More than $1.5 billion in stolen wages recovered for workers between 2021 and 2023

Labor unions are essential in fighting wage theft by promoting workers’ rights and fair pay. They offer resources and collective bargaining power to address issues like unpaid overtime and misclassification. By securing stronger contracts with clear wage terms and educating workers about their rights, unions empower employees to identify and report wage theft. Furthermore, unions advocate for stricter enforcement of labor laws, which helps ensure employer accountability and fosters a more equitable work environment.

A federal legislation known as the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) sets minimum wages, overtime compensation, and rules for child labor. Workers must be paid for all hours worked in accordance with the FLSA. Nonetheless, wage theft by big corporations removes billions of dollars from workers’ paychecks annually. Anytime an employer fails to give employees the money they have earned through their efforts, it is considered wage theft. This can take many different forms, such as paying employees less than the minimum wage or failing to provide overtime compensation to qualified employees who put in more than 40 hours per week. Although wage theft can happen to any worker, it is particularly common among those in low-paying industries. Thankfully, employees can recover their owed earnings under federal and state wage and hour laws.

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10 Major Social Media Trends in 2025

Effective communication is crucial for labor unions, fostering collaboration, trust, and engagement among members.

You can sustain or increase the success of your local labor communications by keeping up with social media trends. While some social media trends, like memes, might change rapidly, others are more permanent, and you can use these to guide your content schedule and overall social media plan.

As UAW President Shawn Fain stated, “We don’t win by telling workers what to do, what to say, or how to say it. We win by giving working-class people the tools, the inspiration, and the courage to stand up for themselves.” Labor communications give our members the tools and the inspiration to change not only their lives but also help those in our communities by raising the standards.

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UAW IN THE NEWS — Victory for UAW Workers! Stellantis Recommits, Pledges Billions for Union Jobs

After months of determined efforts, the UAW has secured a major win for American autoworkers! Stellantis has committed billions to honor the 2023 contract promises, including reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in 2027 with a new midsize truck and building the next-gen Dodge Durango in Detroit.

These commitments, initially walked back by former leadership, are now being fulfilled thanks to workers standing united.

“This victory is a testament to the power of workers standing together and holding a billion-dollar corporation accountable,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We’ve shown that we will do what it takes to protect the good union jobs that are the lifeblood of places like Belvidere, Detroit, Kokomo, and beyond.”

Together, we’ve shown that when workers demand accountability, we can achieve real progress.

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UAW IN THE NEWS — Battery Workers at BlueOval SK in Kentucky File for First Major Union Election in the South in 2025

Battery workers across the country are organizing to join the UAW and raise standards across the industry. Last year, workers at GM’s joint venture Ultium in Spring Hill joined our union just months after their coworkers in Lordstown won a breakthrough first contract.

Workers at Ford are close behind.

A supermajority of workers at battery maker BlueOval SK filed a petition Tuesday with the National Labor Relations Board for a vote to form their union with the UAW. The election filing at BlueOval SK (BOSK), a new joint venture of Ford and SK On, is the first major filing in the South in 2025 and continues the movement of Southern autoworkers organizing with the UAW.

“We’re forming our union so we can have a say in our safety and our working conditions,” said Halee Hadfield, a quality operator at BOSK. “The chemicals we’re working with can be extremely dangerous. If something goes wrong, a massive explosion can occur. With our union, we can speak up if we see there’s a problem and make sure we’re keeping ourselves and the whole community safe.”

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UAW YEAR IN REVIEW 2024

2024 was a big year for UAW members. From auto workers winning their union at Volkswagen in Chattanooga to thousands of higher education workers organizing across the country, our members are standing up to the boss and winning! And we’re just getting started.