an hour, far below the starting wage of $25.12 for UAW production workers at Ford.

“The workers of Flex-N-Gate just proved that no power on earth is stronger than solidarity—not even the Billionaire’s Club when the working class stands up together,” said UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell. “Management at Flex-N-Gate tried again and again to shut down the workers’ fight for a union, but they stood up together and won their union voice. We are proud to welcome them to the UAW family and we are going to work night and day with them to win the strong first contract they deserve.”

The Chicago Flex-N-Gate workers voted 195-to-126 to join the UAW. There were also 29 challenged ballots, but that is too few to affect the outcome of the vote.

The workers of the Flex-N-Gate organizing committee issued the following joint statement: “It’s a brand-new day at Flex-N-Gate. We have won our union and we have won respect. Already, we have a powerful voice at our plant, and now we’ll begin working to win the fair pay, the good benefits and the time off with our families that every worker deserves.”

The UAW represents workers at eight other Flex-N-Gate and Ventra parts plants owned by Khan. UAW members at the Ventra plant in Sandusky, Ohio, won a strong new contract this summer with substantial raises and benefit improvements.

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UAW Members at Woodbridge Corp Walk Out on Strike

LITHONIA, Ga – Early Wednesday morning on October 30, UAW-represented Woodbridge Corp – Atlanta Foam workers of Local 472 walked out on strike.

“Despite numerous meetings and bargaining sessions, management has yet to make a significant offer on three critical issues for workers: wages, benefits, and seniority,” said UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith.

“It’s clear that the company has no intention of reaching a fair and equitable agreement, leaving workers no choice but to strike.”

Workers at Woodbridge produce seating and dashboard components for Yamaha and Nissan and have been working under an expired contract since September 30.

On August 22, workers voted 98% in favor of authorizing a strike.

“We’re standing together to demand what we’re owed,” said UAW Local 472 President Rachel Johnson. “I’m on strike for better wages, healthcare, and respect for the work I do.”

Following the historic Stand Up strike that led autoworkers at the Big Three to win record raises and benefits, Woodbridge workers are the latest UAW members to Stand Up during contract negotiations. UAW members have secured significant contracts in the past year, including at Cornell University in New York and Daimler Truck in North Carolina.

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UAW President Shawn Fain to Rally with DACM Members, Call On Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to Keep The Promise

DETROIT, MI — UAW President Shawn Fain will rally with members from Detroit Assembly Complex-Mack at UAW Local 51 to call on Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to honor the union contract and Keep The Promise. The union secured product and investment commitments in Belvidere, Illinois and across the country in its 2023 contract. A year later, the company is trying to go back on their commitments to Stellantis autoworkers – and they’re saying, “No!”

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain, UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English
WHAT: Rally to Make Stellantis Keep the Promise
WHERE: UAW Local 51, 11000 E. Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48214
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 3:00 pm

UAW President Shawn Fain, UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English, UAW members and supporters will highlight Stellantis’ refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. These promises include reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois and building the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit—both crucial agreements that Stellantis is now trying to backtrack on.

UAW locals representing tens of thousands of Stellantis workers have filed grievances with the company over their failure to Keep the Promise made in contract negotiations. Once the grievance procedure is exhausted under the national contract, the union may authorize a strike.

As Stellantis has filed frivolous lawsuits and robocalled members in a desperate effort to block the union’s actions, three UAW locals have already passed strike authorization votes, with more locals preparing to follow. The union’s grievance process, initiated due to Stellantis’ failure to reopen Belvidere and invest in future production, is moving forward. If grievances remain unresolved, a strike at one or more Stellantis facilities could begin within weeks.

UAW President Shawn Fain recently urged Stellantis members to stand up and fight for their jobs and futures by going to ShitcanCarlos.com to sign a strike authorization pledge.

For more information on the fight to make Stellantis Keep The Promise, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise.

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UAW President Shawn Fain Holding Facebook Live at 8 p.m. ET on the Central Question of the Election: Which Side Are You On?

President Fain will highlight recent polling showing effectiveness of union’s large-scale member engagement program and will field questions from members

 

Detroit – On Tuesday, October 29 at 8:00 pm, UAW President Shawn Fain will address UAW rank-and-file members in a virtual livestream to directly reach undecided voters and fulfill the union’s constitutional duty to “play an active role at all levels of government to protect the lives and rights of its members and their families.”

He will highlight the choices members face in the upcoming election, contrasting the two presidential candidates and drawing the direct connection between the ballot box and the bread box.

His remarks will underscore how this election is about making clear who is on the side of the working class and using the union’s strength in numbers to support leaders who will stand with workers in critical fights—like those who have stood with UAW members in the union’s ongoing battle to make Stellantis keep its promise to autoworkers. His message will clarify that this election is not about endorsing a single party or candidate, but rather about advancing the needs of the working class and casting votes for candidates who support working-class interests.

President Fain will present a fact-based overview contrasting the two candidates’ positions, particularly on trade, labor law, and other policies that affect manufacturing, and discuss the effectiveness of the union’s large-scale election program in reaching members directly.

The media will be invited to join the livestream on the UAW’s YouTube channel or social media accounts (Facebook or Twitter).

President Fain will also take live questions directly from UAW members.

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain
WHAT: Election 2024 Livestream
WHERE: Livestream on UAW YouTube, social media (Facebook, Twitter)
WHEN: Tues., Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. ET

The UAW’s roadmap for victory aligns with the vision behind 2023’s Stand Up strike and movement. By setting the record straight, uniting the working class, and empowering members to lead, the UAW’s “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up” campaign will channel the collective power of the union to curb corporate greed at the ballot box.

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79 Members of Congress Send Letters to Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares in Support of UAW Workers

Washington, D.C. – In a powerful show of solidarity with UAW members, 79 Members of Congress have sent letters to Stellantis and its CEO, Carlos Tavares, expressing deep concerns about the company’s recent actions and urging a renewed commitment to American workers.

A letter signed by 23 Senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and all 4 Senators from Michigan and Illinois, was addressed directly to CEO Carlos Tavares. The Senators called out Stellantis for failing to uphold its contractual obligations to UAW members, highlighting concerns that recent company decisions undermine its commitment to its workforce.

Meanwhile, 56 members of the House of Representatives—including the entire Democratic delegations from Michigan and Ohio, as well as Rep. Bill Foster, who represents Belvidere, Illinois—sent a letter to the Stellantis Board of Directors. They voiced their dismay over the company’s direction and decisions, specifically noting the delays in reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant.

Both letters echo the calls from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizing the need for Stellantis to prioritize American jobs. The lawmakers criticized the company’s rationale of “poor market conditions” to delay investments, pointing to Stellantis’ $6 billion in profits in the first half of the year, $8 billion spent on stock buybacks and dividends, and the $39.5 million compensation package awarded to CEO Tavares.

Senators also highlighted the $335 million in public dollars that Stellantis is slated to receive for reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant. They urged the company to honor the promises made to UAW workers and the community of Belvidere.

“Stellantis’ reliance on taxpayer support, while planning layoffs and moving production outside of the United States, betrays the trust of American workers and taxpayers,” said the letter, citing recent layoffs at Stellantis’ facilities in Sterling Heights, Warren, Toledo, and Detroit.

The Congressional letters stress that Stellantis’ decision to delay investment in the Belvidere Assembly Plant and potentially move production of the Dodge Durango outside the U.S., not only violates the UAW contract but also breaks faith with Congress and the American public’s expectations of the company’s role in supporting domestic jobs.

As UAW local unions continue to file grievances and take strike authorization votes to enforce their contract, the letters are a firm reminder that the company’s decisions to reward shareholders and punish workers are under scrutiny, with elected representatives and top officials holding Stellantis accountable for its promises to American workers.

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UAW Poll Shows Member Support for Harris Growing Significantly in Battleground States as Union’s Member Engagement Program Delivers Results

Detroit, MI – New polling of UAW members and member households across key battleground states demonstrates strong support for Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, with Harris’ lead over Trump surging in the last month.

The poll, conducted among union members in key swing states—Michigan, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, North Carolina, Georgia, Arizona, and Nevada—shows Harris leading Trump by 22 points. These results underscore the impact of the UAW’s most ambitious political program in decades, which has engaged 293,000 active and retired members, as well as their families, in battleground states.

The union’s comprehensive outreach program, aimed at connecting with every member, has been crucial in building support for Harris. In addition to a robust phone, text and mail program, UAW members are engaging in conversations at worksites and within their communities. In Michigan, they have participated in an intensive door-to-door campaign, reaching over 200,000 union households so far.

Among members who reported hearing from the UAW about the presidential election, Harris’ lead over Trump grows to 29 points. These numbers highlight the effectiveness of the union’s aggressive strategy to inform members about the candidates’ positions on key economic issues, including protecting overtime pay, overhauling harmful trade deals, preventing offshoring, expanding retirement security, and taking on corporate greed.

Polling data also show significant movement among key demographics. Among white UAW members without a college degree—a group that has leaned towards Trump in recent elections—Harris now holds a five-point lead.

“When members hear directly from other members about what’s at stake and which candidate will have their backs, we’re able to break through,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “By engaging our members and highlighting the issues that matter – their paychecks, their families, and their futures — the union makes a real difference.”

Fain added, “The candidates’ track records speak for themselves. Harris has been in our corner in tough fights. Trump’s been a scab who passed NAFTA 2.0 and wants to bust unions. When you break it down like that and reach members in one-on-one conversations, the choice for president becomes clear.”

Additional Poll Findings:

  • Harris’ lead expands to 29 points among those who say they have been contacted by the union.
  • Michigan UAW members favor Harris by a 20-point margin, with 54% supporting her compared to 34% for Trump.
  • Support among non-college-educated men—a key demographic—shows a 14-point margin in favor of Harris.
  • UAW members support U.S. Senate candidate Elissa Slotkin by an 18-point margin.

The poll results make clear that the UAW’s broad engagement program is not only resonating with members but also translating into increased support for Harris in states that could determine the outcome of the election. By focusing on face-to-face communication, worksite outreach, and personalized engagement, the UAW is driving a significant shift in voter sentiment, positioning the union as a powerful electoral force. In 2020, the UAW’s membership accounted for 9.2% of Biden-Harris’ votes and 84% of their margin of victory in Michigan alone.

The UAW’s plan to win stems from the vision that launched 2023’s Stand Up strike and movement. By putting out the facts, uniting the working class, and letting members lead the way, the UAW’s “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up” campaign has mobilized a mass campaign to defeat corporate greed at the ballot box.

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UAW President Shawn Fain to Join Members at Trenton Engine Rally, Call On Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to Keep The Promise

TRENTON, MI — UAW members will rally at the UAW Local 372 union hall to call on Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to honor the union contract and Keep The Promise to maintain product and investment commitments in Belvidere, Illinois and across the country.

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain and UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson
WHAT: Rally at Trenton Engine to Make Stellantis Keep The Promise
WHERE: UAW Local 372, 4571 Division St, Trenton, MI 48183
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 3:00pm

UAW members and supporters will highlight Stellantis’ refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. These promises include reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois and building the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit—both crucial agreements that Stellantis is now trying to backtrack on.

UAW locals representing tens of thousands of Stellantis workers have filed grievances with the company over their failure to Keep the Promise made in contract negotiations. Once the grievance procedure is exhausted under the national contract, the union may authorize a strike.

As Stellantis has filed frivolous lawsuits and robocalled members in a desperate effort to block the union’s actions, three UAW locals have already passed strike authorization votes, with more locals preparing to follow. The union’s grievance process, initiated due to Stellantis’ failure to reopen Belvidere and invest in future production, is moving forward. If grievances remain unresolved, a strike at one or more Stellantis facilities could begin within weeks.

In a new video released last week, UAW President Shawn Fain directly addresses Stellantis members, urging them to stand up and fight for their jobs and futures by going to ShitcanCarlos.com to sign a strike authorization pledge.

For more information on the fight to make Stellantis Keep The Promise, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise

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UAW Releases New Video Condemning Stellantis for Broken Promises and Mismanagement as Protests Against the Company Go Global

Today, the UAW released a powerful new video calling out Stellantis for failing to honor its commitments to UAW members and criticizing CEO Carlos Tavares for mismanaging the company. The release coincides with a one-day general strike by Italian unions to protest Stellantis’ significant production cuts and the broader impact on metalworkers across Italy.

The video can be accessed here and the media is invited to use the footage. 

UAW members from Belvidere, Illinois, including UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell and UAW Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen, joined the strike and spoke to the hundreds of thousands gathered to protest Stellantis’ baldfaced corporate greed. UAW members secured a commitment to reopen the idled Belvidere plant in their 2023 contract, but the company has not fulfilled its promise.

Pictures from the general strike in Rome can be accessed here and the media is invited to use the images.

The UAW’s new video highlights Stellantis’ refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. These promises include reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois—a crucial agreement that Stellantis is now trying to backtrack on. In the video, UAW President Shawn Fain directly addresses Stellantis members , urging them to stand up and fight for their jobs and futures by going to ShitcanCarlos.com to sign a strike authorization pledge.

“This is about your job, your life, and the question is, are you going to let Carlos Tavares tell you to sit down and shut up?” Fain asks in the video. “Or are you going to stand up and fight for what’s right, for what you deserve?”

As Stellantis has filed frivolous lawsuits and robocalled members in a desperate effort to block the union’s actions, three UAW locals have already passed strike authorization votes, with more locals preparing to follow. The union’s grievance process, initiated due to Stellantis’ failure to reopen Belvidere and invest in future production, is moving forward. If grievances remain unresolved, a strike at one or more Stellantis facilities could begin within weeks.

The UAW video serves as a call to action for members and allies, clearly stating that the union will not back down in its fight to hold Stellantis accountable.

For more information, visit ShitcanCarlos.com, where viewers can learn about the campaign to “Keep The Promise” and find the latest updates on the fight against Stellantis’ mismanagement.

The full transcript of President Fain’s narration is below:  

UAW family, as you may have heard, Stellantis has filed more than a dozen frivolous lawsuits against our Union. This is an act of desperation, plain and simple.  

Two weeks ago, nearly 200 leaders from UAW locals across the country came to Detroit to discuss the situation at Stellantis.  

At the meeting, we reviewed the clear evidence that CEO Carlos Tavares and Stellantis are seriously violating the product commitments in our national agreement. Stellantis has not kept its commitment in Belvedere and has unallocated the Dodge Durango from the Jefferson North Assembly Plant.  

For years, this company has picked us off, plant by plant, and our leadership lacked the will and the means to fight back. The Stellantis Council unanimously decided that those days are over. All 200 UAW leaders unanimously recommended to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight and that we all get ready to vote yes to authorize a strike at Stellantis.  

Now in response, Stellantis is trying to use the federal courts to stop our campaign to get this company to keep the promises they made to American auto workers in our 2023 contract.  

Stellantis management has launched a campaign of intimidation and harassment against our members, our local unions, and the International UAW to try to get us to back down from the fight to save our jobs.  

I have bad news for Stellantis: we’re not going anywhere.  

Their corporate lawyers are claiming that our fight to keep jobs in Belvedere, Detroit, and America is based on what they call “sham grievances.”  

But here’s the real sham: over the past nine weeks, Stellantis has spent over a billion dollars on stock buybacks, all while saying they can’t afford to keep their commitments to their own employees. In fact, Stellantis has spent $3 billion on stock buybacks this year alone.  

Our proposal would cost a fraction of what Carlos Tavares has pissed away on Wall Street to save his stock price, which is down 55% since March.  

The real sham is this campaign of intimidation and interference in our Union’s business.  

Stellantis managers are calling members, threatening their jobs. They’re emailing our local presidents threatening lawsuits.  

This is what happens when a CEO is cornered and isolated. His dealers in America and Europe are turning against him. His suppliers and shareholders are suing him, and he’s pushing our customers away. 

And the sham is that he will walk away with a golden parachute of millions and millions of dollars, while American autoworkers are left holding the bag.  

The sham took place this week when he was asked about stepping down or being replaced. Carlos Tavares said, and I quote, “I signed a contract.”  

Well, Carlos, the workers at Stellantis signed a contract too, and it’s time for you to honor it.  

Our fight is about honoring a contract that Carlos Tavares signed. Our fight is about tens of thousands of American auto worker jobs, our families, and our communities.  

This is about your job, your life, and the question is, are you going to let Carlos Tavares tell you to sit down and shut up? Or are you going to stand up and fight for what’s right, for what you deserve?  

These aren’t sham grievances. These are our lives. Carlos Tavares is a sham CEO with a sham strategy to drive this company into the ground.  

We will once again save this company from mismanagement, from corporate greed, and from killing tens of thousands of good jobs, but only if we stick together. Only if we stand up.  

So, are you in? If you are, sign your strike authorization pledge today. And you can do that by going to shitcancarlos.com.  

Let me repeat that: you can sign a strike authorization pledge by going to shitcancarlos.com.  

Let the company know where you stand. And together, let’s tell Stellantis, the days of plant closures are over, and Carlos Tavares needs to go. 

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UAW President Shawn Fain Headlining Allentown “Rally with the Working Class” with Rep. Susan Wild, UAW Members and Leaders

The rally kicks off a day of union-led door-to-door canvassing to elect UAW champions in the Allentown, PA area. 

 

WHAT: UAW “Rally with the Working Class” to elect Harris-Walz

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain, PA-07 Rep. Susan Wild, UAW Region 9 Director Daniel Vicente, UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 20, 10:30 a.m. ET

WHERE: UAW Local 677, 2101 Mack Blvd. #1, Allentown, PA 18103

RSVP to team@feldmanstrategies.com

 

ALLENTOWN, PA – On Sunday, UAW President Shawn Fain and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (CD-7) will join UAW members, leaders, and allies at the “Rally with the Working Class” to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and Democrats up and down the ballot. Sunday’s rally is a joint event hosted by UAW Regions 9 and 9A.

“Kamala Harris is the candidate of the working class,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “She stood with us on the picket line while Donald Trump did nothing. She and President Biden bet on the American worker and brought manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Donald Trump doubled down on NAFTA and sent our jobs to Mexico. He is a con man and a scab. He will side with the billionaires and sell out to the working class. Kamala Harris stands with us and that’s why UAW members are standing up, speaking up and showing up to elect her president.”

In August, the UAW launched its most ambitious political program in decades. The Union’s program includes mobilizing UAW members online, at worksites, and in the field with a door-to-door program to reach members, retirees, and their families around a pro-worker, anti-Corporate Greed agenda. The Union’s one million active and retired members form a core base of support for the Harris-Walz campaign and will provide a major piece of the campaign’s margin of victory in key races in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

The UAW’s plan to win stems from the vision that launched 2023’s Stand Up strike and movement. By putting out the facts, uniting the working class, and letting members lead the way, the UAW’s “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up” campaign will mobilize a mass campaign to defeat the billionaire class at the ballot box.

At UAWStandUp2024.org, UAW members will find resources, videos, flyers, and links to factual information around the candidates’ records, and why the UAW is ready to stand up, speak up, and show up in November.

Press must RSVP to team@feldmanstrategies.com

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President Fain Statement on Donald Trump’s Recent Remarks Disparaging American Autoworkers

UAW President Shawn Fain issued the following statement regarding recent comments made by Donald Trump disparaging American autoworkers:

“Donald Trump is a billionaire who’s never worked a real job in his life. He doesn’t know the first thing about hard work, and he wouldn’t last a day in an auto plant. He isn’t fit to be an autoworker, and he certainly isn’t fit to be the President. Trump doesn’t understand us, he doesn’t respect us, and he certainly doesn’t represent us. Trump doesn’t care about autoworkers. The only thing Donald Trump wants from autoworkers is a vote. Donald Trump is a scab!”

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