Sacramento – UAW members are disappointed to hear that Governor Newsom has vetoed Assembly Bill 504 (Reyes), which passed both chambers of the Legislature earlier this year. AB 504 would have prohibited contract language restricting public-sector workers’ right to honor each other’s picket lines, an important step towards making the collective bargaining process work as intended.
“No worker should be forced to cross a picket line,” said Neal Sweeney, President of UAW Local 5810, which represents 12,000 Postdoctoral Scholars and Academic Researchers across UC. “At a time when workers and communities across California and the nation are taking action to fight economic injustice, this veto represents a missed chance to level the playing field between employers and workers.”
“California has missed a major opportunity to lead on labor rights,” said Rafael Jaime, President of UAW Local 2865, representing over 35,000 Academic Workers at the University of California. “AB 504 would have allowed workers across the state to honor their conscience – but more than that, it would have leveled the playing field between workers and employers at a time when workers across the country are standing up to fight economic inequality.”
“UAW members are disappointed to see Governor Newsom veto an innovative bill to codify the fundamental right of every public worker to respect a picket line,” said Mike Miller, Director of UAW Region 6. “UAW members across the country are standing up and fighting billionaire corporations to build the middle class and create a more equal world. As a public employer, the state of California should always treat workers with dignity and respect, but as we saw last year, Academic Workers at UC had to strike for 40 days to force UC to bargain in good faith. AB 504 would have promoted an equal playing field in collective bargaining by giving every public worker the right to respect their fellow workers’ picket lines. California should be a leader in leveling the playing field between workers and employers.”
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Region-6-Local-5810-8-1024x488-2.jpg4881024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-09 16:48:502023-11-16 16:49:42UAW LEADERS REACT TO NEWSOM’S VETO OF ASSEMBLY BILL 504
After voting by 73% to reject a tentative agreement, nearly 4,000 UAW members at Mack Trucks in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida walked out on strike at 7 a.m. on Monday, October 9.
“I’m inspired to see UAW members at Mack Trucks holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “The members have the final say, and it’s their solidarity and organization that will win a fair contract at Mack.”
After weeks of failing to address core economic issues, the company reached a tentative agreement with just minutes to spare before the initial deadline on October 1. On Sunday, October 8, Mack Trucks UAW members voted down the deal. UAW leadership then issued a strike notice to the company, citing “many topics [that] remain at issue, including: wage increases, cost of living allowances (COLA), job security, wage progression, skilled trades, shift premium, holiday schedules, work schedules, health and safety, seniority, pension, 401(k), healthcare and prescription drug coverage, and overtime.”
UAW Locals 171, 677, 1247, 2301, and 2420 in UAW Region 8 and Region 9 represent workers at Mack Trucks in Macungie and Middletown, Pennsylvania; Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland; and Jacksonville, Florida.
The Mack Trucks strikers bring the total number of striking UAW members to over 30,000 workers across 22 states.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/UAW-Wheel-generic-feature.jpg5761024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-09 13:20:342025-01-10 16:29:58UAW MEMBERS AT MACK TRUCKS REJECT TENTATIVE AGREEMENT, WALK OUT ON STRIKE
In a new video, UAW Archivist at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Gavin Strassel, shares one of the most unique and interesting objects in the library’s extensive collections: a carved wooden middle finger gifted to iconic UAW President Walter Reuther.
“Walter was a straitlaced man,” Strassel explains. “He didn’t drink or smoke. And he did not swear. So, supposedly the story goes, somebody gave this to him and said, “Walter, any time that you want to swear at somebody, but you can’t, put this on your desk and you can just point at it. The lore goes that this stayed on his desk for quite a while and it’s a unique object in the UAW archives.”
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/UAW-Wheel-generic-feature.jpg5761024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-08 13:22:322023-11-20 13:24:26FROM THE UAW ARCHIVES: WALTER REUTHER’S WOODEN MIDDLE FINGER
DETROIT – UAW President Shawn Fain announced today that General Motors will include electric vehicle battery production work in the UAW’s national master agreement with the company. GM’s commitment is a historic step forward, guaranteeing that the transition to electric vehicles at GM will be a just transition that brings good union jobs to communities across America.
Fain made the announcement just after 2 p.m. on Facebook Live. He also announced that UAW negotiators had made major progress in negotiations with all three automakers. As a result, the union will not expand its Stand Up Strike this week against any of the Big Three, though the UAW may call other members to Stand Up at any time if companies fail to make further progress toward a fair agreement.
Here is the full transcript of UAW President Shawn Fain’s Facebook Live:
Good afternoon UAW family,
It’s happened again. Moments before this broadcast, we have had a major breakthrough that has not only dramatically changed negotiations but is going to change the future of our union and the future of our industry.
We were about to shut down GM’s largest money maker, in Arlington Texas. The company knew those members were ready to walk immediately. Just that threat provided a transformative win. GM has now agreed in writing to place their electric battery manufacturing work under our national master agreement.
We have been told for months this is impossible. We have been told the EV future must be a race to the bottom. We called their bluff.
What this will mean for our membership cannot be understated. The plan was to draw down engine and transmission plants, and permanently replace them with low-wage battery jobs. We had a different plan. And our plan is winning at GM. And we expect it to win at Ford and Stellantis as well.
So today, we are going to give some updates on the state of bargaining. If it wasn’t clear already, things move fast. It’s hard to give an update that won’t be obsolete by the time the update is done. So here’s a snapshot, and a punchline.
Here’s the snapshot: GM has been falling behind. Today, under threat of a major financial hit, they leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition. And here’s the punchline: Our strike is working. But we’re not there yet.
Everything we’ve done to this point has been with one goal in mind: to win a record contract that reflects the Big Three’s record profits, and the historic sacrifices our members have made to generate those profits. We have been very public about our demands, about our expectations, and about our priorities.
Everybody and their brother knows that we have been fighting for economic justice, for a just transition, for COLA, for meaningful wage increases, for retirement security, to end tiers, to win work-life balance, and more. I wish I were here to announce a tentative agreement at one or more of these companies. But I do want to be really clear: we are making significant progress.
In just three weeks, we have moved these companies further than anyone thought possible. Let’s take a look at where things started, and where we are now.
WAGES
Our first wage proposal from the companies was a 9% raise from Ford. Now, three weeks into the strike, our top offer is 23% from the same company. That’s two and a half times higher than they started. It’s not where we need it to be, but it’s a hell of a lot further along. Both GM and Stellantis are behind Ford, at 20%. We think they can catch up and then some.
COLA
We heard for years that COLA was a thing of the past. That we couldn’t go back to the cost-of-living adjustment formula that protected against the worst of inflation. Suddenly, three weeks into our Stand Up Strike, we’ve got two of the Big Three automakers committed to returning to our 2007 COLA formula. Ford and Stellantis have agreed to reinstate COLA, GM isn’t far behind. We will get them there.
TEMPS
Let’s talk about temps who have been abused and exploited by the Big Three for far too long. This part of the workforce used to be a small group, used only to cover for short periods. Now, they’re an entire subsection of our union, who have few rights, low pay, and an uncertain future. In three weeks, we have won raises for temps to $20 an hour at GM and Stellantis, and $21 an hour at Ford. All three have made commitments around converting temps, but there is still work to be done, both on the wages and conversions. Still, we are making big strides that will end up changing the lives of thousands of our members.
PROGRESSION
Another area of serious progress is the progression. Going into these negotiations, it took 8 years for workers to make it up to top rate. Taking almost a decade to get to the top wage is unacceptable. And since the Great Recession, the length of the progression has reduced the quality of life for tens-of-thousands of UAW members. We have cut that timeline down to three years at Ford, while GM and Stellantis are still behind, at four-year progressions.
We need to keep pushing, but it means that all those temps we convert will go from second-class citizen to top rate well within the life of this contract. That’s a big deal.
PROFIT SHARING
All three companies wanted concessions on profit-sharing. We said HELL NO. Not only did we beat back Ford’s concessionary profit sharing formula, but we made enhancements. We have also successfully beat back the concessionary demands being made by GM and Stellantis.
JOB SECURITY
Two weeks ago, we let Ford off the hook in our strike expansion because they agreed to some core job security proposals, like the right to strike over plant closures, which our union has never had. Last week, at the last minute, Stellantis agreed to the right to honor picket lines, and made other important moves on job security. And now today, because of our power, GM has agreed to lay the foundation for a just transition.
SKILLED TRADES
On Skilled Trades, all of the Big Three wanted to give little or nothing. We are fighting for a $2 an hour tool allowance. Now, thanks to our Stand Up Strike strategy, Ford has given up a $1.50 tool allowance.
Stellantis has given up a $1 an hour. But GM is still refusing to budge.
RETIREMENT SECURITY
Finally, we are still fighting hard to win retirement security, for both our pre-2007 and post-2007 hires. For those members who still have a pension, we know you’ve gone far too long without an increase, and we are pushing hard to change it. For those members who never got a pension or post-retirement healthcare, we are fighting like hell for real retirement security. But the companies are fighting like hell to keep our retirement uncertain and insecure.
As people who give their lives to these companies, we never should have lost those rights. This strike is about righting the wrongs of the past, and winning justice for all of our members.
SUBCOMMITTEES
I also want to lift up one major change from the past in this round of negotiations. For the first time, we are on track to get all of our subcommittee’s issues addressed. Subcommittees cover everything from work rules to discipline to scheduling. They include the demands and proposals our members submit in advance of bargaining, the demands we debate over at our special bargaining convention.
In the past, they’ve simply been shut down when it’s time to settle the contract, and many issues ignored. This time around, ALL of our subcommittees are being seriously addressed, and we’ve made a ton of progress in these areas. We’re doing things differently and we’re getting results.
So that’s where we are on some of our core bargaining priorities. Here’s the bottom line: we are winning. We are making progress. We are headed in the right direction.
What has moved the needle is our willingness to take action, to be flexible, to be aggressive when we have to, and to be strategic. Throughout this strike, I have been heartened to see our members talking about and debating our strategy. We are thinking together about the core question of the labor movement: how do working class people build the power we need to win what we deserve?
So let’s talk strategy.
I want to be clear on one thing: Our goal throughout this process has always been to win a record contract. Our mission as your elected leadership is to fight like hell for the best deal possible. We don’t strike for the hell of it. We know what it’s like to hold a picket sign at 3am. We know what it’s like to be unsure when you’ll get a real paycheck.
The CEOs are trying to trivialize our strike. They are saying It’s just theatrics.
And yes, we are loud and proud about our fight. We want the public to understand our fight, and to side with us, as poll after poll shows they do.
But it’s not about theatrics. It’s about power. The power we have as working-class people. We have shown the Big Three that we are NOT afraid to use it. And we have shown the Big Three that we are ready for a record contract when they are.
Theatrics don’t cause companies to agree to double digit pay increases.
Theatrics don’t result in the right to strike over plant closures.
Theatrics don’t win COLA.
Theatrics don’t result in GM battery cell manufacturing to be under our national agreement.
Strikes — and the threat of strikes by a unified membership — are what delivers. Our goal here is not just to pound the table and show management how angry we are. We are angry. And our members are angry. And they should be. We have made that crystal clear to these companies at the bargaining table.
And that anger has moved these companies, to a point. But our goal is not just to get mad and shut it all down. Our goal is to outsmart and out-organize corporate America.
I’m reminded of the words of Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., reflecting on the UAW of a former generation. Dr. King said: “Power is the ability to achieve purpose, power is the ability to affect change, and we need power.”
What is power? Walter Reuther said once that “power is the ability of a labor union like UAW to make the most powerful corporation in the world—General Motors—say yes when it wants to say no.”
That’s power. I’ll tell it to you straight: The billionaires and company executives think us autoworkers are dumb. They think we don’t get it. They think we only understand the power of a supervisor yelling at us, or an assembly line coming at us.
They look at me and see some redneck from Indiana. They look at you and see somebody they would never have over for dinner, let ride on their yacht, or fly on their private jet.
They think they know us. But us autoworkers know better.
We may be foul-mouthed, but we’re strategic.
We may get fired up, but we’re disciplined.
We may be rowdy, but we’re organized.
Not everything is about pulling out the bazooka. We’ve been very careful about how we escalate this strike. We have designed this strategy to increase pressure on the companies – not to hurt them for its own sake, but to MOVE them. To get them to say YES when they want to say NO.
Today is a perfect example of that. We know their pain points. We know their money makers. We know the plants they really don’t want to see struck. And they know we’ve got more cards left to play. We won’t let one company fall behind and wait for movement at another table.
We won’t let them sit back and lowball us while the others make progress. We expect results at EVERY company. We have been crystal clear about how you catch a strike and how you avoid one.
Two weeks ago, Ford agreed to some core job security proposals, showing us they were ready to bargain.
Last week, Stellantis did the same.
This week, GM did something that was unthinkable until just today: they agreed to put the future of this industry under our national agreement. This victory is the direct result of the power of our membership.
It is your willingness to Stand Up when called. It is your commitment to winning what you are owed.
The companies see it. The world sees it. Today, I was ready to call on one of GM’s biggest and most important plants to Stand Up. It was that threat that brought GM to the table.
The Big Three know we are not messing around. They know, if they want to avoid further strikes, Then they will have to pony up.
I have heard members who want to bring down the hammer. Strike all the truck plants. Hit the Big Three where it hurts. There is a time and place for that. And believe me: if the Big Three don’t continue to make progress, then that time will be coming soon.
We are not going to wait around forever. We’re not here to start a fight, we’re here to finish one.
To our counterparts at the Big Three, we’ll see you at the bargaining table.
Tomorrow, we’ll join our striking union family in Chicago for a Stand Up Rally.
Today we made GM say YES when they’d rather say NO. Next up is Ford, Stellantis, and three record contracts.
Thank you.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/UAW-Wheel-generic-feature.jpg5761024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-06 13:22:472025-01-10 16:29:58UAW WINS JUST TRANSITION AT GENERAL MOTORS
The Maine Labor Relations Board (MLRB) has certified the University of Maine Graduate Workers Union-UAW (UMGWU-UAW), following verification by an independent arbitrator that a majority of graduate workers have signed cards supporting the formation of their union. Through a process called majority sign-up, the university agreed to recognize the union should the arbitrator verify that a majority signed cards. The new unit will represent the 1,000 graduate workers across all campuses of the University of Maine System who make up a large percentage of the overall teaching and research workforce.
“Today, after years of discussion and months of organizing, we are thrilled to announce that we have won our union,” said Remi Geohegan, a second year PhD student and Teaching Assistant in the Graduate School of Biomedical Science and Engineering at UMaine. “The University of Maine administration did the right thing by agreeing to recognize our union through a majority sign-on process, and the majority has spoken. Based on the strong support that exists across campus, and among faculty, legislators and community leaders, we are excited about the very real prospect of beginning negotiations for a strong first contract.”
“Our work powers the educational and research mission of the University and was instrumental in UMaine receiving the status of an R1 rated research university. In short, UMaine works because we do,” said Em Sowles, a fourth year PhD candidate and Research Assistant in the Physics department. “But for too long, we have struggled with low and inconsistent pay, substandard health benefits and the need for a voice at work. Today we are proud to have formally secured a seat at the table, so we can begin to improve our working lives through legally enforceable contracts.”
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Lobster-1024x683-1.jpg6831024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-05 13:26:172023-11-20 13:27:281,000 UMAINE GRADUATE WORKERS WIN THEIR UNION
DETROIT – The UAW just released “Broken Promises,” a new video that reveals the deep roots of the union’s ongoing strike against the Big Three automakers.
The video can be accessed at this link, and the media is invited to use the footage.
The video, narrated by UAW President Shawn Fain, describes the deal made during the Great Recession when the auto industry was on the brink of collapse. As Fain says, “The deal was, UAW members take some short-term cuts for the long-term survival of Ford, General Motors and Chrysler.”
Those short-term cuts have lasted 15 years. Autoworkers hired after 2007 have been denied the pensions and retiree healthcare coverage won by generations of UAW members before them. The starting wages of post-2007 workers were slashed, and it now takes eight years for a full-time UAW member to reach top pay.
The majority of UAW members at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis are currently stuck in this second tier.
“Broken Promises” features footage of President Joe Biden’s historic visit last week to a UAW picket line in Belleville, Michigan. Speaking to Big Three strikers, Biden says, “You saved the auto industry back in 2008 and before. Made a lot of sacrifices, gave up a lot. And the companies were in trouble. And now they’re doing incredibly well. And guess what? You should be doing incredibly well, too.”
The Big Three made a quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits over the last ten years. They made $21 billion in total profits in just the first six months of this year.
The UAW launched its historic Stand Up Strike against all three automakers when the contracts expired on Sept. 14, and 25,000 UAW members are now on strike at 43 Big Three facilities in 21 states. Click here for a full list and map of the facilities on strike.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/UAW-Wheel-generic-feature.jpg5761024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-04 13:29:002023-11-20 13:29:48NEW UAW VIDEO, “BROKEN PROMISES,” REVEALS THE ROOTS OF THE STAND UP STRIKE AGAINST THE BIG THREE AUTOMAKERS
UAW President Shawn Fain released the following statement on healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente walking out on strike:
“Today, we stand in solidarity with the 75,000 members of our union family who are on strike at Kaiser. Whether you work in a hospital, or behind a desk, or on an assembly line, your fight is our fight.
We all deserve dignity on and off the job. We all deserve a future for our families and communities. We all deserve our fair share of the economy we, as working people, create and run.
To our union family on strike at Kaiser, the UAW has your back.”
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/MicrosoftTeams-image-34-1024x683-1.jpg6831024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-04 13:27:492023-11-20 13:28:50THE UAW STANDS IN SOLIDARITY WITH KAISER WORKERS
According to a new poll, nearly four out of five Americans support the UAW over the Big Three automakers in the ongoing Stand Up Strike. Across partisan and demographic lines, a supermajority of Americans are standing with the UAW in the union’s fight against corporate greed at the Big Three.
The poll, conducted by Navigator Research, suggests that support for UAW members has increased since the strike started on September 15.
A Gallup poll conducted in August showed that 75 percent of the public sided with union members against the companies.
The new poll finds that 78 percent of Americans support the UAW. That includes registered Republicans who back the UAW 69 percent to 31 percent over the Big Three.
African American and Asian-American respondents show the strongest support for the strikers, with 85 percent of each group backing the UAW. White Americans also overwhelmingly side with the union, with 75 percent supporting the workers.
The Navigator Research poll also highlights the public’s overwhelming support for collective bargaining and the right to strike, including 74 percent of Republican voters.
The UAW’s Stand Up Strike is a new approach to striking. Instead of striking all plants all at once, select locals have been called on to “Stand Up” and walk out on strike. If the automakers fail to make progress in negotiations, more locals are called on to Stand Up and join the strike against that company.
The strike began with walkouts at three assembly plants in three states. The strike has since expanded to five assembly plants and 38 parts distribution facilities in 21 states across the country. Currently, 25,000 UAW members are on strike at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
The Big Three made a quarter-trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade. They made $21 billion in total profits in just the first six months of this year. Over the last four years, average pay for Big Three CEOs has jumped 40 percent, but UAW wages have risen only 6 percent. UAW members are asking for a fair share of the profits they’ve made.
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/1-1248_Stellantis_Romulus_642-1024x684-1.jpg6841024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-10-02 13:29:572023-11-20 13:30:52NEW POLL: SUPERMAJORITY OF AMERICANS SUPPORT UAW OVER AUTOMAKERS IN FIGHT AGAINST BIG THREE CORPORATE GREED
As they negotiate for higher wages, workers vote overwhelmingly in favor of strike authorization at all three Detroit casinos
Detroit— This evening at 09:40pm, the Detroit Casino Council announced that members from MGM Grand Detroit, Hollywood at Greektown and MotorCity casinos — voted 99% “yes” to authorize a strike, if deemed necessary by the worker negotiating committee. Workers flooded the Teamsters Hall today between 7:00am-9:00pm to cast their ballots with the results revealed shortly after the polls closed and ballots were counted.
After the COVID shutdowns, Detroit casino workers sacrificed raises and shouldered heavier workloads so the industry could recover. In September 2020, the DCC agreed to a 3-year contract extension with minimal wage increases to help their employers get back on their feet. Following the end of COVID restrictions and the legalization of online gaming, industry gaming revenues have now surpassed pre-pandemic levels to a new record high, but Detroit’s casino workers are getting left behind. Workers are hoping to win contract gains that would bring Detroit casino jobs back in line with the standard of good jobs that were promised to hospitality workers when voters approved legalizing casino gaming in 1996 and the City Council later authorized the three casinos.
In 2022, the Detroit casino industry generated $2.27 billion in gaming revenue through in-person and online gaming, the highest ever in the history of the industry. So far in 2023, reports from January through August show that revenues are even higher than last year, on track for another record-breaking year.
Last month, MGM Grand Detroit’s parent company, MGM Resorts International, reported an “all-time record” for company-wide net revenues in the second quarter.[iv] In 2022, both MGM Resorts International and Hollywood at Greektown’s parent company, PENN Entertainment, reported higher revenues and profits in the US than pre-pandemic.[v] Since the pandemic, the two companies have spent heavily on stock buybacks to benefit their Wall Street shareholders, with MGM spending over $5.60 billion and PENN spending $750 million so far.
Workers have been negotiating since early September, with a focus on securing wage increases that could make Detroit’s casino jobs family-sustaining jobs once again. Other issues include strengthening retirement and securing protections for workers impacted by the implementation of new technology. The strike authorization secured in Friday’s vote puts the decision of whether and when to strike in the hands of the Detroit Casino Council (DCC) worker negotiating committee, which is made up of 5 unions that represent most of the workers at the 3 casinos: UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters. The DCC could call for strikes as soon as mid-October when contracts expire.
“Workers are fed up in an economy that is broken: costs keep going up, but when profits came back to the gaming industry, they didn’t go into workers’ pockets. Just like auto workers, Blue Cross Blue Shield staff, UPS workers, writers, and hotel workers, Detroit casino workers are considering all options available to make sure one job in a Detroit casino is enough to raise a family on. We expect the casinos to heed our concerns to avoid a strike,” said Nia Winston, UNITE HERE Local 24 President.
“Detroit’s casino workers of the Detroit Casino Council voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike today because we’re the people who worked with the companies through COVID and put in the time, energy, hard work. The casino companies are making more than their fair share. But we’re not making ours. The message our members are sending to these companies is that the casino workers at MGM Grand, MotorCity and Hollywood at Greektown are ready to stand together and fight for what we deserve. I’m proud of my coworkers for taking this step to take care of their families and enjoy their lives,” said Terri Sykes, UAW Local 7777 President, MotorCity Casino table games.
Members of the worker negotiating committee and union officials are available for interviews. Please contact to coordinate.
Over 100 union workers at ZF Chassis Systems in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, went on strike on Wednesday, September 20, demanding the end of a tier wage system and lower healthcare costs.
The striking workers, UAW Local 2083 members, recently rejected a fourth contract proposal by the company which again failed to address workers’ core demands.
“Every contract since the Great Recession, this company keeps taking and taking and they never want to give back to the workers,” says Tammy Slayton, who has worked at ZF for nine years. “We’re trying to get rid of the tier system. That’s our number one issue. We want everyone making the same wages.”
Starting pay for new hires at ZF is only $15.50 an hour, with a top wage rate of $18.80. Tier one workers top out at $20.30 an hour.
Slayton says she works with someone who has eighteen years seniority at the company who started at the company making $18.05. “He makes $20.30 today,” she says. “After eighteen years!”
“Inflation is hammering these workers,” Local 2083 President Ronnie Mills says. “It’s time for ZF to do right the right thing. Our members just want what is fair. They don’t want the whole pie. They just want a piece of the pie.”
ZF Chassis Systems produces axles for a nearby Mercedes-Benz factory. “We make 425 axles per shift, 850 per day, six days a week.” Mills says. “We’ve made this company so much money and the company still refuses to treat us right.”
The Tuscaloosa ZF facility runs two shifts, and implements an alternate work schedule, which allows the company to avoid paying overtime even though workers are putting in well over 40 hours a week, working 10-to-12-hour shifts.
New worker turnover is a major problem at the facility as well, due to the low wages being paid by ZF and the physical nature of the jobs being performed. “Have you ever picked up an axle?” Slayton asks.
“There’s absolutely no reason why this company can’t afford to give Local 2083 members what they deserve,” Region 8 Director, Tim Smith, says. “ZF is making billions of dollars. It’s more of the same corporate greed we’re seeing all over our economy.”
Despite the challenges facing Local 2083 members, Slayton said workers at ZF feel empowered by the union’s more aggressive approach as of late. “This company hasn’t seen a union team that isn’t going to back down,” Slayton says. “But that’s exactly what they are seeing now. Our Region 8 leadership has our back in this fight against ZF and we know they’ll support us until we’ve won the contract we deserve.”
“The morale on the picket line has been great,” Mills says. “I’m proud of these workers for standing up to the company and holding the line. Very proud.”
https://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/ZFstrike2-1024x768-1.jpg7681024Michaela Goodhttps://uaw.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/uaw-logo-white-transparent-trademark-300x300.pngMichaela Good2023-09-30 14:38:192023-11-20 14:39:39ZF WORKERS IN ALABAMA MARK 10 DAYS ON STRIKE
Statement from UAW VP Chuck Browning on Hazardous Conditions at BlueOval SK
UNION PLUS – CAR RENTAL DISCOUNTS
UAW Statement on Mexico’s SINTTIA Organizing Drive at GM San Luis Potosí