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UAW Local 405 Members Will Walk Out on Strike After Company Fails to Propose Fair Deal

UAW Local 405 members are set to launch an unfair labor practice strike at Triumph Engine Control Systems beginning at 5:00 a.m. Monday, November 2, after the company committed multiple unfair labor practices and refused to present a fair economic proposal that meets the membership’s needs.

The 175 members of Local 405 build and overhaul fuel systems for U.S. military aircraft, including the Chinook, Apache and Black Hawk. Their contract expired at midnight on October 31.

Negotiations opened September 22. The union presented its economic proposals on October 15. The company did not respond with any economic proposal until October 23, eight days before expiration. Talks broke down Thursday when the company acknowledged major movement by the union, then immediately presented a last, best and final offer and refused further discussion of the union’s core issues: job security, successorship, cost-of-living protection, aerospace sector standard wages, and healthcare costs.

“A deal means two sides coming to an agreement, not the company dictating conditions to make lives harder for our membership and our families. We were always ready to negotiate but they gave us nothing, and handed us a take-it-or-leave-it offer instead with none of our priorities even acknowledged” said UAW Local 405 President Ben Wilcox.

The highly profitable Triumph was purchased by private equity firms Warburg Pincus and Berkshire Partners last year for approximately $3 billion. The company has told the union it intends to sell the business again and has refused to agree to standard successorship language requiring a future buyer to recognize the union and the contract, an existential threat to the local.

“Wall Street didn’t build this plant, and they won’t be here to run it in five years. Our members will,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla.

During the 2021-2026 agreement, the company overhauled the health plan and shifted tens of thousands of dollars in deductibles and out-of-pocket costs onto members. Workers with chronic conditions such as MS, those facing catastrophic events including car accidents and cancer, and families with children who have genetic disorders have been hit hardest.

Members voted 148 to 1 to authorize a strike, with 86 percent participation.

The union says it remains willing to meet at any time and has room to move toward an agreement on job security, healthcare and wages.

 

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UAW Members’ Demands Will Shape Next Congress as Union Runs its Most Ambitious Electoral Program in Decades

After months of organizing that began early in the summer, the UAW is on track to knock more than 300,000 doors with UAW members and union households as part of its biggest electoral program in decades.

The UAW is using its membership-focused political program, modeled on the success of the 2023 Stand Up Strike, to reach working-class voters from UAW households in key Senate and House races nationwide. In several key districts where UAW membership exceeds the previous election’s margin of victory, the UAW has more than 130 full-time political organizers in the field and has mobilized thousands of volunteers.

The focus of the program has been empowering members to have honest conversations with UAW families about UAW’s core four issues: wages, healthcare, retirement, and time off. Since launching in July, the member-led program has reached hundreds of thousands of working-class voters across Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, California, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona, Washington, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York and Maine. The groundwork has been substantial.

By election day, the union projects it will have completed:

  • More than 300,000 doors knocked
  • 750,000 calls made
  • More than 4,000 volunteers recruited

“Our political program is like everything else about the UAW: it’s member-driven,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We’ve been flexing our muscle at the bargaining table for the last few years. Now we’re building that same muscle in our politics. This year, our members are leading a bold political program, shaking up the political status quo. We’ll start by electing UAW champions to office – but our members will lead the work that comes after election day to win a working-class agenda in the halls of power.”

Organizing Where Members Can Make the Difference
Michigan and Ohio are central to the effort, reflecting the importance of industrial jobs, economic security, and workers’ rights in the region’s political landscape.

“I have been knocking doors in elections for 25 years, and this one has had more energy than I’ve felt in a long time talking to UAW voters and their families,” said Tielece Perry, UAW Local 7 member from Belleville, MI. “Talking about being able to make ends meet is what we do with our coworkers every time we are bargaining a new union contract, and affordability is by far the number one issue voters care about right now. The UAW has the organizational structure, the relationships across Michigan, and the vision to turn those concerns into collective action — and real votes for our endorsed slate.”

In Ohio, the UAW has committed significant resources to bring Sherrod Brown, a longtime ally of working-class people, back to the Senate. The Union is also working to protect Marcy Kaptur’s seat in District 09, one of the country’s densest UAW districts, where members make up 10% of all voters. Members are also working to flip District 07 for fellow union member Brian Poindexter.

In Lorain County—the only Ohio county to vote for both Sherrod Brown and Donald Trump in 2024—the UAW has added a contentious County Commission race to its campaign. UAW-represented county workers have been on strike since February 18, underscoring the connection between political decisions and workers’ ability to secure fair treatment on the job.

“I’ve been active in CAP for a long time now and this year is different from previous years,” said Kim Daniels, a UAW Local 12 member in Toledo, OH. “For months, our boots have been on the ground throughout the state of Ohio. With our unity and power, Ohio will become the number one state for working-class people. This program will be the driving force for Ohio.”

“I’m really proud to be involved with the UAW’s political program this election cycle,” said Shawn Smith, a UAW Local 677 member in Allentown, PA. “I’ve noticed there’s less negativity towards us at doors, no matter which side someone is on. We all realize we are going in the wrong direction where nothing is affordable anymore. Our UAW program isn’t just about UAW members – it’s about fighting to lift up the entire working-class with candidates like our union brother Bob Brooks in PA-07.”

“Serving on UAW’s release staff this fall has changed my life. For the first time, I know that working people like me and my fellow UAW members can change the course of politics when we organize,” said Sarah Van Dijk, UAW Local 4811 member in San Diego, CA. “We’ve built a GOTV program unlike anything we’ve done before.”

Election Day Is Tuesday. Building Power Doesn’t Stop There.
Conversations at the doors are also helping shape the UAW’s working-class agenda for the new Congress in 2027. The concerns and priorities workers share at the doors are informing the union’s broader political work, strengthening the connection between what working people experience on the job and the decisions made by elected officials.

Following Election Day, the UAW will take the fight for higher wages, affordable healthcare, a secure retirement and more time off directly to Congress and state legislatures. With the power of its members behind it, the union will hold lawmakers accountable and fight for an economy that puts working people first.

Looking ahead to 2028, the UAW is working to build worker power from the shop floor up and fighting to restore the American Dream by ensuring every worker can earn a good living, retire with dignity and have time for family and life outside the job.

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UAW Stands Against Divide and Conquer Politics in Michigan Senate Race

The United Auto Workers stands against the disgusting divide-and-conquer politics being used in the Michigan Senate race against the candidate of the working class, Abdul El-Sayed. When our members endorsed El-Sayed early in this race, it was because of his aspirational vision for what is possible when we come together and fight for all of us.

We are living in a time of the worst wealth inequality in our nation’s history, a time when working-class people are struggling to live. For over 90 years, our union has fought for a united working class that can take on the billionaire class and their corporate lapdogs like Mike Rogers. For over 90 years, billionaires have tried to divide us by race, religion, and more, to keep us weak and fighting amongst ourselves, instead of fighting our common enemies. And for over 90 years, we have rejected division in the name of civil and human rights, solidarity, unity, and common cause across race, religion, and gender.

And in Michigan, we have proved time and time again that it is possible for working people to prevail over their divide and conquer tactics. That is how we birthed the American Dream and created the middle class, and it is what will win the future.

On Tuesday, we are going to prove it again, when we send Abdul El-Sayed to the U.S. Senate and send Mike Rogers back to Florida. This is a “Which Side Are You On?” Moment for all working-class Michiganders. The UAW – Black, Brown, White, Jewish, Christian, Muslim – is on the side of justice and working-class unity, and we are proud to stand with our next Senator, Abdul El-Sayed.

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UAW Members Drive Ambitious Political Operation to Oust Commissioner Responsible for 8-Month Strike

After months of organizing that began in the summer, the UAW is on track to knock the doors of tens of thousands of union members in Lorain County to turn out the vote against County Commissioner Jeff Riddell.

Since February 18, UAW Local 2192 members from Lorain County Job and Family Services have been out on strike due to Commissioners like Riddell refusing to bargain in good faith and denying the $1 per hour raises the workforce needs to afford to survive today’s affordability crisis.

Already the longest public-sector strike in Ohio’s history, the Lorain Country Job and Family Services strike is weeks from becoming the longest public-sector strike in U.S. history. In May’s primary, Riddell defeated his Republican opponent by only 18 votes – after initially making it into the seat in 2022 by just over 100 votes.

“We have dozens of UAW canvassers in the field across Lorain County knocking doors to elect Amy Acton, Sherrod Brown, and Carolyn White for Lorain County Commissioner,” said Gina Jones, UAW Local 2192 bargaining committee co-chair and case worker on strike at Lorain County Job and Family Services. “Voters in Lorain County are sick of elected officials like Jeff Riddell who are bad at their jobs. We’re facing too much of an affordability crisis that all of us are hurt by. Our strike is the clearest example of how important it is to elect people who represent the interests of the working class. We need to elect candidates of all levels of government that aren’t driven by big money interests.”

UAW canvassers knocking doors in Lorain County come from various workplaces represented by the UAW in the area. UAW Local 2192 members on strike during the week have been volunteering on Saturdays to join the large-scale canvass walks to reach out to UAW voters and their families about why Commissioner Jeff Riddell needs to be ousted on November 3.

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UAW Members at Triumph Group Vote 99% to Authorize Strike

After a two-day vote, UAW Local 405 members at Triumph Group who make engine controls and other components for U.S. military aircrafts voted 99% (148-1 with 86% turning out) in favor of authorizing a strike for any time after the current union contract expires at midnight on October 31. Core demands include sectoral standard wages, job security, cost-of-living protection, affordable healthcare and no concessions, among other priority issues the company has not even attempted to meet the bargaining committee on.

“This vote should send a clear message to Triumph Group that UAW Local 405 members are not settling for their abysmal proposals,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla. “During the life of our last contract, Triumph Group made $680 million off the work of these members. Our members in West Hartford are no different than UAW aerospace workers across the country. Triumph can afford to do better and this vote is a sign that they must put a better offer forward.”

In addition to $687 million in profits over the same five-year duration as the term of the current union contract, Triumph’s CEO was paid $31.7 million – for a total of $61.6 million total paid to the CEO in the last decade.

Right now, new hires at Triumph are paid $25.25 per hour. The average wage for a Triumph worker is $39.34, with no cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to protect against historic inflation. Meanwhile, the production and assembly rates for UAW members at Rolls Royce and GE Aerospace are $43.70 and $43.79, respectively, and they have cost-of-living protections.

“It was just hours before our strike vote that the company finally gave us an economic proposal – 8 days before our contract expiration,” said UAW Local 405 President Benjamin Wilcox. “Frankly, the company is still not taking our membership seriously. Here’s hoping the results of this strike vote helps convince them just how different we are doing things this year.”

UAW Local 405 represents 174 members at Triumph Group in West Hartford, CT, where they perform highly skilled manufacturing, machining, assembly, and technical work supporting the aerospace industry. These UAW members contribute to the production, repair, and overhaul of critical U.S. military aircraft components and systems, meeting the highest standards of quality, safety, and reliability.

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Ford Plant Health Clinic Providers Vote to Join UAW

The nurses and providers who care for our members at Ford plants across the country are now joining UAW themselves.  

On October 20th, the three registered nurses at the Chicago Stamping Plant voted unanimously for their union in an NLRB election.  

The previous day, the physician assistant at Kansas City Assembly voted in a self-determination election to be a part of the nurses bargaining unit at Kansas City. They are the first physician assistant to be added to the Ford Salaried Agreement. Plant nurses are also salaried employees. 

In April of this year, the nurses at Ford Chicago Assembly plant started this momentum by voting to join the UAW. 

“I’m excited to welcome the nurses at the Chicago Stamping Plant to the UAW,” Region 4 Director Lucas DeSpain said. “They work for Ford too, and they deserve the ability to protect their rights and interests just like their coworkers on the line do.”  

“The nurses, physician assistants, and other health care providers at Ford plants play a vital role in keeping our members healthy and safe at work. We are honored to have them join our union. We look forward to protecting their rights and ensuring they are also treated fairly by Ford,” said UAW Vice President Laura Dickerson, Ford Department Director. “Ford plant clinic workers are welcome in the UAW, and we encourage them to join us.” 

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UAW Vice President Ryan Hiestand Statement on Toxic Spill in Toledo

In light of the serious event in Toledo, the UAW-GM department stands with the UAW family and Toledo community. Local 14 was conducting testing and it was determined that the air quality was safe to continue production. We are continuing to monitor the situation and will respond quickly if the situation becomes unsafe. Our members’ safety is our highest priority, and our thoughts and prayers are with all of those affected.

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UAW Vice President Kevin Gotinsky Statement on Toxic Spill in Toledo

We are closely tracking the toxic spill in Toledo affecting our members who live and work in the city, especially those at Toledo Assembly Plant. Our top priority is keeping our members safe, and we will continue to advocate that Stellantis puts safety first as we monitor the situation.

Every worker has the right to a safe work environment, and the UAW has your back. Please direct any questions or concerns to your union representatives.

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UAW Members Out in Force in Key Midterm Districts Could Shape the Next Congress

With less than two weeks until Election Day, the UAW is leading its most ambitious political operation in decades in some of the country’s most critical and high-profile races. These contests will shape the next two years of government in Washington, D.C., and beyond. The UAW has deployed over 130 full-time political organizers and 1,000 volunteers across the country in swing districts where UAW member density exceeds the previous margin of victory.

“Our political program is like everything else about the UAW: it’s member-driven,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We’ve been flexing our member-driven muscle at the bargaining table for the last few years. Now we’re building that same muscle in our politics. This year, our members are leading a bold political program, shaking up the political status quo.  We’ll start by electing UAW champions to office – but our members will lead the work that comes after election day to win a working class agenda in the halls of power.

Overview of Program
UAW members in the field are having tough conversations at the doors and on the phone about the union’s core issues: wages, job security, health care, retirement, and time off. The approach is designed to counter negative ads and misinformation from corporate PACs and engage UAW members across the political spectrum who have felt left behind by the political establishment in recent elections.

The 2026 field program is also an opportunity to hear from members and develop a working-class-led political agenda for the new Congress in 2027.

“Every UAW vote matters in these razor-thin elections,” said UAW Local 2000 member Sara Noonan from Grafton, Ohio. “We’re not telling people how to vote when we talk to UAW members and their families. We’re talking about the issues and what’s at stake for both our communities and workplaces. Our vote is our voice and opportunity to stand together as working people to protect the rights that generations of union members fought to secure.”

“I’ve been part of the UAW’s political program in Michigan as a member for 13 years, and I haven’t seen this much open conversation about the election in years,” said UAW Local 228 member JJ Jewell from Sterling Heights, MI. “When we hit the doors to talk to UAW members and their families about things like cost and affordability or the imbalance of power between workers and corporations, we are talking about issues that matter to voters of all political persuasions. UAW members are helping reshape US politics to put power back where it belongs: not with the corporations, not with the elite and wealthy — but with the people.”

The UAW is prioritizing must-win races in districts where the union’s membership density exceeds recent margins of victory. These members could make the difference in razor-thin elections. Select examples of these races include:

  • Michigan U.S. Senate: Abdul El-Sayed
  • Michigan U.S. House: Districts 04, 07, 08, and 10
  • Ohio U.S. Senate: Sherrod Brown
  • Ohio U.S. House: Districts 07 and 09
  • Pennsylvania U.S. House: District 07
  • Iowa U.S. House: Districts 01 and 02
  • Governor’s races: Michigan, Ohio

Since launching in July, the UAW has contacted hundreds of thousands of working-class voters in key districts in Michigan, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, California, Nevada, Alaska, Arizona, Washington, North Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Pennsylvania, New York, and Maine. The program has:

  • Knocked over 125,000 doors
  • Made 450,000 calls
  • Recruited over 3,200 volunteers, including 850 in Michigan alone

The UAW’s 2026 program is focused on heavily working-class districts that could help decide the balance of power in Congress. The UAW has invested heavily in two states – Michigan and Ohio — where de-industrialization and job insecurity have played a major role in shaping the politics of the states. The Union sees 2026 as an opportunity to make up significant political ground.

In Michigan, the UAW was an early endorser of Abdul El-Sayed in the high-profile U.S. Senate race. Three priority House races in the union’s home state—Districts 04, 07, and 10—could flip to Republican control. In each district, UAW membership density exceeds the margin of victory in recent elections.

In Ohio, the UAW has committed significant resources to reelect Sherrod Brown, a longtime ally of working-class people. The union is also working to protect Marcy Kaptur’s seat in District 09, one of the country’s densest UAW districts. UAW members make up 10% of all voters there. Members in Ohio are also working to flip District 07 for fellow union member Brian Poindexter.

In Lorain County—the only Ohio county to vote for both Sherrod Brown and Donald Trump in 2024—the UAW is adding a contentious County Commission race to its campaign. UAW-represented county workers have been on strike since February 18.

The final three weeks of the UAW program will focus on making the case to all : together, we can put an end to status quo politics and make real change in Washington with working class fighters in Congress.

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Statement from UAW President Shawn Fain on Corporate Greed at GM

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This morning, GM announced the largest stock buyback in US automaker history. The company is planning to give another $20 billion in profits to Wall Street while tens of thousands of autoworkers have no retirement security, while plants sit under-utilized, and while the global auto industry overtakes GM. This company has spent $30 billion on stock buybacks and dividends in the past 5 years alone, while kicking and screaming about costs during our 2023 negotiations. We will remember when we are back at the bargaining table in 2028.

Let’s be clear about what stock buybacks really are. They are a form of legalized mass looting, sending billions of dollars generated by the working class directly to Wall Street investors who’ve never seen the inside of a factory.

Why don’t 80 percent of GM’s autoworkers have a pension and retirement healthcare, as they did for half a century? Because someone on Wall Street is collecting their pension check in the form of a goddamn stock buyback. Why is GM nickel and diming their retirees while lavishing shareholders with billions? Because this company has sold its soul to Wall Street.

Who benefits? The majority of stocks in this country are held by the wealthiest one percent. Who’s the largest individual shareholder at GM? CEO Mary Barra, who made $48 million in 2025, a 60 percent raise in a year.  And just five Wall Street firms — companies like Blackrock and State Street — will get nearly $7 billion out of this scam.

Corporate America is destroying this country by looting the rust belt to pay off millionaires and billionaires for short term gain, while our factories sit empty and our working class falls further behind. GM hasn’t built a new plant in this country in 20 years. When GM is spending $20 billion buying back their own stock but only half that investing in factories, equipment, and productive capacity, they are choosing Wall Street profits over blue collar America.

When we bargained our UAW contract with GM in 2023, the media and the company acted like it was the end of the world for autoworkers to get a raise. But there’s always tens of billions of dollars for Wall Street. So when we return to the bargaining table with GM in 2028, I want the American public, the American politicians, and the American autoworker to remember this day. If there’s $20 billion for Wall Street, you better believe there’s our fair share for the working class.

🚨 DECLARACIÓN DEL PRESIDENTE DE LA UAW, SHAWN FAIN, SOBRE LA CODICIA CORPORATIVA EN GM 🚨

Esta mañana, GM anunció la mayor recompra de acciones de la historia de la industria automotriz estadounidense. La empresa planea destinar otros 20,000 millones de dólares de sus ganancias a Wall Street, mientras decenas de miles de trabajadores del sector carecen de seguridad para su jubilación, las plantas operan muy por debajo de su capacidad y la industria automotriz mundial supera a GM. Solo en los últimos cinco años, esta compañía ha gastado 30,000 millones de dólares en recompras de acciones y dividendos, a pesar de que durante nuestras negociaciones de 2023 se quejaron amargamente de los costos. Lo tendremos presente cuando volvamos a la mesa de negociación en 2028.

Seamos claros sobre lo que realmente son las recompras de acciones: se trata de una forma de saqueo masivo legalizado, que transfiere miles de millones de dólares —generados por la clase trabajadora— directamente a inversionistas de Wall Street que jamás han pisado una fábrica.

¿Por qué el 80 por ciento de los trabajadores de GM carece de pensión y de cobertura médica para su jubilación, como lo tuvieron durante medio siglo? Porque alguien en Wall Street está cobrando su pensión bajo la forma de una maldita recompra de acciones. ¿Por qué GM escatima recursos a sus jubilados mientras colma a sus accionistas con miles de millones? Porque esta empresa ha vendido su alma a Wall Street.

¿Quién se beneficia? La mayor parte de las acciones en este país está en manos del 1% más rico. ¿Quién es la mayor accionista individual de GM? La directora ejecutiva, Mary Barra, quien ganó 48 millones de dólares en 2025, lo que supone un aumento del 60 por ciento en un solo año. Además, apenas cinco firmas de Wall Street —como BlackRock y State Street— obtendrán cerca de 7,000 millones de dólares gracias a esta estafa.

El sector corporativo estadounidense está destruyendo este país al saquear el cinturón industrial (“Rust Belt”) para enriquecer a millonarios y multimillonarios en busca de ganancias a corto plazo, mientras nuestras fábricas permanecen vacías y nuestra clase trabajadora se queda cada vez más rezagada. GM no ha construido una sola planta nueva en este país en los últimos 20 años. Cuando GM destina 20 000 millones de dólares a la recompra de sus propias acciones, pero invierte solo la mitad de esa cantidad en fábricas, equipamiento y capacidad productiva, prioriza los beneficios de Wall Street por encima de los trabajadores industriales de Estados Unidos.

Cuando nosotros en la UAW negociamos nuestro contrato con GM en 2023, tanto los medios de comunicación como la empresa actuaron como si el hecho de que los trabajadores del sector automotriz recibieran un aumento salarial fuera el fin del mundo. Sin embargo, siempre hay decenas de miles de millones de dólares disponibles para Wall Street. Por eso, cuando volvamos a la mesa de negociación con GM en 2028, quiero que el público estadounidense, los políticos de este país y los trabajadores del sector automotriz recuerden este día. Si hay 20,000 millones de dólares para Wall Street, pueden estar seguros de que también existe la parte que le corresponde a la clase trabajadora.

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