Tag Archive for: Region 9A

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UAW Statement on New York Mayoral Primary Race

“The working class is done with business as usual. We were proud to be the first union to endorse Zohran because it’s time for a political movement that puts the working class first. Our members spoke out and turned out in a big way — and we’re just getting started. Congratulations to Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla on an exceptional field operation. Congratulations to Zohran for building a movement, and congratulations to the working-class New Yorkers for showing the world that when we unite and stand up nobody can stand in our way!” UAW President Shawn Fain

Video statement can be found here.

“The days of taking labor’s vote for granted are over. It’s time for labor to think about a bigger vision that lifts up and includes all working-class people. UAW members stepped up to fight for an affordable New York–and went to the mat for Zohran–because he made it clear whose side he’s on: workers.” UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla

Background
In December 2024, UAW Region 9A became the first union to endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor, recognizing that his campaign squarely confronted New York’s cost-of-living crisis. His platform—to build affordable housing, freeze rents, make buses fast and free, and provide universal childcare—echoed UAW’s demands to make life affordable for working-class New Yorkers, most of whom are renters and commuters. On May 30, UAW Region 9A reaffirmed its support, urging NYC UAW households to rank Mamdani first—making it the only major union to do so.

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UAW President Shawn Fain on NYC Mayor’s Race: “We don’t need another hack politician like Cuomo”

NEW YORK—Today, ahead of Tuesday’s primary election for New York City mayor, the UAW released a new video narrated by President Shawn Fain in an enthusiastic endorsement of Zohran Mamdani. The video, which is being targeted to the 40,000 UAW members and their households that live in New York City, directly calls out Andrew Cuomo as “another hack politician.”

“We don’t need another hack politician like Cuomo—someone who smiles for the cameras and then sells us out behind closed doors,” narrates UAW President Shawn Fain. “What we need is a national movement that unites the working class to take on the oligarchs and rebuild our democracy.

“And that is exactly the kind of movement that Zohran Mamdani is leading.”

The video is available for use by the media here. 

In December 2024, UAW Region 9A became the first labor union to endorse Zohran Mamdani for mayor, recognizing that his campaign, focused on the cost-of-living crisis, would resonate with New Yorkers. Moreover, Mamdani’s commitment to build affordable housing, freeze the rent, make buses fast and free, and institute universal childcare echoed the UAW’s demands to make life more affordable for working-class New Yorkers, the majority of whom are renters and commuters.

That’s why on May 30, UAW Region 9A called on its New York City UAW households to rank Mamdani first on the ballot.

“Zohran isn’t owned by Wall Street,” says Fain in the video’s voiceover. “He’s a fighter for free transit, housing for all, universal childcare, and a $30 an hour minimum wage. He believes in democracy—not just in city elections, but on the job, in our apartment buildings, and in our neighborhoods.”

The full transcript of the UAW’s new video for Zohran Mamdani narrated by President Shawn Fain is available below: 

In New York City, the UAW takes on some of the richest employers in the country.  

Employers like Mercedes Benz, Columbia University, NYU, and Sony. 

So we know a thing or two about how bosses act. 

They view the workplace like a dictatorship.  

The corporate class expects to be treated like kings.  

They mock our rights.  

They want us silent. Obedient. Disposable. 

They expect workers to sit down and shut up. 

That’s not just how they run their workplaces. It’s how they want to run our country. 

That’s exactly how Andrew Cuomo ran New York when he was Governor. 

He bullied and harassed workers. 

He protected billionaires. 

He cut Medicaid in the middle of a pandemic. 

And when striking UAW members needed his support on the picket line, he was nowhere to be found. 

Those days are over. 

Because across New York City and all over our country, the working class is rising up.

We aren’t being obedient. We’re being fearless. 

We are demanding higher wages. 

Healthcare for all. 

A secure retirement. 

A home we can afford. 

Because here is the secret truth that the billionaire class doesn’t want us to know: WE are the majority. 

And when we unite and stand up, nobody can stand in our way. 

Zohran isn’t owned by Wall Street. 

He’s a fighter for free transit, housing for all, universal childcare, and a $30 an hour minimum wage. 

He believes in democracy – not just in city elections, but on the job, in our apartment buildings, and in our neighborhoods. 

This campaign isn’t just about just winning an election. It’s about taking back our power. 

From the bosses. 

From the landlords. 

From the billionaires who think they own our future. 

We’ve had enough of the Cuomos of the world. 

Enough corruption. 

Enough broken promises. 

It’s time to organize. 

It’s time to fight. 

The UAW is proud to be the first union to endorse Zohran Mamdani. 

Now, it’s time to elect Zohran —and build a New York for the many, not the few. 

Because when the working class stands up, no one can stop us.

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UAW Releases New Video on Andrew Cuomo’s Failures for Working-Class New Yorkers

NEW YORK—Today, the UAW released a new video highlighting the failures of Andrew Cuomo as Governor of New York for working-class people and communities across the state. On Friday, UAW Region 9A endorsed Zohran Mamdani #1 for mayor along with a full ballot suggestion including explicit instructions to not rank Andrew Cuomo. UAW was the first union to endorse Mamdani and has been explicit in Cuomo’s failures for working people.

“In the UAW, our endorsements are earned,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We support politicians who stand with us, and who have the courage to fight for the working class.

“Zohran Mamdani has stood shoulder to shoulder with us in our fight against some of the toughest bosses in New York City. He’s been to countless UAW picket lines. He’s fought for better wages, for our livelihoods, and for a livable city for UAW members.

“We need new elected leaders who are not afraid to pick a side—politicians who will put workers over corporate donors every single time. That’s why our union is proud to support Zohran Mamdani and a ranked slate of pro-worker champions for mayor.”

The video can be accessed in full here and is free for use by the media.  

In 2019, UAW was the driving force behind the passage of a bill providing unemployment benefits for striking workers in the New York State legislature. Later that year, while waiting for then-Governor Cuomo to sign the bill into law, UAW members at General Motors went on a six-week strike. Instead of being able to access the benefits the legislature granted, UAW members were left in the lurch by Cuomo, who not only refused to sign the bill during the strike to provide immediate relief for the members, but also refused to visit the picket line in solidarity.

“We can’t trust politicians who got us into the current mess to lead us out,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla. “Especially when they refused to support striking workers when they needed help the most.

“20,000 UAW members in New York City know that they can stand up for a future in New York and reject the corruption and cronyism of Andrew Cuomo. We can fight for a future that includes a rent freeze, fast and free busses, and universal childcare. We have an alternative for working people on June 24 by ranking Zohran Mamdani #1 and our ranked choice slate.”

In 2023, when UAW members engaged in the historic Stand Up Strike, with the support of nearly every politician and 80% of Americans, Cuomo again was nowhere to be seen. Unlike the UAW’s endorsed slate of candidates for New York City Mayor, who have all shown up to countless picket lines in support of workers over the last decade, Andrew Cuomo has shown up to fewer picket lines than JD Vance.

Full transcript of the UAW’s new video about Cuomo’s anti-labor record here: 

UAW Local 1097 President (Rochester) Dan Maloney:

I’m sure other speakers will talk about the 15,000 seniors that died in New York State nursing homes due to Covid and the serious missteps of the Cuomo administration. I’m not here to talk about that.

I’m sure other speakers will discuss the multiple sexual harassment charges brought against former governor Cuomo, but that’s not what I’m here to talk about, either.

I’m here to tell you that when the United Auto Workers needed Governor Cuomo’s help, he turned his back on us.

UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla:

Our members want a better, safer, and more affordable city. Someone who passes up the opportunity to support workers in a time of crisis, that person is unfit to be mayor of working class New Yorkers.

UAW Region 9 CAP Director (Tonawanda) Wence Valentin III:

Our membership across the country went out on strike in September of 2019 against GM. UAW Region 9 and 9A worked hard, lobbied the state legislature to get a bill passed that would ensure that unemployment would come after one week.

Cuomo, as governor, had the chance to sign that bill into law. Not only did he not sign that bill into law, he never stepped foot on any of our strike lines. Let me repeat that. He never stepped foot on any of our strike lines. Cuomo was absent and ignored every one of our calls. This is a man who wants you all to believe he supports labor.

Zohran Mamdani:

We’re talking about a man who created tier six, which took more than $100,000 out of the pockets of working class public sector workers. A man who I just saw for the first time in my life just last week, describing tier six as ancient history.

The only thing that’s ancient history is Andrew Cuomo.

Brad Lander:

Enough with the corruption. Enough with the chaos. Enough with the yielding to corporate bosses. Let’s elect a mayor who works for working New Yorkers.

Dan Maloney:

When we needed Andrew Cuomo, Cuomo showed cowardice. So New Yorkers… Don’t get fooled again.

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UAW Marine Drafters Ratify Contract, Locking in Major Gains

Groton, CT—After an unprecedented contract campaign, UAW Local 571 members have ratified a new contract with General Dynamics – Electric Boat. Members voted by 85% to ratify the new agreement.

During the campaign, the local leadership rejected closed-door bargaining, and instead regularly updated their membership on negotiations. Union members built a new network of over 100 strike captains, and signed up 2,200 members, or more than 90% of the bargaining unit, for picket duty — mounting a serious threat of a strike.

The member-driven campaign resulted in major gains for members of the Marine Draftsmen Association (MDA). The five-year agreement, covering more than 2,400 workers in Groton who design our nation’s nuclear submarines, secures a 30% wage increase over the life of the agreement and an improved wage progression. In total, MDA-UAW members will see a cumulative $115,000 per-member increase in total compensation during the agreement.

“We did negotiations differently this time,” said Bill Louis, the President of Local 571. “Our members worked hard and got involved in our campaign. After more than a decade of ‘living to fight another day,’ we finally stood up and won the respect that all workers deserve.”

“I want to congratulate the members of MDA-UAW,” said UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla. “They showed that you don’t need to play by management’s rules. When union members get involved in the bargaining process, we win contracts that raise the standard for the entire working class.”

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In Major Escalation, UAW Members at General Dynamics – Electric Boat Authorize Strike, Hold Massive Rally

GROTON, CT – At a high-energy rally yesterday, UAW President Shawn Fain and Local 571 President Bill Louis stood shoulder-to-shoulder with more than a thousand union members to announce a major escalation in the ongoing labor dispute at General Dynamics Electric Boat.

The marine drafters — the highly skilled workforce responsible for designing the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet — have voted to authorize a strike against their employer, marking a pivotal moment in the fight for a fair contract. The decision highlights growing frustration with the defense contractor, which has reported massive profits even as the workers behind a cornerstone of the nation’s nuclear deterrence fight for a contract that delivers on their core priorities — including fair pay, retirement security for all, and dignity on the job.

After announcing that the strike authorization vote was successful, Fain said, “These workers aren’t just drafting blueprints — they’re designing the backbone of our national defense. This isn’t just any job — it’s mission-critical work, funded by the American taxpayer. And yet, while General Dynamics pockets billions in government contracts, the very people doing this essential work are being left behind. That’s not just unfair — it’s outrageous. The company has a choice. They can get back to the table and get serious about our demands. Or they can keep messing around. The choice is theirs. And the clock is ticking.”

UAW members at Electric Boat are fighting to win cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) so their pay keeps up with inflation, affordable healthcare, and the restoration of pensions, which were taken from workers hired after 2010. Despite raking in over $13 billion in profits over the past three years, General Dynamics is pushing for 52% to 161% increases in weekly medical insurance costs. The company reaps the benefits of massive, years-long contracts to replenish the U.S. Navy’s nuclear submarine fleet — a project that highlights the critical nature of the work done by Electric Boat employees.

JoAnna McClenathan, a UAW member and Councillor at MDA Local 571, ended her remarks by calling on her fellow coworkers to act in the coming weeks. “If we don’t fight now—if we don’t pressure the company for something better—this company will continue to cut until there is nothing left for us or the next generation of workers,” said McClenathan. “We need to stand together today so we don’t fall further behind tomorrow.”

Inferior compensation at Electric Boat is leading to worker shortages and production delays. In 2024, the Navy stated that Virginia-class submarines and Columbia-class subs are now years behind schedule because of “skilled labor shortages.”

The company has refused to bargain with good faith, hiring well-known anti-union firm Morgan Lewis. Their intimidation tactics have resulted in unfair labor practice (ULP) charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

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Billions in Profits, Cuts for Workers: UAW Workers at Electric Boat Turn Up the Heat in Fight for Fair Contract

GROTON, CT – More than 2,400 UAW Local 571 members at General Dynamics – Electric Boat are turning up the pressure in their fight for a fair contract — rallying to demand better wages, retirement security for all, and respect on the job.

Fresh off the expiration of their contract on April 4, these skilled workers — who design submarines for the U.S. military — are sending a clear message to the company: it’s time to deliver a contract that honors their critical work.

The rally marks an escalation in ongoing negotiations, as UAW members stand united around core priorities like improved pay, retirement security for all, and dignity at work.

General Dynamics, despite raking in over $13 billion in profits over the past three years, is pushing for 52% to 161% increases in weekly medical insurance costs. Meanwhile, the company reaps the benefits of a massive, years-long contract to replenish the U.S. Navy’s nuclear ballistic missile submarine fleet — a project that highlights the critical nature of the work done by Electric Boat employees.

Ahead of the action, the union released a new video outlining their key demands, which can be accessed here on YouTube (media is invited to use the footage).

WHAT: Rally with UAW Local 571 members at General Dynamics – Electric Boat

WHERE: 75 Eastern Pt Rd., Groton, CT 06340

WHEN: Thursday, April 10 at 2:00pm ET

Workers at General Dynamics – Electric Boat have faced eroded wages, reduced pensions, and a lack of cost-of-living adjustments to protect against inflation, which is typical in the defense sector. Additionally, General Dynamics has hired a well-known anti-union firm, employing intimidation tactics and engaging in bad faith bargaining. The company is currently facing numerous unfair labor practice (ULP) charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

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At 37 Actions Across the US, Tens of Thousands Rally to Stop Cuts to Federal Research, Health and Education

Detroit, MI — Thousands of people across the country came together yesterday for Kill the Cuts, a national Day of Action to raise awareness and fight back against the Trump administration’s devastating attacks on research, health, and higher education. The events (see the full list here) were sponsored by a coalition of education, labor and health advocates, including UAW, SEIU, AFSCME, UE, NEA, AFT, CWA, AAUP, HELU, Labor for Higher Education, the Debt Collective, and more.

Researchers and educators who have had their funding cut spoke about the effects this assault on publicly-funded research is having at their institutions and across the country. Below is a collection of remarks and associated photography:

 

“NIH is the bedrock of American health,” said Haley Chatelaine, a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institutes of Health and member of UAW 2750, which represents 5,000 workers there. “I’ve spoken with patients whose lives depended on the groundbreaking research we do. Any delay–whether it’s due to pauses in grant funding or firings of federal workers–puts Americans’ health at risk. That’s why we, the workers who do the research, are standing up to protect it.” (Photos here, credit UAW)

“By cutting funds to lifesaving research and medical care, the Trump administration is abandoning families who are suffering and costing taxpayers billions of dollars,” said Rafael Jaime, president of UAW 4811, which represents 48,000 workers at the University of California. “These cuts are dangerous to our health, and dangerous to our economy.” (Photos here, credit UAW)

“Federal research funding is critical to my research into how neurons in our brains communicate, making it possible to develop better therapeutics for severe health conditions that range from cancer to depression to learning disorders,” said Dagan Marx, a Postdoc at Weill Cornell Medicine and member of the Weill Cornell Medicine Postdocs United-UAW Bargaining Committee. “Recklessly slashing funding that institutions like Weill Cornell depend on for medical breakthroughs and supporting researchers has devastating impacts on our research and our working conditions.” (Photos here, credit New York City Central Labor Council)

“I’m proud to be researching ways to better detect ovarian cancer after losing my mom to the disease two years ago. There are still no routine screening tests for ovarian cancer, which would save lives. Without funding from the NIH, breakthroughs won’t happen and that’s a tremendous loss for research and the general public,” said Mari Hoffman, an Academic Student Employee in Molecular & Cellular Biology at the University of Washington and member of UAW 4121. (Photos here, credit UAW)

 

President Trump has recently issued Executive Orders attacking the NIH, NSF, while dismantling the Department of Education. These attacks jeopardize medical and scientific progress and threaten the jobs of researchers across the country studying critical topics including climate change, renewable energy, cancer, viral pandemics, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s. Not only do these attacks impede lifesaving care for millions of Americans, but delays in treatment are projected to cost the public billions of dollars.

More information about the National Day of Action and a list of rally locations can be found at www.killthecuts.org.

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UAW President Shawn Fain Headlining Allentown “Rally with the Working Class” with Rep. Susan Wild, UAW Members and Leaders

The rally kicks off a day of union-led door-to-door canvassing to elect UAW champions in the Allentown, PA area. 

 

WHAT: UAW “Rally with the Working Class” to elect Harris-Walz

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain, PA-07 Rep. Susan Wild, UAW Region 9 Director Daniel Vicente, UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla

WHEN: Sunday, Oct. 20, 10:30 a.m. ET

WHERE: UAW Local 677, 2101 Mack Blvd. #1, Allentown, PA 18103

RSVP to team@feldmanstrategies.com

 

ALLENTOWN, PA – On Sunday, UAW President Shawn Fain and U.S. Rep. Susan Wild (CD-7) will join UAW members, leaders, and allies at the “Rally with the Working Class” to elect Kamala Harris and Tim Walz and Democrats up and down the ballot. Sunday’s rally is a joint event hosted by UAW Regions 9 and 9A.

“Kamala Harris is the candidate of the working class,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “She stood with us on the picket line while Donald Trump did nothing. She and President Biden bet on the American worker and brought manufacturing jobs back to the U.S. Donald Trump doubled down on NAFTA and sent our jobs to Mexico. He is a con man and a scab. He will side with the billionaires and sell out to the working class. Kamala Harris stands with us and that’s why UAW members are standing up, speaking up and showing up to elect her president.”

In August, the UAW launched its most ambitious political program in decades. The Union’s program includes mobilizing UAW members online, at worksites, and in the field with a door-to-door program to reach members, retirees, and their families around a pro-worker, anti-Corporate Greed agenda. The Union’s one million active and retired members form a core base of support for the Harris-Walz campaign and will provide a major piece of the campaign’s margin of victory in key races in battleground states like Pennsylvania, Ohio, Wisconsin, and Michigan.

The UAW’s plan to win stems from the vision that launched 2023’s Stand Up strike and movement. By putting out the facts, uniting the working class, and letting members lead the way, the UAW’s “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up” campaign will mobilize a mass campaign to defeat the billionaire class at the ballot box.

At UAWStandUp2024.org, UAW members will find resources, videos, flyers, and links to factual information around the candidates’ records, and why the UAW is ready to stand up, speak up, and show up in November.

Press must RSVP to team@feldmanstrategies.com

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Economic Justice Victory for Automobile Technicians in New York State

Today, September 4, 2024, New York State Governor Hochul will be signing a.4066B (Burgos) / s.5085C (Kennedy) into law. This law Requires Motor Vehicle Dealer Franchisors to Fully Compensate Franchised Motor Vehicle Dealers for Warranty Service Agreements.

As of today, New York State will ensure that Technicians employed at Dealerships will earn equal pay for equal work.

The UAW is proud to have led the fight for the passage of this legislation that supports the highly skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced Technicians who serve as the backbone of Dealerships across New York State.

With today’s signing, New York State will abolish the two-tiered compensation system imposed by the highly profitable Vehicle Manufactures. The Manufactures were permitted, by law, to pay less than fair-market labor time allowances to Technicians for diagnostic and warranty / recall repairs they perform versus the actual fair market labor time allowances charged for out-of-warranty diagnostic and repairs because yesterday’s law offered no definition for what “reasonable compensation” meant.

Today, New York State will define “reasonable compensation” to mean the labor time allowances published in the retail labor time guides utilized by Dealerships for non-warranty diagnostic and repairs. It will also require Vehicle Manufactures to fully fund warranty diagnostic and repairs at Dealerships which enables the Dealerships to pay the equitable labor time allowances to Technicians.

This change is monumental and will add $900 million to New York’s taxable wage base while putting money in New Yorker’s pockets, not multinational corporations. Today, New York State will effectively increase the weekly earnings for both union and non-union Technicians.

Today, New York State is living up to our state motto, Excelsior; we are slamming the door shut on this egregious example of corporate greed. Highly skilled, knowledgeable, and experienced Technicians will no longer have the vehicle manufacturers ripping off their labor, as today, economic justice prevails!

Special recognition to Local 259 members Carlos Gonzalez, Daniel Kunz, Paul Scaperotta, Estaban Sanchez, Will Ganshaw, Tim Gray, Bill Glynn, Krystine Ahearne, Saif Ahmed, Roger Sterk, Sebastian Ragonesi, Paul Tubito, and Pat McGrath. Each sacrificed many hours and days traveling to Albany so to lobby the Assembly and Senate. There were many ups and some significant downs, but we never blinked, we did not give up, and we did not give in.

And many thanks and much solidarity to our sisters and brothers in Region 9 and particularly Locals 686, 774, 897 and 1097. This legislation would not be possible without them. The greedy manufacturers attempted to splinter us, but because there was never any daylight in our SOLIDARITY, we prevailed!

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The Bronx Defenders Union Announces Unlimited Unfair Labor Practice Strike Beginning Week of July 22, 2024

Bronx, NY  – On July 2, 2024, one day after the contract between The Bronx Defenders (BxD) and its wall-to-wall union, The Bronx Defenders Union–UAW Local 2325 (BxD Union), expired, BxD Union’s Bargaining Committee voted to authorize an unlimited Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) strike beginning the week of July 22, 2024.

The difficult decision to authorize a strike comes after the Bargaining Committee attempted for months to engage BxD’s executive management team in bargaining without success. BxD’s failure to bargain in good faith—an unfair labor practice—has left BxD Union with no choice but to call for a strike. 

“For the past six months, the Bargaining Committee has worked tirelessly to meet the demands of all 260 of our members. BxD Management, in their failure to bargain in good faith, has shown us that they don’t serve the Bronx communities we defend. Sadly, the solidarity, equity, and empathy with which our union operates appears foreign to them,” said Tyler Johnson, Bronx native, Civil Legal Advocate, and member of the Bargaining Committee. “Nonetheless, BxD Union stands ready to show BxD Management the value of our labor and the power of our collective solidarity. We cannot be bullied, gaslit, or intimidated. We’re ready to strike.”

The Bargaining Committee was empowered to call for a strike by a historic strike authorization vote. On June 27, 2024, with 93% of members participating, 93% of BxD Union voted to authorize the Bargaining Committee to call for a strike if necessary. With this vote, BxD Union became the first of the alternate providers formed after 1994 to authorize a strike in thirty years, since the Legal Aid Society went on strike under Mayor Giuliani.

Members of BxD Union cannot effectively defend the people of the Bronx when they are among the lowest-paid public defenders in New York City, contending with high attrition and unmanageable caseloads. On strike, they will protest BxD’s unfair labor practices and call for competitive salaries and benefits, no rollbacks of existing benefits and protections, a one-year contract, and key noneconomic benefits, including free speech and sustainable working conditions.

BxD Union is prepared to return to the bargaining table and make every effort to avoid this strike. BxD’s management can avert the extreme disruption a strike will cause, including interruption of client services, by agreeing to BxD Union’s reasonable contractual framework.

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