NEWTON, IA – As UAW Local 997 members continue to walk the picket line on strike against Thombert in Newton, Iowa, they still make sure to find the time to give back to their local community. While picketing last week, strikers were thinking of ways they could help out local residents. “One of the workers on strike has a son who owns a lawn mowing business,” said Local 997 member, David Davidson, who has worked at Thombert for almost four years. “His son offered to let us use his equipment if we wanted to help these folks mow their lawns. We ...
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On Tuesday, August 1, 84 members of Local 997 went on strike at Thombert, Inc. in Newton, IA, after the company refused to bargain until just a week before the current collective bargaining agreement was set to expire on July 24. Workers at Thombert produce polyurethane wheels for electric forklifts. They are fighting for fair wages and healthcare costs, a better work-life balance, and to maintain the current Accident and Sickness benefits which currently begin on day one of a claim. The company is proposing that Accident and Sickness benefits should begin on the eighth day instead. “We brought the ...
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Sheboygan, WI – 1,500 members of UAW Local 833 have ratified a new five-year agreement with the Kohler Company that will increase wages and improve benefits. Local 833 members work in production and skilled trades positions at the company’s Village of Kohler and Town of Mosel manufacturing facilities in Kohler, WI. “The new contract addressed the key issues that are important to our membership,” local President, Tim Tayloe, said. “The wage increases, and retirement benefits will help Kohler hire and retain the best workers in the region. I’m glad we were able to reach a new agreement that will help ...
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Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell: “Master Lock was forged into the American icon that it is today by the hardworking people of the USA; by the workers right here in Milwaukee.”
Two big Kansas City winners were honored at the White House on Monday. Along with the Super Bowl LVII Champion Kansas City Chiefs, President Joe Biden welcomed brand-new UAW member Hafsa Sheikh-Hussein. She was there representing over 400 workers at the Yanfeng plant outside Kansas City in Riverside, MO., who voted to join UAW Local 710 last month. Yanfeng workers organized to put an end to low pay, lack of seniority rights, understaffed shifts, and little to no work-life balance at the facility. “Winning our union was a big deal and getting to celebrate it with the Super Bowl champions ...
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Delegates celebrated the 35th Anniversary of the Region 4 Veterans Conference at the Pat Greathouse Center from May 18-21, 2023. Attendees participated in workshops and meetings, listened to a number of speakers, and enjoyed fellowship with one another during the four day event. The Conference convened on Friday morning with the Posting of Colors by the Minnesota Color Guard. Region 4 Veterans Council Chair Horace Hubbard Jr. then opened the Conference by welcoming all in attendance. Veterans Coordinator, Ted Dever, Region 4 Assistant Director, Lucas DeSpain, and Region 4 Director, Brandon Campbell each spoke during introductions as well. Director Campbell ...
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UAW family, This past month has been a very busy one for our union, and I’m excited to share what we’ve been working on. This week, I spoke directly to the membership about our progress, and our major fights ahead. If you missed it, check it out here. The Electric Vehicle transition remains a core issue for our union. Right now, we have UAW members in Lordstown, Ohio, making batteries for a GM “joint venture” called Ultium, earning just $16.50 an hour. EVs aren’t just coming – they’re here. And we support a clean auto industry. But we need to ...
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Hundreds of workers at the Yanfeng USA Riverside Facility outside Kansas City, Missouri have voted to join UAW Local 710 with 310 yes votes to 26 no. This is the sixth UAW-organized Yanfeng facility, joining over 1,000 members at the supplier in Highland Park, Romulus, and Monroe, Michigan, Mississauga, Ontario, and McCalla, Alabama. The Riverside location produces parts for the General Motors Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas City, represented by UAW Local 31. Yanfeng workers organized to put an end to low pay, lack of seniority rights, understaffed shifts, and little to no work-life balance. Workers of color have faced ...
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After 65 days on the picket line, workers at Metal-Matic in Bedford Park, Illinois have ratified their first union contract, winning equal pay for equal work, and an end to major pay disparities. The 140 workers who make steel tubing for major automakers and suppliers joined UAW Local 588 in June of 2021, and have been fighting for a first contract for nearly two years. “These UAW members held a 24/7 picket line for two months through torrential rain, hurricane-force winds, and bitter cold,” said UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell. “They showed us all the power of solidarity.” “If ...
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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 ...
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