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From the Archives: Leonard Woodcock

In a new video, Gavin Strassel, UAW Archivist at the Walter P. Reuther Library at Wayne State University, shares historical items that belonged to UAW President, Leonard Woodcock.

Woodcock served as president from 1970 to 1977. He was elected by the International Executive Board after the untimely death of Walter Reuther in a plane crash on May 9, 1970. Only a few months after he assumed office, Woodcock led 400,000 autoworkers on a 67-day strike against General Motors. It was the first time the union had taken on GM in a quarter century. By the end of the strike, the UAW had won significant wage increases, better healthcare, an end to caps on cost-of-living allowances and the ability for workers to retire with a full pension after thirty years of service, regardless of their age.

After retiring from the UAW in 1977, Woodcock was appointed head of the United States Liaison Office in Bejing by US President Jimmy Carter.

“Leonard Woodcock was such a skilled negotiator as UAW president, U.S. President Carter made him the top diplomat for the United States and China,” Strassel says. “He was able to use his skills and work with Deng Xiaoping (China’s deputy prime minister) to bring the two countries together and normalize relations, in what was known as one of the biggest diplomatic feats of the 1970s.”

In the video, Strassel showcases a porcelain seal that hung above the front entrance of the US Liaison’s office in Bejing during Woodcock’s time there, as well as a US flag that flew outside the office until it closed.

“These items are important reminders of the global impact of the UAW,” Strassel says.

December 13, 2023

Featured, News

UAW President Shawn Fain Addresses Non-Union Autoworkers, Urges Them to Stand Up

UAW President Shawn Fain addressed non-union autoworkers via Facebook Live on Monday, December 11. The livestream can be viewed on the UAW’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

During the broadcast, Fain gave updates on the union’s historic organizing drive, detailing how thousands of workers at non-union automakers have been reaching out to the UAW and organizing with their coworkers.

“Right now, thousands of workers at thirteen auto companies are fighting for a better life with the UAW,” Fain said during the livestream. “Workers at Toyota, Honda, Subaru, Nissan, Hyundai, Mazda, BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen, Volvo, Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid are ready to Stand Up. From California to South Carolina. From Illinois to Alabama. These workers are making history, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

Fain highlighted the organizing drive at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, where a thousand workers had already signed union authorization cards in less than a week, with hundreds more signing up over the last few days. “Volkswagen workers are on fire and are inspiring workers all across the country,” Fain said. Workers at the Volkswagen facility were the first to go public with their efforts to join the union.

President Fain also announced that the UAW had filed three unfair labor practice charges this morning against Honda, Hyundai and Volkswagen for engaging in union-busting activity.

“Like corporations everywhere, no matter what they tell you, these companies are more than willing to break the law if it means protecting their bottom line from you,” Fain said. “They’ll lie, cheat, and steal. Intimidate, surveil, and coerce. And then out of the other side of their mouth, they’ll tell you we’re family.”

Fain ended the livestream with a clear message: the UAW will do everything in its power to support non-union autoworkers’ efforts to unionize, but ultimately, the workers will be the ones who will need to make it happen. “These workers won’t win because a lawyer filed paperwork,” he said. “They won’t win just because someone handed them a union card. They won’t win because of the UAW leadership or Shawn Fain. The workers at Honda, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Mercedes, and Toyota and all these non-union auto companies will win because they’re ready to Stand Up and fight for what they deserve.

“We’re asking you to reach out to anyone you know who may work at a non-union auto plant or might know someone who does. And we’re asking you to step up and organize your own workplace. Nothing else can fix our broken economy like a bigger, better, and bolder union movement. And no one’s going to do it but you.”

December 11, 2023

Featured, News

Workers at Honda, Hyundai and VW Stand Up to Management Intimidation, File Unfair Labor Practice Charges

In the face of aggressive anti-union campaigns, workers organizing with the UAW at Honda in Indiana, Hyundai in Alabama, and Volkswagen in Tennessee, have filed charges against management for illegally union-busting as workers organize to join the UAW.

“We are filing an unfair labor practice charge against Honda because of management illegally telling us to remove union stickers from our hats, and for basically threatening us with write-ups,” says Honda worker Josh Cupit in a new video released by More Perfect Union. “It’s essentially to show Honda that we know what our rights are and that they’re not gonna bully us and we’re not gonna back down from ’em. And we know that they are in the wrong.”

“These companies are breaking the law in an attempt to get autoworkers to sit down and shut up instead of fighting for their fair share,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “But these workers are showing management that they won’t be intimidated out of their right to speak up and organize for a better life. From Honda to Hyundai to Volkswagen and beyond, we’ve got their back. The auto industry’s record profits should mean record contracts for these workers, too.”

Fain will meet with thousands of non-union autoworkers on Facebook Live tonight at 5 p.m. ET. The media is invited to access the livestream at the UAW’s Facebook page and YouTube channel.

Honda workers report being targeted and surveilled by management for pro-union activity at the company’s Indiana Auto Plant in Greensburg, Indiana. Hundreds of workers at the facility have signed union cards and are organizing to join the UAW.

At Volkswagen’s Chattanooga, Tenn., plant, well over 1,000 workers signed union cards in less than a week, and hundreds more continue to sign up. Management has harassed and threatened workers for talking about the union; confiscated and destroyed pro-union materials in the break room; attempted to intimidate and illegally silence pro-union workers; and has attempted to illegally prohibit workers from distributing union literature and discussing union issues in non-work areas on non-work time. Volkswagen has made public claims of “official neutrality” in past union efforts while aggressively pushing an anti-union message in forced meetings and internal literature.

On Thursday, Dec. 7, at an early morning shift change, security guards stopped a group of Volkswagen union supporters from distributing flyers to their coworkers at Gate 3.

“We’ve done hand billing at that gate before and the company has never done anything like this,” said Dave Gleeson, a production team member in finish and repair. “We were just getting ready to hand out flyers and security came up and told us we couldn’t. I asked if this was his decision, and he said no, this is coming from way over my head. Our campaign caught the company completely flat-footed, and they overreacted. We’re not going to be intimidated. We know our rights and we’re going to keep standing up and keep speaking out.”

At Hyundai’s Montgomery, Alabama plant, management has unlawfully confiscated, destroyed, and prohibited pro-union materials in non-work areas during non-work times. Hundreds of workers continue to sign up to win their union despite this illegal interference and intimidation.

Beverly McCall, a team member in engine assembly at the Hyundai plant, was in the parking lot passing out union leaflets on non-work time when a manager told her to stop. “The manager came up and told me you can’t be out here doing that,” said McCall. “I just kept right on doing what I was doing. We have every right to get the word out and they can’t stop us.”

Tim Cripple, a team member in engine assembly at Hyundai, was in a break room and had a few union leaflets on the table in front of him. “A group leader came in and called team relations on the phone,” said Cripple. “They said you can’t have them in here and the group leader threw them in the trash. At the same time, they have someone from the company sitting in the cafeteria handing out anti-union t-shirts and flyers. That’s just wrong, and we are not going to be silenced.”

The board charges are a defiant response to low-road behavior that is typical of the worst actors in anti-union coercion campaigns. Organizing a union free from management interference or threats is a federally protected right that is indispensable to a democratic, free society.

Thousands of non-union autoworkers across the country have launched campaigns to organize more than a dozen automakers across the country, building off the historic success of the UAW’s Stand Up Strike at the Big Three. To learn more, and to join the campaign, workers can go to UAW.org/join.

December 11, 2023

Featured, News

VOLKSWAGEN WORKERS IN CHATTANOOGA LAUNCH PUBLIC CAMPAIGN TO JOIN UAW WITH OVER 1,000 WORKERS SIGNED UP

December 7, 2023

Featured, News

Postdocs at Icahn Mount Sinai in NYC Walk Off the Job on Unfair Labor Practice Strike

New York City – More than 500 Postdoctoral Researchers at Mount Sinai’s Icahn School of Medicine who are members of the Sinai Postdoc Organizing Committee-UAW (SPOC-UAW) walked off the job and onto the picket line for an Unfair Labor Practice strike on Wednesday, December 6. After more than one full year at the bargaining table with Sinai administrators, no agreement has been reached. Hundreds gathered for a rally to kick off the strike at 10am ET at East 99th and Madison Ave.

“We love our research, but Sinai is leaving us no choice,” said Andrea Joseph, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences. “Our priority has always been ensuring that science at Mount Sinai is sustainable and inclusive, and that means fair pay and housing and parental benefits that allow all of us to take care of our families and stay in the careers we love in New York City.”

“Today, Postdocs, members of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai community, and our broader community are standing together to hold Sinai’s administration accountable. Through our collective action, we hope to compel them to bargain in good faith, so we can finally address the urgent issues we face as researchers committed to our careers in science and research,” said Hunter Korsmo, who works in the Department of Medicine – Division of Nephrology.

The impacts of the strike will be felt across Mount Sinai and beyond. Hundreds of other Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai employees and community members have pledged to respect the picket lines.

In June of 2022, nearly 90% of workers voted to choose Sinai Postdoctoral Organizing Committee-United Auto Workers (SPOC-UAW) as their union and bargaining representative.

Postdocs perform a wide range of critical research, from developing new therapies to fight disease to advancing new technologies that will shape the future of research, and much more.

Make a Donation to the SPOC-UAW Solidarity Fund

December 6, 2023

News

“THESE HANDS”: NEW UAW VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS NON-UNION AUTOWORKERS FIGHTING FOR ECONOMIC JUSTICE

December 5, 2023

News

Historic Tentative Agreement Reached between Unions and Detroit Casinos

Detroit, MI – The Detroit Casino Council has reached a tentative agreement for a new five-year contract with MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown after 32 days on strike. The unions will continue to strike until the members ratify the proposed settlement.

This settlement is a historic investment in Detroit’s future. This new contract brings together workers and employers in partnership to fulfill the gaming industry’s promise to Detroit of high-paying casino jobs with good benefits. The historic five-year tentative agreement covering 3700 employees includes the largest wage increases ever negotiated in the Detroit casino industry’s 23-year history (including an immediate 18% pay raise on average), no health care cost increases for employees, workload reductions and other job protections, first-ever technology contract language, retirement increases and more.

Additional specifics of the new union collective bargaining agreement will not be disclosed publicly at this time to ensure unionized casinos workers have the opportunity to see full details of their contract first and vote on whether to accept it. A ratification vote by the membership will be scheduled soon with all five unions that comprise the Detroit Casino Council: UNITE HERE Local 24, UAW Local 7777, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters.

“Our strike showed the casino industry and the world just what Detroit’s casino workers are made of,” said Tavera McCree, a Valet Cashier at Hollywood Casino at Greektown and member of Teamsters Local 1038. “This is a defining moment for workers in Detroit and nationwide. The gains we have made will change the lives of so many families who are living paycheck to paycheck. I would like to thank everyone who stood strong on the picket line to make this win possible.”

“This historic agreement rewards the sacrifice that casino workers made throughout the pandemic,” said Milledge McCaster, an Engineer at Hollywood at Greektown for 14 years and a member of the Operating Engineers Local 324. “We set a new standard with major wage increases and ground-breaking wins like first-ever workplace technology language and other job protections that will empower workers to have a say in the future of work in this industry.”

“A contract of this significance makes me feel proud to work in Detroit’s casinos once again,” said Alicia Weaver, a Guest Room Attendant for 24 years at MGM Casino and member of UNITE HERE Local 24. “Cleaning hotel rooms is a really tough job that gets tougher every year, so the fixes we made in this contract to reduce my daily workload mean less strain on my body and more energy for my family when I get home from work. Everyone on both sides worked hard to get this done.”

“We fought to defend our healthcare and win historic wages, and we won,” said Terri Sykes, a Dealer at MotorCity Casino for 24 years and President of UAW Local 7777. “As a two-time breast-cancer survivor, I feel relieved knowing we have protected our healthcare with no increased costs. We stood strong—five unions united—showing it’s possible to win big when workers do brave things and stick together.”

On Oct. 17, unionized casino workers at MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino, and Hollywood Casino at Greektown launched a wall-to-wall strike affecting 3700 casino workers, including dealers, housekeepers and other cleaning staff, food and beverage workers, valets, engineers, and more. Workers were forced on strike to protect their healthcare and improve wages that have not kept up with the cost of living. It is the first casino strike in Detroit history, and the first wall-to-wall casino strike in American history.

The historic agreements come after years of hardship that Detroit casino workers have endured after sacrificing raises and shouldering heavier workloads so the industry could stay open during the pandemic. Since that time, Detroit’s gaming industry revenues have hit record highs. Workers went on strike, demanding large wage increases in the face of high inflation and other job protections.

The proposed settlement represents another win for union workers nationwide fighting for economic justice with a historic wave of strikes that have resulted in big gains for American workers across many industries.

By striking, Detroit Casino Council Unions have moved the industry towards a new standard:

Winning the largest wage increases ever negotiated in the history of the Detroit casino industry;
Protecting the healthcare standard that Detroit casino unions have built over two decades with NO increased costs to employees;
Reducing workloads in housekeeping and other classifications that have resulted from 1500 fewer workers post pandemic;
Securing first-ever technology protections to guarantee advanced notification when new technology is introduced that impacts jobs, require training for new jobs created by technology, and provide health care and severance pay for workers who are laid off because of new technology.
Improving the value of the retirement benefit after no increase in 8 years.

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The Detroit Casino Council (DCC) is UNITE HERE Local 24, the UAW, Teamsters Local 1038, Operating Engineers Local 324, and the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters. These five unions represent most of the workers at the three casinos in Detroit: Hollywood Casino at Greektown, MGM Grand Detroit, and MotorCity Casino. Our members work in food and beverage, housekeeping, retail outlets, slots and table games, engineering and more. The DCC partner unions are part of International Unions that have experience representing gaming workers and winning great contracts throughout the United States, including in Las Vegas and Atlantic City. Learn more at https://www.detroitcasinocouncil.org.

November 17, 2023

News, Union-Plus

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November 15, 2023