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UAW’s Four Core Issues Take Center Stage on Day 2 of 2026 National CAP Conference

The UAW kicked off an event-filled Day 2 of its 2026 National CAP Conference, calling out corporate greed and focusing on the four core issues that will guide the union into 2028.

UAW President Shawn Fain gave an impassioned keynote address to the nearly 1,000 UAW members in attendance. “12 billionaires own as much wealth as the bottom half of society,” Fain said. “Our democracy is dying at the hands of an authoritarian billionaire class. The question we are here to answer is, how do we rise to the occasion? This is our defining moment. We need to send a clear message as a working class: A Billionaire dictatorship is not an option for the American people. Divide-and-conquer politics has no place in the working class!”

UAW Vice Presidents Mike Booth, Rich Boyer, and Laura Dickerson stressed the importance of winning real retirement security, not just in collective bargaining agreements for UAW members, but for the entire working class.

“If we want to win back real retirement security in this country, we have to win big at the Big Three in 2028. But then we have to keep going,” Booth told attendees. “Our union has always connected the bargaining table to the ballot box. What we win for our members, we want for every working-class person. We have to take our fight from the union hall to the halls of Congress.”

“These companies make billions of dollars off of our members’ work. And after we give decades to these companies, we’re asking for something simple: the right to a dignified retirement,” Boyer said. “But not just for us. We believe that every American should have access to quality, affordable healthcare.”

“We have retirees living in poverty. We have retirees working minimum wage jobs to survive. We have working people early in their career wondering how they ever retire,” Dickerson said. “In 2026, in the United States of America, at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, is that something we can accept? I say hell no.”

Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla spoke on the need to fight for more time off the job for UAW members: “It’s about more than just a paycheck. It’s about more than just our rights on the job. It’s about a much bigger question: What kind of life does the working class deserve? In the richest country in the history of the world, what kind of life can working class people expect to have?”

Guest speakers for Monday’s session included Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-6), SEIU-USWW President David Huerta, and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14).

“For too long, healthcare has been used as a weapon against workers,” Dingell stated. “The time is now to ensure every American has quality health care. We’ve made a lot of progress, but we’re not going to stop until every single American is guaranteed health care. This is a human right.”

“Our country needs a labor movement that is ready to lean in,” Huerta implored, calling for worker solidarity in the labor fights ahead. “We should be preparing now for May Day 2028 to shut the whole thing down. Right now, our union is working to align our contracts with yours. When you go on strike, we’ll go with you!”

“We do not pledge of allegiance to Wall Street. We don’t pledge of allegiance to greed,” Ocasio-Cortez told an energetic crowd. “We pledge allegiance to no one president. We pledge allegiance to a nation. Our nation. The United States of America. To the betterment of all people.”

UAW Local 2250 member, Don Looney, who is running to represent Missouri House District 63, fired up the crowd, calling on UAW members to stand up and be the change needed in legislative halls across the country and to “kick ass for the working class!” You can find out more about Brother Looney’s campaign here.

In the afternoon, delegates attended various workshops to sharpen their knowledge on political topics based on the union’s four core issues.

Day Three of the 2026 National CAP Conference will convene at 9 am tomorrow.

Recap of Day One of the National CAP Conference

For more information on this year’s event, visit UAW.org/CAP2026.

 

 

Additional Day Two speaker remarks:

 

Region 2B Director Dave Green on the fight to save the Conn-Selmer plant in Eastlake, OH: “The epitome of hypocrisy and greed: the owner of Conn-Selmer, billionaire John Paulson, has been on TV talking about bringing jobs back to America. But when it saves him a penny, it’s fine to kill those jobs and ship them overseas. The system is broken. We need to fix this broken system.”

Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell on how UAW members win: “These companies don’t move an inch because of who you’ve got in negotiations, or how tough you talk, or how hard you pound the table. These companies respond to power. As a union, the real power we’ve got is our membership. If the membership is ready to strike, ready to protest, ready to vote, ready to move in unity, then, we’ve got real power.”

Region 6 Director Mike Miller on the need for the labor movement to take on the Trump administration: “We’ve got to remember that whether it’s funding cuts in California and Washington State, or plant closures in the Midwest – the story is the same. These are threats to our job security, to our basic ability to earn a decent wage and to live a decent life. And the task in front of us is the same too. Our only option, as a union and as a broader labor movement, is to organize and fight back on a massive scale.”

 

Photos courtesy of Brian Hedger and UAW Comms Staff

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UAW Convenes for Day 1 of 2026 National CAP Conference in Washington, D.C

The UAW kicked off its biannual Community Action Program (CAP) Conference in Washington, D.C., on Sunday, bringing together nearly 1,000 union members from across the country to strategize and build power for the working class. This year’s conference agenda focuses on the UAW’s political vision and four core priorities: wages, health care, retirement, and time off.

UAW Region 8 Director Tim Smith opened proceedings by welcoming delegates to the region and introducing the International Executive Board. In his typical fashion, Director Smith fired up the crowd with his passion and energy: “Workers everywhere are waking up and realizing they need a union, but not just any union. They want the UAW, the mighty UAW!”

Newly elected Region 9 Director Jimmy Lakeman recalled iconic UAW President Walter Reuther’s belief that “there’s a direct relationship between the ballot box and the bread box, and what the union fights for and wins at the bargaining table can be taken away in the legislative halls.”

“Elections matter,” Lakeman told delegates. “And the people we elect and what they fight for matter.”

Guest speakers for the day included Independent candidate for U.S. Senate in Nebraska, Dan Osborn, and AFGE President Everett Kelley.

Osborn, recently endorsed by the UAW, emphasized the need for the working class to reject division and instead to unite around its shared interests to take on the billionaire class and a broken economic system: “We need to stop looking left and right and start looking up,” Osborn said.

AFGE President Everett Kelley delivered an impassioned speech, calling out the Trump administration’s attacks on worker rights and urging UAW members to get involved in the political process: “We’re gonna mobilize and organize, not as spectators, not as commentators, but as participators! We’re gonna make it clear that attacks on labor come at a political cost!”

The conclusion of Day One proceedings was followed by dinner and a Super Bowl LX watch party where members cheered on (or rooted against) the Seahawks and Patriots.

Day Two of the 2026 National CAP Conference will convene at 9 am tomorrow.

For more information on this year’s event, visit UAW.org/CAP2026.

 

 

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UAW Endorses Independent Dan Osborn in Nebraska U.S. Senate Race

The UAW has voted to endorse Dan Osborn, an Independent candidate for U.S. Senate from Nebraska.

“Dan Osborn is one of us. A union member who came up through the ranks to fight for economic and social justice for the working class,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We don’t need another lawyer or corporate hack who only cares about the richest Americans in the U.S. Senate, we need independent blue-collar fighters like Dan. Wealth inequality is out of control in our country. The rich continue to take all the profits while the affordability crisis leaves working class people scraping to get by paycheck to paycheck. If we’re going to change this system, we need to elect working-class people to the halls of Congress who understand this. We’re proud to stand with Dan Osborn and ready to elect him to take on corporate greed and our rigged political system.”

“UAW Region 4 is on the front lines of the class war on blue collar America, and Dan Osborn is right there with us,” said UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell, whose region covers the state of Nebraska. “Dan is an independent, who is loyal only to the working class. From his leadership in the Kellogg strike to taking on Tyson as they try to devastate the Midwest with another massive plant closure to pad Wall Street’s bottom line, Dan has proven he’s got the guts and the experience to take corporate America head on, and working Nebraskans are ready to elect him to the U.S. Senate.”

“The United Auto Workers helped build this country and ushered in our nation’s greatest eras of prosperity for working people,” said Dan Osborn. “With their leadership and working class representation in the Senate, we can return to that prosperity and level the playing field for workers once again. I am honored and humbled by their endorsement, and I will always be a fighter for them and all working people in the U.S. Senate.”

The UAW will convene for its biannual Community Action Program Conference in Washington DC, February 8-11, where Osborn will address hundreds of UAW members. For more information, visit UAW.org/cap2026.

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UAW Biannual Political Conference to Bring Hundreds of UAW Members to Capitol Hill, Feature Michigan Senate Candidate Forum

The UAW will hold its biannual Community Action Program (CAP) Conference in Washington, D.C., from February 8–11, bringing together nearly 1,000 union members from across the country to strategize and build power for the working class.

The conference agenda will focus on the UAW’s political vision and four core priorities: wages, health care, retirement, and time off. Participants will also address the growing threats to the American Dream posed by corporate greed and divide-and-conquer politics.

On Monday, February 9, UAW President Shawn Fain will deliver a keynote address outlining the union’s political vision for taking on the billionaire class.

On Wednesday, Feb. 11, the union will hold its first candidate forum of 2026, featuring leading candidates who are running for Michigan’s U.S. Senate. The forum will be livestreamed on UAW social channels.

WHO:  The UAW’s National Community Action Program (CAP)

WHAT:  “Building Working Class Power: Our Time to Lead” – the Union’s Biannual CAP Conference

WHERE:  Washington Hilton, 1919 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20009

WHEN:  February 8-11; MI Senate Forum during February 11’s morning plenary

The Michigan U.S. Senate candidate forum will take place during the final morning plenary starting at 9:45 am on Wednesday, Feb. 11. The candidate forum will also be Livestreamed on UAW digital channels, including YouTube and Facebook. For more information on the UAW’s CAP Conference, including the agenda, visit UAW.org/CAP2026.

Members of the press are invited to attend the Monday and Wednesday sessions. RSVP is required.

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UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Volkswagen in Chattanooga, Marking Historic Breakthrough for Southern Autoworkers

Autoworkers at Volkswagen’s Chattanooga plant have won a historic tentative agreement with the company. After making history as the first Southern autoworkers outside the Big Three to join the UAW, the 3,200 workers at Volkswagen Chattanooga have won a tentative contract deal that provides 20 percent across-the-board wage increases, affordable health care, real job security, and more.

After workers voted 3-to-1 to join the UAW in 2024, they elected a 20-member negotiating committee of their peers. After months of negotiations, the tentative deal marks a breakthrough for non-union autoworkers and manufacturing workers across the South. The tentative deal ensures that Volkswagen workers have a legally binding and enforceable agreement that guarantees fair pay, more affordable health care, safer working conditions, and clear protections against favoritism.

“For years, Chattanooga workers were told to settle for less while Volkswagen made record profits. So, the workers stood together and won their union—and now they’ve secured a life-changing first agreement,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “This deal proves what happens when autoworkers stand up and demand their fair share. People said Southern autoworkers could never form a union or win a union contract. Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga said, ‘Watch this.’”

For workers like bargaining committee co-chair Steve Cochran, a skilled trades worker and co-chair of the Bargaining Committee, the agreement represents a turning point. “A strong contract makes sure promises are delivered. Respect and security shouldn’t be up for negotiation—and now they won’t be.”

The tentative agreement is especially significant given Volkswagen’s recent record-breaking profits. In 2024 alone, the world’s second-largest automaker reported $20.6 billion in profits—even as Chattanooga workers struggled under substandard health coverage and rising out-of-pocket costs.

Key Wins in the Tentative Agreement

  • Major Wage Increases – 20% GWI
    Substantial raises that begin to close the gap with industry standards and reflect Volkswagen’s record profits.
  • Improved High-Quality Health Care with No Increases
    Lower out-of-pocket costs, improved coverage, and protections that ensure no worker must choose between medical care and basic needs.
  • Big Bonuses Initial bonuses equaling $6,550 per worker upon ratification and additional annual bonuses of $2,550 for the life of the agreement. Thousands of dollars of additional compensation for each worker.
  • Job Security Protections
    Strong language against unilateral job cuts, shift reductions, and outsourcing—making sure VW keeps good union jobs in Chattanooga.
  • Stronger Health & Safety Standards
    Enforceable safety rules, dedicated union safety representatives, and a greater worker voice in identifying and fixing hazards on the job.
  • Paid Time Off & Scheduling Protections
    Guaranteed paid leave, fair scheduling requirements, and safeguards against forced overtime and favoritism.
  • Fair Discipline & Grievance Rights
    Clear, enforceable protections against unfair discipline and a transparent, worker-centered grievance process.
  • A Real Voice on the Job
    Rights that ensure workers have a say in day-to-day decisions that shape their work, their safety, and their future.

This historic agreement reflects significant improvements over the company’s last proposal in October, including:

  • New product commitments
  • Enhanced right-to-strike protections
  • Key newly won Job Security agreements, including protections against outsourcing
  • Thousands of additional dollars of annual compensation per worker
  • Key Skilled Trades issues addressed
  • Stronger safeguards against plant closures or the sale of operations

Workers will receive details of the tentative agreement in the coming days, followed by a ratification vote.

“This contract is proof that if you stand up and stick together, you can win a better life,” said Kelcey Smith, a worker in the paint department. “No matter where you live, or where you work, autoworkers deserve a union contract, whether at the Big Three or Volkswagen, from Detroit to Chattanooga. Volkswagen workers are showing the whole country what’s possible.”

The Chattanooga victory signals a profound shift in the Southern auto industry, as workers across the region stand up to global corporations, demand their fair share, and build a future where autoworkers—no matter where they live or what company they work for—have a collective voice and a seat at the table.

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Conn-Selmer Workers to Rally Community to Save Eastlake Plant from Closure

After Conn-Selmer formally announced its decision to offshore 150 good, union jobs to China at a long-time legacy Ohio company, workers are rallying community support to save the Eastlake plant from closure tentatively scheduled for June 30.

WHO: UAW Local 2359 members at Conn-Selmer, UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green, Eastlake Mayor Kevin Kostelnik, OH State Rep. Dan Troy, with a special video message from UAW President Shawn Fain

WHAT: “Save Our Plant” rally to stop offshoring of jobs from Conn-Selmer’s Eastlake plant to China

WHERE: Four Points Sheraton Ballroom, 35000 Curtis Blvd, Eastlake, OH 44095

WHEN: Thursday, February 5 at 5:00 P.M.

In January – on what was supposed to be day one of the latest contract negotiations between Conn-Selmer and UAW Local 2359 members – the last, USA-made brass instrument brand, informed workers that it is shutting down its Ohio facility and offshoring almost all its Eastlake operations overseas to China.

Decades of an Ohio mainstay and hundreds of good, union jobs suddenly became on the chopping block because billionaire hedge fund owner John Paulson decided to lead with corporate greed over preserving an American institution – and American manufacturing.

Conn-Selmer informed UAW Local 2359 members that its “doomsday” would tentatively be June 30, 2026 – but workers are fighting back to save the Eastlake plant. Alongside the broader community and local allies, workers are rallying together on Thursday to send a message to Conn-Selmer’s leadership like Paulson: that they can still do the right thing and keep these jobs in Ohio.

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Workers at Lorain County Jobs and Family Services Set February 18 Strike Deadline After County Fails to Offer Fair Deal

After authorizing a strike earlier this year by 86%, on Tuesday, UAW Local 2192 members at Lorain County Job and Family Services announced a February 18 strike deadline for the County to agree to a fair deal for the 144 workers. Workers who administer Ohio Works First, SNAP, Medicaid, childcare assistance, child support referrals, and other essential public services are demanding fairer wages that bring their pay up to the County average that would address staffing shortages, recruitment and excessively high turnover challenges.

“Lorain County has misplaced priorities,” said Candace MacIntosh, a JFS Investigator. “They’re bringing in six-figure salaried positions while claiming to have no funds for fair wages at our agency — an agency our community depends on. I just came back from maternity leave and have to keep my newborn son off the County healthcare because it’s far too expensive. Instead, he is on Medicaid, the same program we administer. We’re authorizing benefits for other people while struggling ourselves.”

During the current union contract, workers like Candace MacIntosh saw a 50% increase in health care premiums. JFS workers are also paid less than other county agencies – as the County claims there’s not enough funding for the employees to earn a livable wage. Meanwhile, they have enough money in the budget to increase the number of six-figure salary management positions by 142% over five years – from 65 upper management positions to 157 roles making over $100,000. In the same period, the workforce has experienced 65% turnover due to being underpaid and overworked.

“Lorain County Commissioners are letting JFS workers fall behind,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “Workers are skipping their bills and dropping their health care — it ain’t right. Meanwhile, the County is hiring dozens of upper management positions and giving them six figure salaries. So where are Lorain County’s priorities? They’re in the toilet. All we’ve heard are crickets from their side. They aren’t bringing anything back to the table and are forcing our hand. So, we’re gonna play that hand — and we are gonna win, because we’re stronger together.”

Lorain County JFS employees have been working with an expired union contract since September 2025. UAW Local 2192 members have met with the County over several bargaining sessions until reaching an impasse in December, when a fact-finding hearing was conducted by a neutral, state-mandated dispute resolution process.

In January, the County voted down the fact-finder report’s findings. By rejecting the fact-finding process – which is uncommon – and failing to offer a new proposal in return, the County is leaving county workers with no option but to strike by February 18 as a last resort.

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Statement from UAW President Shawn Fain on the Killing of Alex Pretti

“The UAW stands in solidarity with the family and loved ones of our fallen union brother Alex Pretti and all those standing up for justice in Minneapolis and beyond. Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, and a member of AFGE Local 3669. He was a fellow union member doing what UAW members do all the time – heeding a call for solidarity and exercising his Constitutional rights. For that, he was killed in the street. Our union mourns his loss and our thoughts are with his family, his union, and his community.

As proud trade unionists, we value our Constitutional freedoms. The right to free speech and the right to protest are core to who we are as Americans and as union members. The killing of peaceful protesters like Alex Pretti threatens our rights and our Constitution.

In moments like these, the labor movement must not be silent. Unions in Minnesota took action last Friday, January 23, by participating in a general strike and protested across the state. If the right to protest or speak freely is under attack, then our rights as workers are not safe. Our freedom to strike, or to walk a picket line to win a better life, may be threatened next.”

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UAW Announces Major Michigan Candidate Endorsements for 2026

In a decision led by a member-elected board of the UAW’s Community Action Program (CAP) in Michigan, the UAW is announcing two major endorsements for statewide races ahead of a critical year for defending workers’ rights.

For the office of Michigan Attorney General, the union is endorsing Karen McDonald to lead bold action in the fight against federal attacks on the rights of all working-class Michiganders. And for Secretary of State, the UAW stands with Garlin Gilchrist to preserve our democracy and right to vote as Michigan continues to be ground zero in attacks on the ballot box.

“The UAW’s support is never automatic. In times like these, we look past party lines and focus on one thing: electing leaders who will stand up to the billionaires and fight for union families,” said UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English. “UAW members who lead the Michigan CAP Board came together to ask hard questions and evaluate candidates with the goal of determining who is ready and willing to fight for working people. Our union’s endorsement is earned, not given. This moment is about electing leaders who will stand shoulder to shoulder with working people. Karen McDonald for Attorney General and Garlin Gilchrist for Secretary of State are the leaders that we trust to win and to have our backs.”

“Workers’ rights are in more danger than ever, and we need an Attorney General like Karen McDonald as our first line of defense for working-class Michiganders,” said Dennis Geno, UAW Local 362 member and Chair of the Great Lakes Bay Area Regional CAP Council.  “I drove over three hours in a snowstorm to hear from candidates who would support our union. Karen grew up in a working-class family, was a union member herself. She has a track record as a fighter and will fight for workers as Attorney General. We know a real one when we see her, and Karen McDonald is a real one we can trust on our side.”

“Michigan is ground zero for attacks on our right to vote and Garlin Gilchrist is the person we need to protect our democracy,” said Dwayne Walker, UAW Local 900 President and Michigan CAP Council Executive Committee member. “Garlin is a strong ally to the UAW and has shown up time and again to not just stand tall but to stand in solidarity with Michigan’s working class when we’ve needed him the most. The choice is clear for the UAW’s Michigan CAP General Board as to who should lead our state in this critical moment, when our vote needs leadership most.”

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UAW Statement in Solidarity with the Fight for Justice in Minnesota

The UAW stands in solidarity with the people of Minnesota, including hundreds of UAW members, who are standing up and fighting back against the federal government’s abuses and attacks on the working class.

The UAW stands for freedom of speech, freedom of assembly, and human dignity no matter where you were born, what language you speak, or the color of your skin. We will not tolerate a government that attacks working class people’s constitutional and human rights.

It is the working class that makes society run, and it is the working class that can shut it down if need be. On January 23rd, working class people will demonstrate that power in Minnesota, and the UAW has their back.

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