,

Amid Slashed Services and Striking Workers, Six-Figure Salary Administration Positions in Lorain County Triple Since 2021

The number of administration positions earning $100,000 or more in salary at Lorain County has tripled since 2021, according to recently released Lorain County Auditor data. As reported by the County Auditor payroll data released this year, the number of administrative positions at Lorain County earning over six-figures spiked from 55 in 2021 to 174 in 2025 – with the $20.3 million spent on these six-figure payrolls representing nearly a quarter of the County’s entire $89 million operating budget last year alone.

The added positions at these high payouts – which do not figure in health care coverage, pension contributions, or paid time off accruals – are surging as County Commissioners slash public services, claiming an $11 million budget deficit, and refuse to bargain with workers on strike at Job and Family Services over a $1 per hour supplemental wage increase aimed at addressing a severe retention and service crisis. Meanwhile, as these administrative payrolls ballooned, County Commissioners have directed $67 million in County capital funds to a controversial “Megasite” economic development project.

“The County Commissioners have blown up the budget on six-figure administrative salaries but won’t resolve a strike with the frontline workers who actually deliver services,” said UAW Local 2192 Chairperson Gina Jones, a case worker on strike at JFS. “We know we have the community on our side in our outrage at the County’s mismanaged priorities and refusal to settle for $1 per hour.”

The cost to settle the JFS strike, a $1 per hour supplemental wage increase that Commissioners have refused to negotiate, would total approximately $299,520 annually. That figure represents less than 1.5% of what the County spent on six-figure administrative salaries in 2025. The growth in administrative wages between 2024 and 2025 alone – approximately $2.6 million – is nearly nine times the cost of settling the JFS strike.

All salary figures are drawn from Lorain County Auditor payroll data released in 2026. Figures reflect base payments only and do not include benefits.

,

2026 UAW Health & Safety Conference Postponed

The 2026 UAW Health and Safety Conference has been postponed.

“This is a difficult choice, and we know it will result in a lot of disappointment. We have determined that an abundance of caution must guide how we proceed to ensure the safety of our delegates and staff.

“We appreciate your patience and will provide updates as soon as possible. At this time, please work with your local union on any union leave questions. Please be advised that Black Lake staff are currently working to cancel all flights that were booked using the TSI link.”

Read the full letter from the UAW Health and Safety Dept. below more full details.

,

As Job and Family Services Continue Months-Long Strike, UAW Local 2192 Members at Lorain County Children Services Ratify New Contract, Breaking County “Pattern”

Today, as Lorain County Job and Family Services workers remain on strike going over two months, County Commissioners voted to accept a new contract agreement with members of the same UAW Local – UAW Local 2192 at Lorain County Children Services (LCCS) – in a deal that surpasses the Commissioners’ standard “pattern.”

“This is a victory that demonstrates what workers can achieve when they stand strong at the bargaining table,” said UAW Region 2B Director David Green. “Unfortunately, their siblings at Job and Family Services can’t get a fair deal. County Commissioners like Jeff Riddell are refusing to even come to the table and bargain in good faith with UAW Local 2192 members at JFS.”

On April 20, UAW Local 2192 members at LCCS who investigate reports of child abuse, neglect, and dependency to ensure the safety and well-being of Lorain County’s most vulnerable children, voted to ratify the three-year deal, which runs retroactive to January 1, 2026.

County Commissioners attempted to force a “pattern” regarding the General Wage Increases (GWI), which would have held raises to a predetermined 4.5%/3.5%/4% over the course of the contract. But with the County having shifted healthcare costs onto the workers amid historic inflation, UAW Local 2192 members held strong to secure GWI of 4.5%/5.5%/2% — a better deal that puts more money in workers’ pockets now when they need it most.

“When we stand strong, we negotiate from a position of strength,” added Director Green. “When we hold the line, we win.”

In addition to having wage increases front-loaded in the course of the contract, workers secured other gains such as an extra personal day off. To help offset the hazards that caseworkers face using personal vehicles in the field, the new contract includes $400 more in health and safety auto costs. And, in recognition of the dedication and institutional knowledge of long-tenured employees, support staff with ten or more years will receive another 2% retention supplement.

UAW Local 2192 members at JFS will continue to hold the line until the County decides to come back to the table to negotiate a fair deal as they did for their counterparts at Children Services.

,

Nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly Persevere, Vote to Join UAW

Local 551 is one of the most historic units in the UAW. The local’s roots go all the way back to the very beginning of the union in 1935, and over 5,000 of its members work at the iconic Ford Chicago Assembly plant, the automaker’s oldest operating manufacturing facility.

So, it would probably surprise many people to learn that the plant’s nursing staff has never been unionized. Yet, that was the case until April of this year, when the six nurses at Chicago Assembly withstood a vigorous anti-union campaign from the company and voted to join the UAW.

The organizing win is a testament to the determination of the nursing staff, who had attempted to unionize in two previous efforts that came up just short in recent years, and the unwavering support of Local 551, the UAW Ford Department, and Region 4.

“Every worker deserves to have a union,” UAW Vice President and Director of the Ford Department Laura Dickerson said about the union’s support of the nurses in their fight. “Every worker deserves to have the support they need to form their union if that’s what they choose to do. Our decision to get behind these six workers really came down to that belief.”

Mary Quasney, an associate nurse at the plant, said she felt they needed more say in how their workplace operated, citing concerns about chronic understaffing and the company’s lack of training opportunities as reasons for the organizing drive.

“We felt like management didn’t want to make any type of financial investment in us that would allow us to increase our skills and our knowledge,” Quasney said. “We felt like we were understaffed, and that can have negative effects on the work we do. We truly care about the workers in this plant, and we want to provide the best care possible for them when they come to us.”

Ford plant management was adamantly opposed to the nurses’ efforts from the get-go and ran an aggressive intimidation campaign to dissuade them from organizing. The company held multiple one-on-one meetings with nurses and distributed anti-union flyers filled with misleading information.

UAW representatives made sure to hold multiple meetings of their own with nurses to counter the company’s false messaging and were readily available 24/7 to answer any questions nurses may have about what joining the union would entail.

Throughout the organizing drive, Local 551 leaders and members working at the plant continuously showed their support for the nurses, stopping by the medical department to offer positive words of encouragement, recording a solidarity video, and delivering support cards with messages urging nurses to keep fighting.

“The support from the workers was amazing,” Quasney said. “They truly had our backs the entire time. I think it made us want to be a part of the union even more.”

On April 9, nurses voted 5-1 to join the UAW.

“I’ve been a member of this local for over 30 years, and during that entire time, the nurses here have never been unionized,” Local 551 President Chris Pena said. “So, to see them finally win a seat at the table, everyone at the local is incredibly proud of them for demanding a voice.”

“Some people might be asking, ‘Why so much effort for only six workers?’” Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell said. “But for us, it didn’t matter whether it was six workers or 600. Those nurses deserve the same support as anyone else. Our union was committed to making sure that was the case at Chicago Assembly.”

Now that the nurses are UAW, they will soon elect a bargaining chairperson and then begin negotiations with the company on a first-ever contract. For Quasney, finally having a voice on the job is just one of the many benefits of joining Local 551.

“We’re all just very excited to be joining the UAW,” Quasney said. “Local 551 does so much great work in the community and holds a number of events for its members every year, and now we get to be part of that. We’re very happy.”

,

Ground Effects Workers Vote to Join the UAW

For the second time in 24 hours, Michigan auto supply chain workers have voted to unionize. Workers at Ground Effects won a majority in a National Labor Relations Board election to form a union with UAW. Ground Effects produces spray-on truck bedliners, in addition to other aftermarket parts and customizations.

Workers at Ground Effects have been organizing since last year. They began their campaign to form a union due to low pay, overwork, forced overtime, management abuse, and favoritism.

Just yesterday, workers at Webasto Detroit voted by a 2-1 margin to form a union with the UAW, after organizing for 2.5 years. Today’s victory at Ground Effects underscores the desire of auto supply workers to be treated fairly and achieve the same respect and benefits enjoyed by unionized autoworkers at the assembly plants.

“Ground Effects workers just showed what courage and determination can do,” said UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes. “These workers stood together and stood strong against the underhanded anti-union tactics coming from the boss and their hired guns. Now, Ground Effects workers will have the right to sit with management as equals and negotiate a contract that gives them the dignity and respect they deserve.”

,

Webasto Detroit Workers Vote to Join the UAW

Workers at Webasto Detroit voted 276 – 133 in a National Labor Relations Board election to form a union with UAW. Webasto Detroit produces hard top roofs, primarily for the Ford Bronco.

Workers at Webasto Detroit have been organizing for 2.5 years before the election, over concerns about favoritism, bullying by management, overwork, and scheduling issues.

“I’m thrilled we finally won our union. I’ve worked at Webasto for many years. We’re overworked and underpaid. We’re the ones who make money for the company. For too long, we’ve gotten nothing but disrespect from management. I’m ready for some mutual respect,” said Shara Bell, a Quality Technician for Webasto Detroit.

The victory at Webasto Detroit is part of a growing movement of auto supply workers who want the benefits and protections of forming a union at their plants. Workers in the supply chain are a vital part of the auto industry but are paid well below their counterparts at assembly plants. They often face dangerous working conditions, including exposure to hazardous chemicals without proper precautions.

“Tonight, I am proud to welcome Webasto Detroit workers to the UAW family. These workers fought for years to form their union and faced another tough fight from the boss in this election. But they believed in one another and never gave up,” said UAW Region 1A Director Mark DePaoli. “Webasto Detroit workers have won a collective voice on the job, and now they’ll begin working to win the fair pay, time off, and safer working conditions they deserve.”

Webasto Detroit workers join their colleagues at Webasto Pilot Road, who unionized with the UAW in 2023, and ratified their first contract in 2024.

,

UAW President Shawn Fain to Rally with American Axle Workers in Michigan Ahead of May Contract Expiration

UAW President Shawn Fain will join UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle & Manufacturing (also known as Dauch Corporation) for a rally in Three Rivers to kick off the campaign for a record contract at American Axle. Official bargaining with the multi-billion-dollar corporation began March 23, and the current agreement expires on May 31.

WHO: UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle (AAM), UAW President Shawn Fain, UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes, Assistant Director Scott Zuckschwerdt, Lieutenant Governor Garlin Gilchrist, with other political, labor, and community allies and supporters

WHAT: Solidarity rally to kick-off contract negotiations

WHERE  Three Rivers High School, Performing Arts Center, 700 6th Ave, Three Rivers, MI 49093

WHEN: Sunday, March 29 at 1:00 P.M.

Influenced by the success of the UAW’s 2023 Stand Up Strike at Ford, GM, and Stellantis, American Axle workers are ready to make up for nearly two decades of lost wages and benefits. UAW Local 2093 members laid out their demands in a video released earlier in March, which include: no concessions, fairer wages and profit sharing, better health care, stronger retirement, and job security.

In 2008, workers at American Axle took major sacrifices to save the facility from closure during the Great Recession. Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages slashed to $14.50. Today, eighteen years later, workers are still yet to make up all that lost ground, with wages at American Axle currently topping out at $22 an hour after a five-year progression, with inflation-adjusted wages cut in half from their pre-2008 levels.

Meanwhile, since 2022, as a Tier 1 parts supplier to General Motors, American Axle has generated $2.9 billion in profits. Over that time, the company’s CEO has been paid $47.9 million, with the top five executives receiving nearly $100 million in compensation – while UAW members working at the Three Rivers plant struggle to afford basic needs, with some even forced to sleep in their cars.

,

UAW Condemns Violent Attack on Tornel Rubber Workers in Mexico, Urges Immediate USMCA Action

The UAW today condemned the shooting of striking workers at the Tornel Rubber Company in Tultitlán, Mexico, calling it a grave attack on fundamental labor and human rights and urging swift action by Mexican authorities and USMCA partners.

On March 18, four workers were injured when armed assailants opened fire on workers on night duty as they lawfully exercised their right to strike.

The strike at Tornel Rubber Company stems from alleged violations of the Mexican Rubber Industry Contract-Law, including:

  • Non-implementation of a 40-hour workweek
  • Unpaid 44-day year-end bonus
  • Denial of proper vacation premium (25–31 days)
  • Failure to pay social security contributions
  • Non-recognition of official paid holidays (Feb. 5, Mar. 21)

The UAW is calling on Mexican authorities to ensure the safety of workers and to carry out a transparent investigation to hold those responsible accountable.

The situation reflects broader concerns about efforts within the rubber industry to weaken established labor standards and collective bargaining agreements. The UAW is urging the governments of the United States and Canada to take immediate action under the USMCA Rapid Response Labor Mechanism. Specifically, the UAW is calling for USTR to immediately self-initiate a complaint under the USMCA’s Rapid Response Mechanism.

“What happened at Tornel Rubber is an outrage. It’s an attack on human rights, on labor rights, and on the basic democratic freedoms of workers. The right to strike, to organize, and to bargain collectively are non-negotiable. When workers are met with gunfire for exercising those rights, the UAW will not tolerate it. We’re committed to fighting like hell to make sure every worker can stand up, organize, and demand what they’re owed without facing violence,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.

The UAW emphasized that failure to respond decisively risks undermining labor reforms and trade commitments across North America.

UAW Demands:

  • Immediate protection for Tornel workers and their families
  • Full enforcement of the Rubber Industry Contract-Law
  • Public condemnation of the attack by Mexican authorities and industry leaders
  • Independent USMCA complaint initiated by the U.S.

The UAW reaffirmed its solidarity with Tornel workers, who voted on March 22 to continue their strike.

,

Woodward MPC UAW Workers Outside Chicago Demand Respect and a Fair Contract

In a new video, Woodward MPC workers speak out as part of their fight for a fair contract after months of stalling from the employer.

The video is available for the media and public to VIEW HERE.

“Our work keeps planes in the air, maintains our nation’s defenses, and keeps Woodward making billions,” the workers share. “So, where’s our cut?”

Last year, the workers voted to affiliate with the UAW and are in the midst of contract negotiations with Woodward, an aerospace and defense company. The company is currently refusing to negotiate, in violation of US labor law.

“In 2025, CEO Chip Blankenship made $11.3 million dollars,” the workers point out, “While we’re struggling to buy groceries.”

Woodward has made over $1.8 billion in profits since 2020 and has spent over $1.4 billion of that on Wall Street payouts in the form of stock buybacks and dividends.

“We are Woodward MPC-UAW. We demand Woodward get back to bargaining table. We demand a fair and clear level progression. We demand industry-leading wages,” state the workers. “We demand respect at Woodward MPC.”

 

UAW Logo

UAW SOLIDARITY HOUSE

8000 East Jefferson Avenue
Detroit, Michigan 48214

(313) 926-5000

Union Plus Logo

Connect

Organize

Latest News

Amid Slashed Services and Striking Workers, Six-Figure Salary Administration Positions in Lorain County Triple Since 2021

2026 UAW Health & Safety Conference Postponed

As Job and Family Services Continue Months-Long Strike, UAW Local 2192 Members at Lorain County Children Services Ratify New Contract, Breaking County “Pattern”

People's Voice Winner Award
Webby Award Logo