Tag Archive for: Region 2B

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UAW Endorses Sherrod Brown for US Senate

The UAW has officially endorsed Sherrod Brown for US Senate, and is committed to sending a working class fighter back to DC to represent the nearly 100,000 active and retired UAW members who live and vote in Ohio. Sherrod Brown has a proven track record battling corporate interests and taking on the broken status quo in Washington.

The UAW Ohio CAP (Community Action Program) Council formally voted to endorse Brown, and will mobilize hundreds of thousands of working-class Ohioans to elect Brown to the US Senate.

“Sherrod is more than an ally of the UAW; he is an honorary union brother,” said UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green. “Ohioans don’t need another representative who leaves us wondering whose side they’ll be on when it matters. We know exactly where Sherrod Brown stands, because he has been in the fight with the UAW and the working-class time and time again. I am proud of our members for committing to elect working-class fighters like Sherrod.”

“Today, the top 1% have more wealth than the bottom 95% of humanity combined – that is a crisis. Sherrod Brown is one of the only politicians who understands this crisis and won’t cower to billionaires when faced with a tough fight,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “The UAW is proud to endorse candidates like Sherrod who will stand with the working class against our common enemy: corporate greed.”

“Throughout my career, I’m proud to have stood with UAW members fighting for the dignity of work and ensuring that workers always have a seat at the table,” said Sherrod Brown. “Connie and I drive Jeeps assembled in Toledo by UAW workers, and earlier this year, I was proud to stand in solidarity with UAW members in Evendale as they fought for a fair contract. I’m honored to once again have the UAW’s support as we continue the fight for Ohio workers and push back against corporate greed and special interests.”

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Statement on Ohio Redistricting Power Play

The following statement was issued by UAW Region 2B Director Dave Green.

Ohio’s Republican leadership is once again trying to rig the rules, pick their voters, and cling to power instead of doing the work Ohioans need. While families struggle with rising costs and communities fight for good jobs, affordable healthcare, and safe neighborhoods, politicians in Columbus are focused on one thing: protecting themselves and the wealthy special interests they serve.

They want to draw Ohio’s voting maps behind closed doors so they can choose their voters instead of the other way around. We’ve seen this before—five times the Ohio Supreme Court ruled these gerrymandered maps unconstitutional, and twice they struck down congressional maps. But instead of respecting the will of the people, politicians chose secrecy, power grabs, and broken promises.

Fair maps are not a partisan issue; they are a democracy issue. When political insiders manipulate district lines to keep themselves in office, working people lose. Enough is enough. Stop rigging the system for politicians and corporate donors and start delivering for Ohio’s workers, our communities, and our future.

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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 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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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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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 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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StarPlus Workers in Indiana Win Union as Majority Sign Cards to Join the UAW

KOKOMO, Ind. — A majority of workers at StarPlus Energy in Kokomo, Indiana, have signed cards to join the UAW, and the company has agreed to recognize their union. StarPlus, a joint venture between Stellantis and Samsung SDI, stayed neutral during the process and did not stand in the way of the 420 workers who chose to organize. With no threats or pressure, workers came together and won their union as soon as a majority signed cards.

“This is a big deal for StarPlus workers in Indiana,” said Frank Bush, a worker at StarPlus. “We were able to decide our future without intimidation, and now we’re on a path to the good pay and benefits, and respect on the job that other autoworkers in battery are winning.”

StarPlus workers are joining a growing wave of union wins across the Midwest and South. Their success follows major victories at other battery plants, including Lordstown, Ohio, and Spring Hill, Tennessee, where workers unionized with the UAW and won strong agreements.

“The UAW members at StarPlus stood up to make sure battery jobs are good union jobs,” said Dave Green, Director of UAW Region 2B. “Workers in Indiana and across the region, know they deserve fair wages, workplace protections, and the dignity that UAW members have been fighting for the last 90 years. As a union family, they need to know that we’re going to have their back every step of the way.”

The Kokomo plant started production earlier this year and is part of a larger expansion of electric vehicle battery manufacturing in the U.S. The victory in Kokomo adds to the momentum sparked by the breakthrough contracts won by UAW members at the Lordstown and Spring Hill plants, which included major wage increases and strong health and safety protections.

“Joining the union is going to help us build a better life,” said Anna Deweese, another StarPlus worker. “We’re not asking for the moon—we just want decent pay, affordable healthcare, and to have protections in an uncertain economy.”

Sara Kidwell, also at StarPlus, added, “When you’re on your own, it’s hard to speak up. But when we stand together, they’ve got to listen. That’s what being in a union is all about.”

The protections won through the Big Three agreement provide a powerful framework for workers at new EV plants like StarPlus. With strong union support, workers are now in a better position to secure fair wages, safe workplaces, and long-term stability in this fast-growing industry.

While workers in Kokomo move forward, others are still waiting for a fair shot. At BlueOval SK in Kentucky, workers have filed for a union election but remain in limbo as the company and Ford drag out the process and deploy intimidation and surveillance tactics. The BlueOval SK facility was recently the subject of a Louisville Courier-Journal exposé, which detailed hazardous working conditions, including chemical exposure, mold, bat infestations, and workplace injuries. Workers there have pointed to the promise of union protections as a key reason for coming together. They continue to fight for a voice on the job, for safety, and for dignity—just like the workers at StarPlus.

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UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement with Rolls-Royce

Indianapolis — The UAW has reached a groundbreaking tentative agreement with Rolls-Royce ahead of the contract’s expiration at midnight on Wednesday, February 26. This agreement follows a major rally the day prior and the escalation of a credible strike threat against the world’s second-largest manufacturer of aircraft engines.

The five-year agreement, covering more than 800 workers in Indianapolis, delivers significant economic gains, including the elimination of wage tiers, double-digit wage increases, a true profit-sharing plan that the company cannot manipulate arbitrarily, improved retirement benefits, and a Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) that will now be rolled into base pay for all workers.

In a direct address to membership, UAW President Shawn Fain outlined key parts of the deal and reflected on the tenacity of the Rolls-Royce membership and bargaining committee.

To view President Fain’s remarks in full, head to UAW’s Facebook page, and read Fain’s prepared remarks below. The media is invited to use these materials.
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UAW President Shawn Fain Prepared Remarks on Rolls-Royce Negotiations, February 26, 2025

For months, the Local 933 bargaining team has been hard at work, negotiating to win a contract for our members that truly represents the massive profits they make for this company.

Our members at Rolls-Royce do incredibly important work.

The company is the second largest manufacturer of aircraft engines in the world, and the facility here in Indianapolis produces aircraft engines for our nation’s military.

Our members are proud of the work they do, and it’s their blood, sweat, and tears that make Rolls-Royce’s billions in profits possible.

I’m proud to stand here today with this bargaining team and Region 2B Director Dave Green to announce to our membership that we have reached a tentative agreement that reflects the hard work and sacrifices made by our members.

So, let’s take a look at what’s in the TA. First: We are ending wage tiers at Rolls-Royce!

For the lowest tier — Tier 4 — you are going to see an $18.79 raise over the life of this agreement. That’s a raise of 68%.

That’s a life changing wage increase.

For Tier 2, they will immediately be brought to the legacy rate.

At the beginning of the final year of the contract, ALL PRODUCTION WORKERS at Rolls-Royce will be making a top wage of $46.37 an hour. And that does NOT include COLA.

Similarly, At the beginning of the final year of the contract, skilled trades will be making over $50 an hour.

Next, I want to talk about COLA.

Rolls-Royce has a big COLA. But not everyone gets it, and nobody gets it folded into their base pay.

This means that our wages don’t necessarily keep up with inflation over time. It also means that when workers get a raise, it doesn’t include the COLA.

With this agreement, EVERYONE gets COLA, with the same strong formula we’ve had previously.

And everyone will get COLA folded into their base pay.

We also are seeing healthy general wage increases, more than twice as high as the previous contract.

We told the company, we needed wage increases in EVERY year of the agreement.

At the new UAW, we will no longer accept lump sum bonuses in the place of wage increases which increase our lifetime earnings.

That’s how you raise the standard of living for the working class. That’s what we deserve and we aren’t going to accept anything less.

I’m also excited to announce that we won back true profit sharing at Rolls Royce.

For years, Rolls-Royce has been giving out a bonus that they called profit share, but that bonus was based on a formula that wasn’t transparent and that management could change on a whim.

Now we are back to a profit sharing formula based on the company’s publicly shared profit margins. That’s the same way we do it at the Big Three.

Our new profit sharing formula means the company can’t lie, they can’t hide, and it means that Rolls-Royce members are going to earn on average thousands of more dollars than they have in the past.

We worked hard to get more vacation for our members.

Some workers in the middle of their career are going to see an additional two days of vacation. Workers with four years or less are going to receive an ENTIRE additional week of vacation.

One of the biggest and thorniest issues in bargaining was retirement.

For legacy workers, we are excited to announce that we successfully increased the monthly Basic benefit rate from $60.94 to $65 per year of credited service.

That’s a bigger increase to the monthly Basic benefit rate than the last two contracts combined. It’s the biggest increase in twenty years.

For those with a 401(k), we raised the company match from 5% to 7% while keeping the additional 3% company contribution.

There is so much more that was won in this contract, but these are just a few of the highlights that we were excited to share with you tonight.

While the bargaining team behind me are extremely proud of this TA and all of the work that it took to win it, we know that, ultimately, this decision is up to our members and our members alone.

The membership is always the highest authority in the UAW.

In the coming days, Local 933 will be rolling out highlighters and sharing the TA’d language and holding roll-out meetings where members will be able to ask our bargaining team any questions they have before they vote on whether to ratify this agreement.

I want to close by saying this bargaining team has worked their assess off for the membership.

They stood up to the company and demanded a historic agreement and I’m proud to say that is exactly what they won.

Following the success of the Stand Up Strike at the Big Three, we have seen UAW members win massive gains in historic agreements at Allison Transmission, Daimler Trucks, Cornell University, and now here at Rolls-Royce.

And all of those victories were made possible by the membership. Winning strong agreements is only possible when our members are organized and united.

It only happens when the company looks over the shoulder of our bargaining team and sees an army of fired up and fed up members who are ready to do what it takes to win what they deserve.

That is exactly what happened here this week when hundreds of members showed up to rally in support of their bargaining team and show the company that they were ready to strike if needed.

I’m so proud of my UAW family and I’m incredibly honored to be back home again in Indiana, the home of Local 933 to celebrate this massive victory.

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