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Back in the Fight: Our Generation’s Defining Moment at the Big Three

This week, top officers of the UAW participated in the union’s first-ever Unionwide Town Hall, themed “Back in the Fight: Our Generation’s Defining Moment at the Big Three.”

The National Town Hall is a new addition to the UAW constitution, passed by delegates at the 2022 Constitutional Convention, “to ensure an open flow of information and better communication with the UAW’s active and retired membership.”

President Shawn Fain laid out the union’s position towards the Detroit automakers. “These companies have been extraordinarily profitable, and our members have created incredible value for these companies during some really hard, and dangerous years,” Fain said. “They can afford our demands, and we expect them to pony up.”

Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock noted, “These companies can afford all of our demands. Since the Great Recession, as a result of our members’ hard work, the Big Three have been amassing an ocean of money.”

Vice President Rich Boyer spoke about the need to end the tier system in the upcoming contracts. “Tiers weaken us and undermine our solidarity by dividing us in our workplaces. Tiers must come to an end.”

Discussing the need to win back the reinstatement of COLA, Vice President Chuck Browning stated, “Inflation has gone up three times as much as our wages in the past three and a half years. That’s unacceptable, and unsustainable.”

Vice President Mike Booth spoke on the union prioritizing job security during the transition to electric vehicles. “It must be a just transition. That means workers aren’t left behind. The transition must do right by our members, our families, and our communities.”

View the full recording of the Town Hall, here.

Download the slides shown at the Town Hall, here.

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UAW Statement on Job Cuts at Stellantis

“Stellantis’ push to cut thousands of jobs while raking in billions in profits is disgusting,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “This is a slap in the face to our members, their families, their communities, and the American people who saved this company 15 years ago. Even now, politicians and taxpayers are bankrolling the electric vehicle transition, and this is the thanks the working class gets. Shame on Stellantis.”

UAW Vice President Rich Boyer said “Our union is working around the clock to get justice for the members impacted by these job cuts. We look forward to Stellantis doing the right thing by the workers who make this company run.”

Stellantis made $18 billion in profits in 2022, and paid CEO Carlos Tavares $25 million.

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Statement of UAW on Idling of Stellantis Belvidere Plant on February 28

Last December, Stellantis NV announced its decision to idle the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois on February 28, 2023, by refusing to put a new product into the award-winning plant.

“UAW Local 1268 members at Belvidere have proudly built vehicles for Chrysler, then FCA and now Stellantis since 1965. They have delivered quality and productivity for the corporation for generations,” says UAW President Ray Curry. “Stellantis’ ill-advised decision will have negative repercussions throughout the region and supplier network.  It will disrupt lives, uproot families, and leave communities struggling to find economic drivers to pay for schools, roads and other services.”

“It is notable that while Stellantis abandons this community after being part of it for almost sixty years, the corporation has benefitted from numerous and generous subsidies, federal loans, grants and tax abatements – all paid for by U.S. taxpayers,” adds UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell. “The cruelty of its decision was heightened last week when the company disclosed that CEO Carlos Tavares received a staggering compensation package of $24.8 million for 2022, despite the company’s shareholders questioning the excessive compensation given to Tavares in 2021.  All of this done by a global company which looks to the U.S. market for 48% of its revenue.”

Stellantis’ decision to idle the Belvidere Assembly Plant will not stand.

“We have immediately addressed the concerns of the 2300 affected employees by negotiating with the company on retirement packages, voluntary termination, as well as pre-retirement leaves to allow employees to grow into their retirement.  We are also working with interested members on the relocation process,” notes UAW Vice President and Director of the National Stellantis Department Rich Boyer.  “While the power of collective bargaining softens the blow for UAW Local 1268 members who work for Stellantis, we know that the options are much more limited for the supplier network which includes UAW members as well as the community at large. This economic dislocation is a choice made by Stellantis to reap even higher profits. We will highlight their corporate greed to workers, community, taxpayers, and consumers.”

The UAW will continue to demand that Stellantis put a product in the Belvidere Assembly Plant. This pattern of starving facilities of a product creates uncertainty for UAW members and raises questions about Stellantis’ commitment to the U.S.

UAW workers deserve better.  U.S. taxpayers who subsidize Stellantis deserve better. And U.S. consumers deserve better.

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Statement from UAW Vice President and Director of National Stellantis Department Rich Boyer on 2022 Profit Sharing Announcement

Detroit – Our union was successful in negotiating an enhanced profit-sharing formula with Stellantis in 2019.  The new formula more accurately reflects the contributions of UAW members to the success of Stellantis. Today’s announcement that eligible UAW-Stellantis members will receive a record average profit-sharing amount of $14,760 confirms that the skill, dedication, and hard work of UAW members are a critical part of the success of Mopar, Chrysler, Jeep, RAM, Wagoneer and Dodge.

The financial strength of Stellantis primarily relies on the company’s UAW workforce as evidenced by its financial report. Our members are the backbone of this company. We will continue to call on Stellantis to show our members the respect that is due to them by demanding that they provide a safe working environment to all employees and job security by investing in America.

While we recognize that this profit sharing amount is rightly deserved, we also know that there is much work to be done.  Our members at Belvidere (Local 1268) contributed to this profit sharing, yet the company has idled their plant.  That decision will not stand, and we will fight to reverse it with UAW members, the Belvidere community, the state of Illinois, taxpayers, consumers and all who stand against corporate greed.

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UAW Statement on Stellantis’ Decision to Idle Belvidere Assembly

“We are all deeply angered by Stellantis’ s decision to idle the Belvidere Assembly plant without a plan for future product,” says UAW Vice President and Director of the Stellantis Department Cindy Estrada.  “There are many vehicle platforms imported from other countries that could be built in Belvidere with skill and quality by UAW members at Belvidere.  The transition to electrification also creates opportunities for new product.  Companies like Stellantis receive billions in government incentives to transition to clean energy.  It is an insult to all taxpayers that they are not investing that money back into our communities.”

“We believe Stellantis is grossly misguided in idling this plant which has produced profits for the company since 1965,” adds UAW President Ray Curry. “Not allocating new product to plants like Belvidere is unacceptable. Announcing the closure just a few weeks from the holidays is also a cruel disregard for the contributions of our members from UAW Locals 1268 and 1761.  We will fight back against this announcement.”

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