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Statement of President Ray Curry on General Motors Announcement of Investments in UAW Facilities

Today, General Motors announced $918 million in investments at four UAW facilities to support truck production and future electric vehicle (EV) production.  

Our union celebrates the announcement of these new investments into our GM facilities which will benefit our members at Locals 659 (Flint, Michigan), 362 (Bay City, MI), 211 (Defiance, OH) and 1097 (Rochester, NY).  The skill and dedication of UAW members are a key part of GM’s success, and this investment recognizes that our members will remain a vital part of GM’s future.

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Statement of UAW President Ray Curry on Dr Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Our great union’s core values are rooted in social justice and equality. From the start of our union, we have fought for social and economic equality for all people, not just our members. Much like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., we believe that all people should have an opportunity to thrive and achieve the American dream.

Dr. King said: “I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: ‘We hold these truths to be self-evident; that all men are created equal.” Our union shares that dream. It is that common vision of what we could be that drew together UAW President Emeritus Walter Reuther and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. These two men were more alike than different. They understood that together they could help achieve better jobs, wages, education, and housing. Reuther and Dr. King both had goals, but they were able to attain more by working together. This should be a lesson to us today. One person can move the needle, but together we can move mountains.

While we have made great strides, we also recognize that there is still much work to be done. The right to vote remains under attack. Disparities continue whether it is access to education or economic opportunities. Too many ask the question: what’s in it for me? when we all should be asking, what can we do to help one another. And most disturbingly, violence against African Americans, Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and our family in the LGTBQ+ community are on the rise.

The UAW will continue to honor our roots and values as we know that we are all connected. We get there by practicing solidarity. We must unify and take actions together. These actions include electing officials who put our communities first and will create laws and policies that support working people. We will continue to build coalitions to fight against silent and overt inequality in education, jobs, and housing.

Dr. King said, “Make a career of humanity. Commit yourself to the noble struggle for equal rights. You will make a better person of yourself, a greater nation of your country, and a finer world to live in.”

Change can begin with one person. Each one of us can make a difference in our families, our jobs, and our community.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday is a day to be of service to mankind. It is a day to reflect on how far we have come and how the dream is not yet achieved. It is a day to that we must examine ourselves to see what part we play in fulfilling the dream.

On this day I am asking you to Stand for equality. Stand for justice. Stand for humanity.

In Solidarity,

Ray Curry, UAW President

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UAW Statement on the Car-Content Rule Announced by the USTR

We are deeply disappointed by the USMCA (United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement) panel’s unfortunate decision which would, as a practical matter, allow automakers to reduce the amount of North American content needed to meet the auto rules of origin standard found in USMCA.

We commend the Biden Administration for standing with workers’ and fighting for American jobs. This decision is yet another example of how far we still have to go in order to ensure workers get a fair shake in our trade agreements.

The roll-up provisions that automakers fought for are harmful to our members and undermines USMCA’s goal of bolstering the U.S. auto industry. In short, 70% should mean 70% — not 100%. Time and time again workers have been given empty promises, and this is a vital matter that directly affects jobs for workers here in the U.S. Undercutting the integrity of the rules degrades the confidence working people have in trade agreements.

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UAW Members at CNHI Reject Last, Best and Final Offer from Company

Burlington, IA and Racine, WI

UAW members at Locals 180 and 807 who work for CNHI have rejected the last, best and final offer from the company. As the strike continues, the UAW bargaining committee will meet to discuss next steps to take with CNHI.

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UAW Statement on CNHI Last, Best and Final Offer

Detroit — After nearly eight months on strike and continued bargaining, the CNHI has presented an upgraded last, best, and final offer. The UAW Bargaining Committee has decided to bring this offer to the members of Locals 180 and 807 for a vote. Details regarding locations of the ratification meetings, timing and voting will be communicated by the local leadership.

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UAW Statement on Ratification of Contracts at University of California

Academic workers at UC have reached final agreement on new contracts which make historic gains in compensation, childcare subsidies and paid leaves, and include groundbreaking new protections against bullying and discrimination.


UAW 2865 (which represents more than 19,000 Teaching Assistants, Graders, Readers and Tutors) and Student Researchers United-UAW (which represents 17,000 Student Researchers across the UC system) have ended their successful strike and will be returning to their positions.

 

“This is a tremendous victory for not only the members of UAW Local 2865 and SRU-UAW, but for all academic workers,” says UAW President Ray Curry.  “Our members have rightfully won an agreement that will improve the quality of their lives, increase protections from harassment and discrimination, and help parents balancing the needs of family and work.  The entire UAW family celebrates this victory with them.”

 

“These agreements set a new standard for institutions of higher education across the U.S.,” said UAW Director for Region 6, Mike Miller. “Unions make sense for academic workers. Issues like low pay, unstable benefits and inequitable working conditions aren’t going away on their own. Unions give workers the tools to make change on those issues. We look forward to building on the strength of these new contracts to improve the quality of life for every worker at UC and other universities.”

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Statement from UAW President Ray Curry on the Holidays

On behalf of the entire UAW International Executive Board, I send you best wishes for the Holiday Season and a Prosperous New Year.  This has been a very busy year for our union.  Our members led the largest strike in the history of higher education.  We held the line during the mid-terms and built a labor-supportive majority in the Senate.  We had our first direct election of UAW officers which will continue with a run-off next year (ballots start to be mailed January 12).  We’ve organized thousands of new members and bargained multiple contracts – including first contracts.

While there was a lot of good news for our union, this was also the year when our members from CNHi (UAW Locals 180 and 807) went on strike for a fair contract on May 2.  Bargainers are working to bring home an agreement our members will support while they face a heartless company who puts profits above people and the quality work they perform.  This is also the year Stellantis made its outrageous announcement to idle it’s Belvidere plant. Our members from Locals 1268 and 1761 deserve a new product in the plant, something that Stellantis could easily do.  It’s especially insulting as the company gladly takes taxpayer subsidies without giving back to communities.  The fights with CNHi and Stellantis are far from over as we continue to fight.  But we ask all of our UAW family to keep them in your thoughts this season.  Region 4 continues to coordinate collections for CNHi members so please check out their Facebook page for more information.

Please be safe this holiday season.  For our members celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa or just the festive season, we wish you peace and health. And we look forward to building solidarity with you in 2023!

In Solidarity,

Ray Curry

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UAW Statement on failure to Declare USPS Electric Vehicles Will be Union-Made

On Tuesday, the United States Postal Service announced it will increase the number of electric next generation delivery vehicles it will order for its fleet. By failing to follow the lead of the Biden administration and require these vehicles be union made, the USPS has once again turned its back on the workers of Oshkosh, WI who are members of UAW Local 578 who already produce quality vehicles for Oshkosh Defense and who have the capacity and skill to produce these USPS electric vehicles.

We urge USPS to ensure that these vehicles will be union made. That’s what the UAW/NRDC lawsuit against USPS seeks to achieve. When it comes to the vehicles that will be produced by Oshkosh Defense, there is a highly skilled, trained workforce that is ready to go in Oshkosh, WI. That is where these vehicles should be made, not in a recently converted warehouse far away from the company’s home base and the UAW members who have made the company so successful.

In addition, the USPS has announced that it will purchase additional off-the-shelf vehicles. These vehicles should be made with union labor. This announcement presents an opportunity to ensure that the transition to electric vehicles is not at the expense of good union wages and existing workers.

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UAW Statement on New Reports of Child Labor at Hyundai and Kia Suppliers in Alabama

The UAW is saddened and disgusted to read new reports of child labor at Hyundai and Kia suppliers in Alabama. This is further evidence of a deeply broken system at Hyundai and Kia. From years of experience in the auto industry, we know that automakers exert tremendous control over their suppliers and responsibility for this behavior points back to Hyundai and KIA who are using parts made with child labor. Clearly the initial instances that were brought to light in July and August of this year did not prompt the automakers to ensure that the parts they are receiving are free of child labor.

Not surprisingly, this is not the only allegation of abuse against Hyundai and Kia. They or their suppliers are facing lawsuits alleging racial and gender discrimination and exploiting professional workers from Mexico here on TN (nonimmigrant NAFTA professional) visas, and violating the terms of the visas by forcing them into low-paid production jobs. The picture emerging is of low-road labor practices in search of cheap labor at all costs. This hurts the workers being exploited but it also hurts workers throughout the industry whose standing and bargaining power is undercut by these illegal practices.

Despite all of this, the Biden Administration is considering special exemptions for the company and Disney announced that Hyundai is a sponsor of its 100th anniversary celebration. How is it that we have come to care so little about violating worker rights, and to care so little about putting children to work in dangerous manufacturing jobs? This must stop.

We urge the Department of Labor and the Biden Administration to redouble their efforts to fix the abusive, exploitive practices at Hyundai and Kia. We also call for strong labor standards to be attached to all taxpayer funds used for the benefit of companies. Specifically, no special exemptions to the Inflation Reduction Act should be extended to Hyundai and Kia for their electric vehicles. Their facilities should not be granted local, state or federal assistance under any programs and monies already granted should be clawed back.

The solution to this problem goes well beyond the important investigation the Department of Labor seems to be conducting.  The UAW has joined over 20 community and labor groups in Alabama have called on Hyundai to allow for third party monitoring of their factories and suppliers and to negotiate a community benefits agreement with the community that would ensure high-road job standards at Hyundai and their suppliers.

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UAW Academic Student Employees and Student Researchers at University of California Reach Tentative Agreements

After thirty-two days of striking, the UAW Academic Student Employee and Student Researcher bargaining teams have reached tentative agreements on a contract with the University of California.

“These tentative agreements include major pay increases and expanded benefits which will improve the quality of life for all members of the bargaining unit,” says UAW President Ray Curry. “Our members stood up to show the university that academic workers are vital to UC’s success. They deserve nothing less than a contract that reflects the important role they play and the reality of working in cities with extremely high costs of living.”

Members will vote on ratifying the agreements next week. “UAW members at UC stood together for equity and a fair contract. The support poured in from day one and continues to today,” adds Region 6 Director Mike Miller. “We look forward to hearing from members during the upcoming ratification process.”

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