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After UAW Pressure and Auto Tariffs, Stellantis Commits Billions to Domestic Plants

Detroit, MI – After months of planning and deliberation, Stellantis has announced a historic investment in U.S. manufacturing. In a major victory for UAW members and working-class people across the Midwest, Stellantis shared that it will create 5,000 new UAW jobs over the next four years, with three new products. The company projects that they will increase production in the United States by 50% during this time period.

This move brings good-paying union jobs back to the U.S. and will strengthen the economy in communities that were devastated by so-called “free trade” policies like NAFTA and USMCA.

“A year ago, Stellantis was on a fast-track to moving their U.S. operations out of the country. Their decision today proves that targeted auto tariffs can, in fact, bring back thousands of good union jobs to the U.S.,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Wall Street and supposed industry experts said this was impossible. But race to the bottom created by free trade is finally coming to an end.”

The update from the company today announced 5 new product launches, including 3 additional products beyond what we negotiated in our 2023 contract.

  • Belvidere Assembly will produce two products, an all-new Jeep Cherokee and the Jeep Compass.
  • Warren Truck will produce an all-new SUV, in addition to the Wagoneer family. The company projects an additional shift and 900 additional jobs by 2029.
  • Toledo Assembly will produce the all-new midsize truck, which we won in our 2023 agreement, in addition to the Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator.

The company also reaffirmed past investment commitments, including the next-generation Dodge Durango at the Detroit Assembly Complex and the GMET4 EVO Engine at the Kokomo Engine Plant.

“We’ve been making progress getting our members back to work, with indefinite layoffs coming down from a high of 3,228 in February to just over 1,700 this month” said the Director of the UAW Stellantis Department, Kevin Gotinsky. “This new investment will be a game-changer for UAW members. Instead of worrying about looming layoffs, we can support our families and build the quality products that we take pride in.”

The announcement follows approximately $5 billion in new U.S. investment announced by General Motors earlier this year.

Moving forward, the UAW is focused on the upcoming renegotiation of the USMCA, to permanently end the unfair trade practices that allowed automakers to offshore U.S. jobs, slash wages, and shutter dozens of once-thriving plants.

As part of that fight, the UAW is demanding a new worker-first trade deal that:

  • Prioritizes job security: companies need to make it here if they want to sell it here.
  • Strengthens enforceable labor rights for all workers. We can’t let corporations pit us against each other.
  • Guarantees equal pay for equal work across borders. Corporations should not be able to use trade to cause a race to the bottom.

The Big Three have closed or spun off 65 facilities in the past 20 years. More than 2 million vehicles a year have disappeared from American production lines over the last decade, while factories in countries like Mexico have opened, offering jobs with low wages and terrible working conditions, hallmarks of our exploitative trade system.

Ending offshoring and rebuilding the auto industry also means policies that help the entire working class: a strong National Labor Relations Board, secure retirements through Social Security, guaranteed health care through Medicare and Medicaid, and dignity on and off the job. This is how we ensure today’s gains become tomorrow’s standard—not just for autoworkers, but for all working-class people.

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Fighting for Better Patient Care, Mercyhealth East UAW Members Mark 100 Days on Strike

JANESVILLE, WI – UAW Local 95 Unit 14 members at Mercyhealth’s East Clinic have reached a major milestone — 100 days on strike. Since July 2, these dedicated health care workers have been standing up not just for themselves, but for their patients. They’re fighting to restore quality care and fair jobs at Mercyhealth, where high-level decisions have turned what should be good, stable caregiving jobs into overworked, underpaid positions that put patient care at risk. On Friday, workers took a moment to celebrate their strength and unity as they continue to push back against an employer that is putting profits before patients.

“There’s no question that our members at Mercyhealth East are stronger today than they were on July 2 when they first walked out,” said UAW Local 95 President Judy McRoberts. “They’ve held the line for 100 days because they know what’s at stake — the quality of care their patients receive and the dignity of their own work. Mercy East UAW members take pride in caring for their community, and they understand that you can’t deliver quality patient care when management keeps turning good jobs into low-wage, high-stress positions. Mercyhealth needs to start valuing both its workers and its patients.”

UAW members at Mercyhealth East provide care in many roles from nurses to x-ray techs, receptionists to building maintenance. If Mercy runs, it’s because of these dedicated workers. Among the key issues keeping the picket line going is the employer’s proposal to increase health care costs, which are already a strain on the workforce. Low wages and a lack of safety are other issues that mobilized the walk-out in July.

“Mercyhealth is denying us any sense of security — even those of us working late into the evenings,” said Anna Farrington, one of the UAW members on strike at Mercyhealth. “We never know who might come in at any hour, and there are so few of us on staff. We want to give our patients the bestcare and comfort we can, but how are we supposed to do that when we don’t even feel safe ourselves? Mercyhealth didn’t seem to have any trouble finding security guards once we started our picket line — I guess it was possible after all.”

Between 2020 and 2023, Mercyhealth System brought in over $2 billion in total revenue — more than enough to ensure safe staffing and quality patient care. Yet instead of investing in patients or frontline caregivers, President and CEO Javon Bea pocketed $36.2 million during that period, including $11.5 million in 2023 alone. At a rally on Friday, community and political allies joined the Mercy East strikers to call out the hypocrisy and greed of one of the region’s largest employers.

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UAW Statement on the Passing of Kent Wong

The UAW mourns the passing of Kent Wong, who dedicated his life to defending and advocating for the rights of working people in the Los Angeles area and beyond.

Deeply committed to social and economic justice, Wong served as director of the UCLA Labor Center for over 30 years, mentoring and inspiring countless students and activists while leading efforts to expand the center’s ability to better serve the educational needs of the community.

Wong was a champion for immigrant rights and undocumented communities, helping to establish the first Dream Resource Center and the Dream Summer Fellowship program. He also understood the importance of international solidarity, working to foster relationships across borders and advocating for peaceful collective action to take on powerful interests.

Kent supported all of UAW workers’ efforts to organize at the University of California, fought alongside us in countless political battles in Los Angeles and California, provided invaluable leadership in the immigrants’ rights movement, and helped the U.S. labor movement connect with workers’ struggles around the globe.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, colleagues, and the countless people Kent Wong positively affected during his brilliant and profound life.

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Independent Expert Board Finds Mexico Failing to Honor Labor Obligations Under USMCA Trade Agreement

For the first time, the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board (IMLEB), has found that Mexico has failed to live up to its labor obligations under the c (USMCA).

IMLEB is a body created by the US Congress under the USMCA to monitor and report on Mexico’s implementation and enforcement of necessary labor reforms. In its new report, submitted to Congress, the Board has determined that “Mexico is not in compliance with its labor obligations under USMCA.”

“When the United States set out to renegotiate NAFTA in 2019 with the explicit objective of dramatically reducing the U.S.-Mexico trade deficit and addressing the failures of NAFTA, there was bipartisan support in government,” the Board writes in their Conclusion.” Creating a really fair-trade deal would require a truly transformative agreement. A successful agreement would need to curb job loss in the US and reduce the wage gap between US and Mexican workers, which for decades has enabled hundreds of thousands of layoffs for US workers and heavily suppressed wages for Mexican workers.

“If a measure of success is a reduction of the wage gap between Mexican workers and their North American counterparts,” the Board continues, “USMCA is a failure.”

The UAW applauds the findings of the Independent Mexico Labor Expert Board. In 2026, the USMCA agreement is up for review. The UAW is calling for a complete overhaul of our broken trade system. We need a new generation of trade deals that puts working people first. A fair-trade deal must give workers a seat at the table, raise the floor rather than race to the bottom, and enshrine the principle of equal pay for equal work across borders.

Under the USMCA, corporate America is making record profits gouging American consumers while US and Mexican workers see stagnant wages and worsening labor conditions. The USMCA has continued to pit Mexican and US workers against one another, with terrible consequences for the working class in both countries, and the deal must be abandoned or rewritten in 2026.

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Federal Agency Finds Volkswagen to Have Broken Labor Law, Orders Immediate Recognition of Union

In a massive rebuke of the German auto giant, the National Labor Relations Board has found Volkswagen to have egregiously violated the law in intimidating, disciplining, and threatening workers at its Parts Distribution Center in Cranbury, New Jersey earlier this year.

After workers organized to join the UAW, the company illegally threatened and coerced workers for exercising their federally-protected right to organize a union.

The automaker, which prides itself on its “social charter” that supposedly enshrines workers’ rights in its corporate governance, is ordered to recognize the UAW as the union of the over 150 workers involved. In addition, the Board will seek a 10(j) injunction to bring the company to the bargaining table.

“These workers did exactly what you’re supposed to do if you want a better life on the job, and Volkswagen treated them like dirt,” says UAW President Shawn Fain. “Because these badass workers refused to give up, they were able to overcome the company’s harassment, intimidation, and illegal conduct, and will now have a seat at the table. Welcome to the UAW. And Volkswagen, we’ll see you at the bargaining table.”

“We stood up because we know we deserve better from this multibillion-dollar company,” said Sergio Sumano, Jr., a warehouse worker with 7 years at the facility. “We stuck it out because we knew our cause was right. This is about a better life for me and my family, and for all of us here who make Volkswagen run. We are the UAW.”

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UAW Members at AM General Ratify Strongest Contract in Decades

Mishawaka, IN — UAW Local 5 members voted on Thursday, September 25th to ratify a new contract with AM General. Around 400 UAW members at the company’s Mishawaka complex build the Humvee and next generation Joint Light Tactical Vehicle for the nation’s military.

The new contract makes major gains, most notably a 12% wage increase over just three years, a large pension increase, and significant progress reversing a complicated, tiered pay system.

Keith Oden, the Bargaining Chairperson, said “We did it—together. This agreement reflects the priorities our members voiced through surveys, meetings, and conversations on the shop floor. Because of our strength and unity, we secured meaningful gains that move us forward without any concessions.”

This contract reverses a long history of concessionary bargaining at AM General. The company had succeeded in eliminating retiree healthcare, capping profit sharing, and creating multiple wage tiers.

“Our members got back to our fighting roots, as the oldest local in the UAW with a long history of negotiating world class contracts,” said Dave Green, UAW Region 2B Director. “We won a contract that not only makes no concessions to the company, but delivers incredibly strong wage and pension increases for the membership.”

The new contract at AM General follows several other recent bargaining victories for the UAW at major defense companies, including GE Aerospace, General Dynamics, and Rolls-Royce.

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UAW Statement on the Passing of USW President Leo W. Gerard

We mourn the passing of Leo W. Gerard, former International President of the United Steelworkers, whose life was dedicated to advancing the cause of working people around the world.

Gerard was a tireless advocate for global solidarity. He understood that the fight for workers’ rights could not stop at national borders, and he worked to ensure that unions spoke with a united voice in the face of corporate power.

His leadership was pivotal in many international struggles, including efforts in Mexico to support the independent union movement and the campaign to hold Volkswagen accountable for union-busting in Chattanooga. When the decision arose at the IndustriALL Executive Committee meeting over whether to maintain the Global Framework Agreement with Volkswagen, Gerard’s intervention was decisive in backing the UAW. He made it crystal clear that union-busting would not be tolerated and that at the global level, labor would stand as one.

Leo Gerard leaves behind a legacy of courage, conviction, and solidarity. His vision of a labor movement united across borders will continue to guide the fight for justice for generations to come.

We extend our deepest condolences to his family, to his colleagues, and to the entire United Steelworkers community.

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UAW Members at GE Aerospace Approve New Contract

CINCINNATI—After an intense three weeks on strike, the picket lines in Evendale, OH and Erlanger, KY are winding down as UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace voted by 82% to approve a new five-year contract today.

“Together we stood like David against Goliath—shoulder to shoulder against a billion-dollar company, refusing to be treated as just numbers,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “We secured job security, more time with our families, and money to offset health care costs.”

The deal delivers significant gains for UAW Local 647 members, including:

· Minimum workforce guarantees to protect jobs

· Payments to offset health care cost increases

· Additional personal time and vacation time

“I’d like to congratulate the 600 plus UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace for standing up and using your collective strength,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “For over three weeks, across Erlanger and Evendale, you never wavered. Your grit, resilience—and, of course, your solidarity—showed a multi-billion dollar company what power really looks like.”

The newly ratified agreement is effective September 15 and expires September 15, 2030.

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Unprocessed Unemployment Claims, Frozen Medicaid, and Public Safety Risks: UAW Members at the State of Michigan Outline Alarming Risks of Looming Shutdown

UAW Local 6000, representing 16,000 State of Michigan employees across 1,200 worksites, sounded the alarm with Senator Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) in the Capitol as October 1 shutdown deadline looms.

LANSING — With October 1’s deadline for a Michigan government shutdown looming large in Lansing, the UAW sounded the alarm today about the critical State of Michigan (SOM) services that are in jeopardy. UAW Local 6000 represents 16,000 SOM employees across 1,200 worksites in Michigan, including the Department of Health and Human Services, Secretary of State, and state corrections offices, among other critical departments.

“UAW Local 6000 members are on the front lines of ensuring the safety and well-being of children and vulnerable populations, providing critical services to people who depend on basic necessities essential to their survival,” said UAW Local 6000 President Rachel Dickinson. “When UAW Local 6000 members aren’t on the job, Michigan feels it fast—unemployment claims don’t get processed, SNAP and Medicaid slow down or grind to a halt, public safety is put at risk. This isn’t just paperwork; it’s people’s lives and the stability of our state.”

Standing shoulder-to-shoulder with UAW Local 6000 members in Lansing today, Senator Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing) further elaborated on the stakes of the House’s bad budget that is spiraling Michigan towards a shutdown.

“As the daughter of two proud UAW retirees, I am proud to stand with UAW Local 6000 today and every day,” said Senate Appropriations Chair Sarah Anthony (D-Lansing). “When we support our state employees, we support the very fabric of Michigan’s success. Senate Democrats will keep standing with our state workers and working around the clock until we pass a balanced state budget that funds essential human services, protects our workers, and invests in the future of our state.”

This week, SOM employees are expecting to see two-week notice letters in their mailboxes warning of the imminent shutdown on October 1. The ominous deadline comes following the Republican-majority Michigan House’s passage of a ruthless slash and burn budget that would impact working-class communities the harshest.

“It’s time for House Republicans to quit messing around with people’s livelihoods and the core services on which Michiganders rely,” said Senate Majority Leader Winnie Brinks (D-Grand Rapids). “These folks do the oftentimes unglamorous work of keeping our state running, yet have been maligned as ‘waste, fraud, and abuse.’ We won’t stand for it. In this moment, they deserve honest leadership from the legislature and nothing less.”

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