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UAW Members at Ultium Cells in Lordstown Reach EV Industry-Defining Tentative Agreement

UAW Local 1112 has reached a historic tentative agreement at Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio, where workers build electric vehicle batteries for GM vehicles. The agreement marks a historic breakthrough for electric vehicle workers and a path forward that ends the race to the bottom pursued by corporate America throughout the EV transition.

The local agreement builds on the successes of the national contract that Ultium workers joined as a major win of the Stand Up Strike.

“Eighteen months ago, this company was on a low road path to poverty wages, unsafe conditions, and a dark future for battery workers in America,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Ultium workers said, ‘Hell no,’ got organized, and fought back. Now they’ve more than doubled their wages by the end of this contract, won record health and safety language, and showed the world what it means to win a just transition.”

“We were told at the beginning of bargaining that Ultium workers would never be allowed to join the UAW’s national agreement at GM,” said UAW Vice President Mike Booth. “Not only did we prove them wrong, but we did them one better, winning a major local agreement that sets the standard for the EV battery industry.”

“Five years ago, when they closed Lordstown Assembly, it was a major gut punch – I know, I lived it,” said UAW Region 2B Director David Green. “They wrote Lordstown off for dead. They thought we’d settle for low wages and unsafe jobs. They thought wrong, and now Ultium workers are leading the way.”

“Organizing to win our union took relentless persistence on behalf of hundreds of my coworkers at Ultium. Negotiating this contract was no different,” said UAW Local 1112 Shop Chairman Josh Ayers. “We want this agreement to become a cornerstone for current and future battery plants across the nation. First we planned. Then we took action. And now we have a tentative agreement to be proud of.”

Now, the 1,600 UAW members at Ultium Cells will review the details of the agreement and hold a ratification vote in the coming days. If ratified, the agreement will set a new standard for electric vehicle battery workers everywhere and mark a major milestone in the just transition to EVs.

For more on the fight for justice at Ultium, visit UAW.org/Ultium.

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Bargaining Update 6/8/24

Workers at BMW’s Regional Distribution Center in Nazareth, PA, voted by 99% to authorize a strike, if necessary.

United, these members are pushing back against concessions and fighting to end tiers, win record wage increases to match BMW’s record profits, COLA, profit sharing, and dignity on the job.

The current contract expires on June 30.

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Happy Pride Month from the UAW Women’s Department

UAW Brothers and Sisters, 

The UAW’s commitment to ensuring equity, dignity, and inclusion both in life and in the workplace is unwavering. Collective bargaining remains our most powerful tool against discrimination of any kind. It is through this process that the UAW fights tirelessly so that working people of all sexual orientations, gender identities, and expressions can enjoy the protections of a union contract. 

We honor the legacy of LGBTQIA+ organizers whose contributions have too often gone underappreciated and unknown. LGBTQIA+ people face ongoing discrimination due to the lack of adequate federal protections in the workplace. At the same time, state legislatures continue to pass extreme, discriminatory laws that restrict both LGBTQIA+ rights, especially trans rights, and the freedom to join a union. Our movement will never tolerate hate and will continue to be a force for progress whether it’s in the courts, on the streets, or at the ballot box this fall. 

The UAW Women’s Department proudly stands in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community everywhere, this month and always. Together, we strive for a world where everyone is treated with the respect and equality they deserve. We are committed to creating safe, inclusive environments where all workers can thrive without fear of discrimination. 

Our fight is far from over, but together, we will continue to push forward, championing the rights and dignity of all individuals. The strength of our union lies in our diversity, and it is through unity that we will achieve lasting change. 

In solidarity, 

LaShawn English, Director
UAW Women’s Department
UAW Region 1

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Bargaining Update 6/6/24

Dear brothers and sisters,

Your bargaining committee met with an unprepared management team once again. Yesterday we presented our initial economic proposals. Today we reminded the company of those demands, and we’ll continue to show them why we are standing up together!

NO MORE TIERS – At times – workers were earning up to 47% less while working the same job. Never again. Equal pay for equal work.

RECORD WAGE INCREASES – While we fight to erase years of concessions, the company had the audacity to talk about minor percentages (3.8%, less than $1), but provided no real proposals of their own.

REAL PROFIT SHARING

COLA

BONUSES

When we return to the table next week, we’ll present to the company more of our demands:

AFFORDABLE HEALTHCARE

RETIREMENT BENEFITS

It’s time for BMW to do what’s right and settle for a record contract. Please continue to report bad management behavior and unfair labor practices to your union stewards and bargaining team. We will return to the table next week on June 11th, 12th, and 13th.

Please join us this Saturday, June 8th at Local 677 Union Hall 2101 Mack Blvd. Allentown, PA 18103 from 1:00 pm – 3:00 pm for our strike authorization vote!

STAND UP UAW at BMW!!

Actualización De Negociación En Español 6/6/24

Queridos hermanos y hermanas,

Su comité de negociación se reunió una vez más con un equipo directivo que no estaba preparado. Ayer presentamos nuestras propuestas económicas iniciales. ¡Hoy le recordamos a la empresa esas demandas y continuaremos mostrándoles por qué estamos unidos!

NO MÁS NIVELES – En ocasiones, los trabajadores ganaban hasta un 47% menos, mientras trabajaban en el mismo trabajo. Nunca más. Salario igual para trabajos iguales.

AUMENTOS SALARIALES RÉCORD – Mientras luchamos por borrar años de concesiones, la empresa tuvo la audacia de hablar de porcentajes menores (3,8%, menos de 1 dólar), pero no presentó propuestas reales propias.

PARTICIPACIÓN REAL EN LAS UTILIDADES

REAJUSTE SALARIAL

BONIFICACIONES

Cuando volvamos a la mesa la próxima semana, presentaremos a la empresa más demandas nuestras:

CUIDADO DE SALUD ASEQUIBLE

BENEFICIOS DE JUBILACIÓN

Es hora de que BMW haga lo correcto y se conforme con un contrato récord. Continúe informando sobre el mal comportamiento de la dirección y las prácticas laborales injustas a los delegados sindicales y al equipo de negociación. Volveremos a la mesa la próxima semana los días 11, 12 y 13 de junio.

¡Únase a nosotros este sábado 8 de junio en el Local 677 Union Hall 2101 Mack Blvd. Allentown, PA 18103 de 1:00 pm a 3:00 pm para nuestra votación de autorización de huelga!

¡¡LEVÁNTATE UAW en BMW!!

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UAW Workers Walk Out at Penske Logistics in El Paso after Company’s Refusal to Bargain in Good Faith

Members of Local 286 who work at Penske Logistics walked off the job in an unfair labor practice strike following the company’s refusal to negotiate a first contract in good faith. 

More than 40 workers in the clerical unit of the El Paso, TX, facility voted to form their union over a year ago and have been stonewalled by the company in their attempt to win a first contract. Members are seeking fair pay, real paid time off, and better benefits, particularly health care.

“I am on strike because clerical workers at Penske deserve a fair contract, and to be able to care for our families,” said Juan Amparan, a Penske worker. “Health insurance is so expensive that my family hasn’t been able to afford to go to the doctor. This company treats us like we are machines and tools, but we are people.”

With a high premium and $6,000 a year deductible, the current option is so unaffordable that half of the workers don’t receive any health insurance. Most workers make around $18 an hour, while health care premiums cost around $180 per week. Workers are pushing to raise wages to at least $20 an hour and are striking to bring company negotiators back to the bargaining table in hopes of reaching an agreement.

“The company’s refusal to sit down with workers and hash out a deal with fair pay and benefits so workers can care for their families is unacceptable,” said UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith. “It’s time for Penske to get serious and negotiate in good faith.”

Penske Logistics workers are the latest UAW members standing up to win their fair share of the massive profits they produce. Last year, thousands of UAW autoworkers walked out on strike for six weeks and won record contracts at the Big Three automakers.

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Webasto Workers Ratify First Contract, Winning Up To 51% Raises with UAW Local 3000

Over 200 Webasto workers at the Pilot Road plant in Plymouth, Michigan have voted to ratify their first contract by an overwhelming 96% yes vote, winning raises of up to 51% over three years, among other gains.

The workers, who make convertible soft tops for GM, Ford, and Stellantis for the German auto supplier, organized in 2023 with UAW Local 3000, Region 1A.  They are the first Webasto workers in the United States to secure a collective bargaining agreement. 

“The company was mistreating us and doing whatever they wanted to do to the employees for years. People have been here for more than 3 years without a raise, which is unacceptable,” said Jammy Samuel, a Webasto Pilot Road UAW Local 3000 member on the Jeep Line. “We had enough. This contract will help protect us.  The cost of living has gone up, so, the pay should go up as well. It’s that simple.  Moving forward with this contract will help not only on our wages, but will help fairness and equality for everyone. I’m very excited about this contract, as are the rest of my coworkers at Webasto.” 

Many workers will receive a $9 an hour raise over the life of the contract, on top of a $2,250 ratification bonus. These Webasto workers are the latest UAW members to win big as part of the Stand Up Movement.

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Statement from UAW Vice President Mike Booth on Expansion of GM Special Attrition Program

“In our 2023 contract negotiations, we won an additional $50,000 for eligible GM workers who were ready to retire, as an additional boost in retirement security for our members who have given decades of their working lives to this company. It’s called the Special Attrition Program, or SAP. We wanted to make sure workers who are ready to retire get an additional bonus as recognition for their service to GM, and the many sacrifices made along the way. 

One difference between what we won at GM and what we won at Ford and Stellantis is that every GM worker who’s eligible to retire during the life of the agreement will have the opportunity to receive the $50,000 SAP, if they choose to do so; not just those members who were eligible upon ratification. But the size, scope, and timing of each phase of the SAP was to be negotiated.  

As you know, we negotiated our first phase earlier this year, and won SAP eligibility for around 748 members. Once we announced this first phase, many members spoke up and said that we needed to expand the eligibility in this first phase. 

We heard you. So we took it back to the company and said it wasn’t good enough. 

Today I am excited to announce that we have won SAPs for ALL 1,412 GM production workers who signed up for the SAP. Those workers will immediately be eligible to receive the $50,000 retirement bonus, with retirement dates effective June 1st, July 1st or August 1st. That’s a big win, and a big expansion from what GM was first willing to offer. 

But we still have work to do. We have not yet won immediate eligibility of all of the 545 skilled trades workers who have expressed interest in taking the SAP; only about 142 are immediately eligible in this first window. We’re still fighting to win an expansion on that number. At GM, we have a shortage of skilled trades workers, a problem which will require creative solutions on the company’s part, and an expansion of their apprenticeship programs. We’re going to continue to fight for our skilled trades members who want to retire. And to be clear, every single member who is eligible to retire will have the opportunity to receive the $50,000 SAP during the life of this contract, skilled trades and production.  

The other good news is that the next window is coming soon. The company has agreed to open the next SAP window in the 4th quarter of 2024. 

We are hard at work on building on our contract victories, and intend to keep delivering for all UAW members at GM. 

In solidarity,

UAW Vice President Mike Booth 

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American Folk Art Museum Workers To Vote On Unionization

New York, NY  – On Thursday, June 6, staff at the American Folk Art Museum will vote on whether to unionize with Local 2110 UAW. The wall-to-wall unit includes curators, retail staff, educators, IT, communication staff, and others. The Museum is the latest in a growing movement of museum workers to organize.

Staff members cite lack of transparency and a desire for fair wages, benefits, recognition, and sustainable working conditions as reasons for unionizing. 

“I love the Museum, its exhibitions and programs,” Jean Seestadt, Manager of Events, says, “but I want employment here to be sustainable over a longer period. We’ve seen too many great colleagues leave.” 

Eve Erickson, Executive Assistant, adds: “The staff are an important part of the Museum and by unionizing, we have a voice in our own conditions of work and our future at the Museum.”

The last few years have seen thousands of workers in cultural institutions decide to unionize. Employees at the Jewish Museum, The Dia Foundation, the Guggenheim Museum, Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Hispanic Society of America, Film Forum, Anthology Film Archives, MASS MoCA, Film at Lincoln Center, Studio in a School, the Portland Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston voted to unionize with Local 2110 since November 2020. Many reference similar issues of low pay, and lack of job security or opportunity.

The American Folk Art Museum, located at 2 Lincoln Square on the Upper West Side has existed for over fifty years. 

Local 2110 UAW also represents workers at the Museum of Modern Art, the Guggenheim, the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, MASS MoCA, the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Brooklyn Museum, Columbia University, Film Forum, Teachers College, ACLU, Center for Reproductive Rights, The New Press, and many more. The union has a reputation for its successful organizing and bargaining. 

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Legal Worker Union Ratifies Contract Offer, Calling to End Historic 13-Week Strike

New York, NY – On Monday, 72% of participating union members at Mobilization for Justice (MFJ) voted to ratify the contract offer presented by MFJ Management last week. Pending MFJ Board ratification, this agreement will conclude the Union’s nearly three-month strike — the longest NYC legal services strike since 1991 — with major victories including double digit raises for MFJ’s lowest paid workers.

“We presented contract demands to Management in November, aiming to promote racial and economic justice by lifting wages, sustaining healthcare, and improving workplace equity,” said Union Bargaining Team member and paralegal Ella Abeo. “Management responded with demands for givebacks, antagonistic counter-offers, and repeated violations of their duty to bargain in good faith. Striking was our only option to compel them to honor MFJ’s mission.”

The Union’s recent pressure campaign on MFJ’s funders and other stakeholders led to Management meeting several core Union demands, including a starting base salary of $60,000. This sector-leading victory results in a 17% raise for administrative staff and a 13% raise for paralegals. Law graduates will receive an 18% raise, while other staff—including attorneys, social workers, and specialists—will receive a 4% increase for 2024. All unionized staff will receive 3% annual raises in 2025 and 2026, along with a one-time ratification bonus.

The strike expanded protections for the Union’s most vulnerable members. Management will offer full-time union positions to two workers initially hired through temp agencies, including one who was unjustly fired for asserting her union rights. The agreement also ensures enhanced due process for disciplinary cases and equitable remote work policies for all workers.

The Union preserved its health care plan with no premiums and retained the right to veto changes by Management. Additionally, there were no givebacks on sick leave and vacation accrual.

Union members formed strike committees and used direct actions, boycotts, and relentless picketing to pressure Management into a fair agreement. “Management pushed us, but we pushed back harder,” said Abeo. “This strike shows that when workers unite, we will win.”

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Statement from UAW President Shawn Fain on Mercedes Alabama Vote

“These courageous workers at Mercedes reached out to the UAW because they wanted justice. They led us. And they lead us. What happens next is up to them. 

Justice isn’t about one vote or one campaign. It’s about getting a voice, getting your fair share. And let’s be clear: workers won serious gains in this campaign. They raised their wages, with the “UAW bump.” They killed wage tiers. They got rid of a CEO who had no interest in improving conditions in the workplace. Mercedes is a better place to work thanks to this campaign, and thanks to these courageous workers.  

The company told the workers to give the new CEO a chance. That’s exactly what Volkswagen told its workers in 2019. And in 2024, Volkswagen workers realized it’s not about a CEO. It’s about a voice on the job, it’s about getting our lives back, and getting our time back. The only path to do that is through a union contract. 

Mercedes engaged in egregious illegal behavior. The federal government as well as the German government are currently investigating Mercedes for the intimidation and harassment they inflicted on their own workers. We intend to follow that process through. 

This is a David and Goliath fight. Sometimes Goliath wins a battle. But David wins the war.  

These workers will win their fair share. And we will be there every step of the way to support them. 

We’ve been here before. We know what we’re taking on. This company, like most corporations, operated off the same old playbook of fear, threats and intimidation. 

Our fight is also in the halls of the legislatures of this country. Sixty million Americans say they’d join a union if given the option. Polling here in Alabama and in Tennessee show people supported the UAW by a two to one margin. But with weak labor laws in place, sometimes the companies are able to turn those numbers around. 

The UAW will continue to lead the fight against corporate greed and runaway inequality. And through that fight we’ll change the nation and the world for the better. 

While this loss stings, these workers keep their heads held high. We fight the good fight and continue forward. 

And the workers here ultimately will win. Most of us have lost elections in our lives and I know I’ve always learned from it. What matters is what you do with that experience. 

We put everything we had in this fight, we left nothing on the table. I look at John Wooden’s definition of success: “Success is the peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you’re capable. Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” 

There are more than 2,000 workers at Mercedes in Alabama who want to join our union. They aren’t going away. The sun will rise, and the sun will set, and our fight for justice for the working class will continue. 

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