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After Two Weeks Holding the Line, UAW Members at GE Aerospace Secure Strong Tentative Agreement Addressing All Core Issues

CINCINNATI—After an intense, two-week strike, UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace have secured a strong tentative agreement with the company. The major victory comes just after the strike’s two-week anniversary and was won via the courage and solidarity of over 600 Cincinnati-area workers between GE’s Erlanger, KY, and Evendale, OH facilities who held strong on the picket like 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

“UAW Local 647 members showed that you don’t beat a multi-billion-dollar company by backing down—you win by standing up and joining together in a common cause,” said UAW President Shawn Fain.

Of the three main sticking points that mobilized UAW Local 647 members to stand firm when GE forced workers to the streets at midnight on August 28—job security, health care costs, and time off—workers secured victories on all fronts. The company will cover nearly all health care premium increases over the term of the contract and workers will receive additional vacation time. The deal also secures strong job security protections for both Erlanger and Evendale locations, including minimum headcount and new work.

“I’m so proud of how UAW Local 647 stuck together,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “Our members held strong and had the courage to fight for more. Our bargaining team delivered on our members’ main demands: strong job security, more time off the job to spend with families, and money to offset the health care cost increase. My message to my entire UAW family: Continue to do the right thing, speak the truth, stand in unity, and you will prosper!”

The tentative agreement covers a five-year term, with a ratification vote set for Friday, September 19.

“Companies need to respect the UAW,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “We’ve made a choice to do things differently as a union and our members at GE Aerospace are part of that. They knew they had to fight for a better contract today, in order to protect their tomorrow. I am proud of the resilience and grit Local 647’s members and leaders displayed to protect their future.”

Throughout the strike, GE workers shared their stories with local media, while keeping the full membership up to date with bargaining updates on the website and through text every day. This communication was critical in maintaining workers’ solidarity to secure a TA addressing the most critical concerns that led to the walk out.

“After 31 years at GE, I was tired of their corporate greed,” said Don Luknis, UAW Local 647 member, and strike captain out of GE’s Evendale facility. “I’m proud of our teamwork to keep each other going along the way. UAW Local 647 is a stronger union now than the day we walked out on strike against this corporate giant. One day longer, one day stronger!”

UAW members in Evendale, the larger facility, proudly build marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy. In Erlanger, UAW members are the distribution heart of GE global—feeding plants all over the world. The strike was the first UAW strike at GE since 1988.

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UAW Announces Results of Special Election in Region 1A

Detroit—The UAW has announced the results of an election held today in UAW Region 1A to fill the vacancy created when former Regional Director Laura Dickerson was elected UAW Vice President.

Delegates at a special regional convention elected UAW Local 600 1st Vice President Mark DePaoli to serve as the next Regional Director of UAW Region 1A, which covers thousands of active and retired UAW members across southeast Michigan.

“Laura Dickerson has been a dedicated leader and now brings her experience and commitment to our members in the Ford Department,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We welcome Mark DePaoli to the International Executive Board and look forward to his leadership in Region 1A.”

DePaoli said, “I am honored to serve the members of Region 1A and to continue building our union’s strength in the workplace and our communities. Together, we will stand up for justice, fairness, and a better future for the working class.”

While the union has moved to a system of regular direct elections for its International Executive Board, mid-term vacancies at the regional level are filled by a vote of delegates, as outlined in the UAW constitution.

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KMWU and UAW Joint Statement: We Stand United Against All Attacks Restricting the Rights of Workers

The Korean Metal Workers’ Union (KMWU) and the United Auto Workers (UAW) strongly condemn the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) mass arrest and detention of 475 workers at the Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solutions construction site in Georgia. We declare our shared commitment to resist and fight back against all forms of attacks that violate workers’ rights.

Video footage of the ICE crackdown shows workers shackled with chains around their hands, feet and waists. This constitutes a violation of articles 47 and 48 of the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (Mandela Rules) which prohibit chaining human beings as “inherently degrading” and require “the least intrusive method” of restraint only when necessary and based on the level of risk. This crackdown constitutes a clear abuse of human rights and violation of international norms.

The fundamental rights of workers at U.S.-based plants invested in by Korean companies — regardless of nationality, race, employment type, or company affiliation — must be guaranteed. However, Korean companies have failed to create the conditions and environment for workers in the supply chain to be able to do their job safely. Three workers lost their lives at the Hyundai Metaplant site in Georgia, the most recent case this last May. On top of this, many workers are working under foreseeable risks, shouldering the risks relating to visas. Capital must stop shifting the burden of identified crises onto the backs of workers and instead take full responsibility for ensuring a safe work environment.

And what of the Trump administration, which forcibly entered a workplace arresting and detaining 475 workers? While receiving investment from Korean companies, the U.S. government launched a militarized operation targeting the workers at those sites. What the government should be doing is not cracking down on workers, but changing the structures that exploit workers, creating safe working environments, and providing support on the ground.

Of the 475 detained workers, approximately 300 Koreans began the journey home on the 11th. However, the workers originating from other countries remain in detention. KMWU and UAW call for the release of all the detained workers.

Capital crosses borders to exploit labor. The state, having abandoned its obligation to protect human rights, seems now obsessed with “hunting down workers.” At this moment, international solidarity among labor unions is more urgent than ever. KMWU and UAW will take the lead and respond together to defend the rights of workers around the world.

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UAW Issues Statement Condemning Dangerous Working Conditions and Immigration Raid at Hyundai

The UAW condemns Hyundai’s disgraceful record on worker safety. For years, Hyundai—including its joint ventures and the suppliers that work in its plants—cut corners on industry-standard safety precautions, refused to respect workers’ right to a union, and relied on the exploitation of immigrant labor to build its factories and supply chains. We’ve recently seen the consequences of this behavior: three workers at Hyundai were killed at work in the last two years.

When workers are put in danger by predatory companies like Hyundai, there is an opportunity for a constructive response from the federal government: OSHA and the NLRB have tools at their disposal to increase workplace safety. Unfortunately, the militarized federal crackdown on these workers further hurts safety at Hyundai. Workers are not the problem. Exploitative corporations are. The UAW will always stand with all workers—immigrant and native-born alike—against unsafe corporations and militarized attacks on our workplaces.

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Falsehoods and Inconsistencies: UAW Files Unfair Labor Practice Charges Against GE Aerospace for Failing to Bargain in Good Faith

CINCINNATI—The UAW has filed unfair labor practice charges alleging that GE Aerospace has bargained in bad faith, due to inconsistencies and false statements about bargaining. More than 600 UAW workers across two Cincinnati-area facilities remain on strike since walking out at midnight on August 28.

Notably, the ULP alleges that:

“On September 1, 2025, the Company issued a public/press statement that was distributed to the bargaining unit members that misrepresented the status of bargaining. The statement reported that during bargaining the Company had made a “comprehensive package proposal” to be put up for a ratification vote and that there was a deadline of September 5, 2025, to ratify this comprehensive package. This is not true. Prior to expiration, the Company never offered a comprehensive package to present for ratification and instead at the bargaining table engaged in piece-meal bargaining.”

You can read the complete ULP here.

“GE never put a complete deal on the table—period,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “Instead, GE chose Labor Day to put out a public statement, falsely claiming that they had made a ‘comprehensive package proposal’ with a ratification deadline of September 5. The truth is that they never made a comprehensive offer during negotiations. This is not good faith bargaining.”

Between 2022 to 2024, GE Aerospace has reaped record profit surpassing $17 billion and over $16 billion in shareholder distributions. Notably, a 5-year deal meeting the workers’ demands to maintain their current health care with no premium increases, strengthen job security, and add more time off, would cost GE just $75 million—which is only 1% of its 2024 profits.

In addition to over 600 GE workers represented by the UAW out on strike, about 550 IAM workers from GE’s Evendale site are honoring the picket line by refusing to work. This amounts to about 1,200 workers at GE that are not at work across two facilities.

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UAW Statement on Union Election at BlueOval SK

“Tonight, BlueOval SK workers won a majority of votes in an NLRB election to unionize their plant in Glendale, Kentucky, securing a hard-fought victory. This is a major step forward for workers who stood up against intense company opposition and chose to join the UAW.

“There are 41 challenge ballots still outstanding. We believe they are illegitimate and represent nothing more than an employer tactic to flood the unit and undermine the outcome. We will fight these challenges to defend the democratic choices of these workers, as we always do when corporations try to interfere with workers’ democratic choice. The challenged ballots are not part of the group of workers who built their union from the bottom up. They deserve to have their own union, in an appropriate bargaining unit with a representative of their own choosing.

“The UAW is calling on Ford to acknowledge the democratic decision of its workforce. They should immediately drop their anti-democratic effort to undermine the outcome of the election and recognize a majority of BlueOval SK’s production and maintenance employees have chosen to join the UAW and ensure battery jobs in Kentucky are good, safe, union jobs.”

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UAW Marks 90th Anniversary with New Video Highlighting Legacy of Struggle and Victory

Detroit, MI – This year, the United Auto Workers (UAW) celebrates its 90th anniversary. Founded in 1935, the UAW has been at the forefront of the labor movement, winning historic gains for working people and standing at the center of major struggles for civil rights, social justice, and economic fairness.

To mark the occasion, the union has released a new video highlighting the UAW’s nine decades of bold action—from the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936 to the Stand Up Strike of 2023 and beyond. The video lifts up the UAW’s proud tradition of fighting for fair wages, strong benefits, dignity on the job, and broader social and political change that has improved the lives of all working-class Americans.

“Our members have always understood that our fight is bigger than any one contract or workplace,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “For 90 years, the UAW has taken on billionaires and corporate power, and we’ve raised the standards for the entire working class. Our mission remains to fight the bosses, build worker power, and win a better world for working people.”

The full video is available here.

UAW 90th Anniversary Video Script

They said it couldn’t be done. But in 1935, autoworkers came together to form the United Auto Workers. Just a year later, they took bold action and changed American history when they launched the 1936 Flint sit-down strike. For 44 days, they refused to leave the GM plants until their voices were heard. Their actions set off a wave of strikes nationwide, igniting a new industrial labor movement.

From those first bold strikes to the Stand-Up Strike of 2023, the UAW has never stopped fighting. We won what no one thought possible: good wages, health care, pensions, a voice on the job, and dignity at work. We didn’t just raise the floor for autoworkers—we raised the bar for working-class Americans.

And we didn’t stop at the workplace. We marched with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in Detroit’s Walk to Freedom, helped organize the March on Washington, and stood with him in Memphis in 1968. We fought alongside Nelson Mandela and the people of South Africa—pushing for sanctions against apartheid when others stayed silent. And we’ve stayed true to these same principles — whether in South Africa, Palestine, or beyond.

We stood with César Chávez and the United Farm Workers, joined the fight for women’s rights, and defended immigrant workers. We backed the G.I. Bill for returning veterans, helped pass the Occupational Safety and Health Act, and fought for the Clean Air and Clean Water Acts.

When trade deals like NAFTA threatened our jobs, we sounded the alarm, and we have remained vigilant in fighting to protect our communities and our jobs. When the auto industry was on the brink in 2009, we sacrificed to save it—and then fought to win back what was ours. 

Today, as billionaires try to take more and make us settle for less, the UAW is on the rise again: We’re organizing higher education, battery plants, and new sectors of the economy. Winning record contracts at Ford, General Motors, Stellantis, Daimler Truck, Cornell University, and more. And proving—once again—that nothing moves without workers.

Ninety years in, our fight is far from over. But our spirit? Unbreakable. UAW. A fighting spirit. Since 1935.

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UAW Members at GE Aerospace Vote 84% to Authorize Strike at Two Facilities

CINCINNATI—Hundreds of GE Aerospace workers represented by UAW Local 647 voted 84% in favor of authorizing a strike. Their contract expires at midnight on August 27. GE’s impacted facilities include the Evendale, OH plant where workers build marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy, and the Erlanger, KY distribution facility that feeds GE plants all over the world. Core issues include job security, health care costs, and time off.

“Nobody wants to strike, but UAW members at GE Aerospace are overwhelmingly ready to because of the company’s outright insulting offers on the table,” said UAW Local 647 President Brian Strunk. “At some point you have to stand up, because a 36% increase in your health insurance isn’t sustainable, especially from a company whose CEO made $89 million last year alone.”

Between 2022 to 2024, GE Aerospace has reaped record revenue surpassing $100 billion for over $16 billion in shareholder distributions. CEO Larry Culp earned $89 million in 2024 alone—over 1,200 times more than the median worker’s annual income.

Meanwhile, as UAW members at GE bargain with management for a new contract, the company has responded by making insulting counteroffers that would increase health care costs for workers by 36% over four years and by refusing to address many of the good-faith proposals on the table. GE workers currently cite high health care costs as a primary source of financial difficulties.

For weeks, throughout bargaining, UAW-GE workers have mobilized, organizing mass plant solidarity walks every Wednesday at both the Erlanger and Evendale sites. Photo and video highlights from recent Wednesdays can be downloaded for use here. Additional videos distributed by the UAW can be found for use in this playlist here. For more information about bargaining, visit ge.uaw.org.

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UAW Local 647 represents over 600 GE Aerospace workers across two sites in Evendale, Ohio and Erlanger, Kentucky. UAW members in Evendale proudly build marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy. In Erlanger, UAW members are the distribution heart of GE global—feeding plants all over the world.

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UAW Members at GE Aerospace to Rally Ahead of Strike Authorization Vote

ERLANGER, KY—Hundreds of GE Aerospace workers represented by UAW Local 647 are rallying ahead of a contract expiration set for August 27 at midnight. After bargaining for weeks with the company, workers are frustrated with the lack of serious proposals put forth by GE that address core issues such as job security, health care costs, and time off. Following a contentious negotiation on Wednesday, the bargaining committee walked out and called for a strike authorization vote to be held this week.

WHO: Hundreds of UAW Local 647 members at GE Aerospace

WHAT: Rally ahead of strike authorization votes

WHERE: GE Aerospace facility, 1800 Donaldson Hwy, Erlanger, KY 41018 (rally will be near gate entrance at Delta Road)

WHEN: Thursday, August 21 at 1:30 p.m.

On Friday, August 22, UAW local 647 members at GE Aerospace’s facilities in Erlanger, KY and Evendale, OH will vote on whether to authorize a strike or not ahead of their contract expiration deadline on August 27 at midnight.

For weeks, UAW members at GE have been bargaining with management for a new contract. Core demands are around job security, health care costs, and time off. Throughout these negotiations, management has responded with either insulting counter-offers that would increase health care costs for workers by 40% over four years or by not offering any counters at all to good-faith proposals on the table.

During this time, workers have been mobilized, organizing mass plant solidarity walks every Wednesday at both the Erlanger and Evendale sites. Photo and video highlights from recent Wednesdays can be downloaded for use here. Additional videos distributed by the UAW can be found for use in this playlist here. For more information about bargaining, visit ge.uaw.org.

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UAW Local 647 represents hundreds of GE Aerospace workers across two sites in Evendale, Ohio and Erlanger, Kentucky. UAW members in Evendale proudly build marine and industrial engines for the U.S. Navy. In Erlanger, UAW members are the distribution heart of GE global—feeding plants all over the world.

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