Tag Archive for: Shawn Fain

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UAW Stellantis Locals Prepare Grievances Over Company’s Failure to Keep Product Commitments, Paving Way for Strike Action, if Necessary

Several UAW locals representing tens of thousands of workers under the national UAW Stellantis agreement are prepared to file grievances over the company’s failure to keep its investment commitments and honor the union contract, paving the way for a national strike at Stellantis, if necessary. 

For more information, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise.

“This company made a commitment to autoworkers at Stellantis in our union contract, and we intend to enforce that contract to the full extent,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “On behalf of autoworkers everywhere, we’re standing up against a company that wants to go back on its commitments and drive a race to the bottom at the expense of the American worker.” 

In the 2023 UAW Stellantis agreement, the union won the right to strike over product and investment commitments, and a historic commitment to reopen Belvidere Assembly, which was indefinitely idled in early 2023. Since ratification, the company has gone back on its product commitments at Belvidere, and has been unreceptive in talks with the union to stay on track. 

Aside from the impact on Belvidere, this glaring violation of the contract imperils all of the other investment commitments the company has made, and also impacts Stellantis members nationally, as they will not have those jobs for transfer opportunities in the event of layoffs. 

Under the UAW Stellantis contract, once an issue has been taken through the grievance procedure, the union may authorize a strike over the grievance. UAW Stellantis members are prepared to take action if necessary. 

Some of the largest locals that may file these grievances include UAW Local 12 (Toledo Assembly, Toledo, OH); Local 140 (Warren Truck, Warren, MI); Local 1700 (Sterling Heights Assembly, Sterling Heights, MI); Local 7 (Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson, Detroit, MI); Local 51 (Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack, Detroit, MI); Local 685 (Kokomo Transmission, Kokomo, IN); and Local 1166 (Kokomo Casting, Kokomo, IN). Any local covered under the national UAW Stellantis agreement may file these grievances at any time. 

The language of the grievance filed is as follows:

“The Company has informed the Union that it will not launch the Belvidere Consolidated Mopar Mega Hub in 2024, it will not begin stamping operations for the Belvidere Mega Hub in 2025 and it will not begin production of a midsize truck in Belvidere in 2027.  The Company’s failure to plan for, fund and launch these programs constitute a violation of the U.S. Investment letter in the P&M and OC&E Collective Bargaining Agreements.  During 2023 National Negotiations the parties agreed to the investment plan for Belvidere to address job security concerns impacting bargaining unit members throughout the entire system.  The Company’s failure to honor its commitments in the U.S. Investment letter is a serious concern to all bargaining unit members. 

Demand:  The Union demands that the Company rescind its decision to push back the above-referenced launches and immediately plan for and fund the Belvidere investments in order to comply with the agreed upon timeline for launching the Belvidere Mega Hub (2024), the Belvidere Stamping operation (2025) and Belvidere midsize truck production (2027).” 

For more information, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise.

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“Something is Rotten at Stellantis”: In New Video, UAW Sounds the Alarm on Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares 

In a new video, the UAW is raising the alarm on mismanagement at Stellantis, where sales and profits are down, while CEO pay is skyrocketing.

Nine months into a new contract with the UAW, Stellantis has failed to uphold key parts of its agreement, and has instead focused on all the wrong things, hurting consumers, dealers, white collar employees, and autoworkers.

The problem isn’t the auto market. GM and Ford are doing fine, while Stellantis’ profits and sales have tanked. Meanwhile, Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares has given himself a 56 percent raise, making him the highest paid traditional OEM CEO in the world.

“If any autoworker did as piss-poor of a job as Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares, they’d be fired,” says UAW President Shawn Fain. “The truth is, Stellantis doesn’t want to invest in America.” “Stellantis is in a race to the bottom, driving up prices while cutting staff so overseas executives like Carlos Tavares can have a bigger payday. America invested in Stellantis. Workers have invested in Stellantis. And consumers have invested in Stellantis.”

“It’s time to put an end to corporate greed at Stellantis. It’s time for Stellantis to invest in us. It’s time for a change, and that starts with the man at the top.”

The video is available here, and the media is invited to use the footage.

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UAW Files Federal Labor Charges Against Donald Trump and Elon Musk for Attempting to Intimidate and Threaten Workers

The UAW has filed federal labor charges against disgraced billionaires Donald Trump and Elon Musk for their illegal attempts to threaten and intimidate workers who stand up for themselves by engaging in protected concerted activity, such as strikes. 

After significant technical delays on X, formerly known as Twitter, Trump and Musk had a rambling, disorganized conversation on Monday evening in front of over one million listeners in which they advocated for the illegal firing of striking workers. 

“I mean, I look at what you do,” Trump told Musk. “You walk in, you say, You want to quit? They go on strike, I won’t mention the name of the company, but they go on strike and you say, That’s OK, you’re all gone. You’re all gone. So, every one of you is gone.” 

Under federal law, workers cannot be fired for going on strike, and threatening to do so is illegal under the National Labor Relations Act. 

“When we say Donald Trump is a scab, this is what we mean. When we say Trump stands against everything our union stands for, this is what we mean,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Donald Trump will always side against workers standing up for themselves, and he will always side with billionaires like Elon Musk, who is contributing $45 million a month to a Super PAC to get him elected. Both Trump and Musk want working class people to sit down and shut up, and they laugh about it openly. It’s disgusting, illegal, and totally predictable from these two clowns.” 

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“The Answer is Solidarity”: New UAW Video Calls for Working Class Unity Against Donald Trump

In a new video, UAW President Shawn Fain outlines the stakes of this election, and the UAW’s political strategy centered on building working class unity to take on Donald Trump and the billionaire class, building off of the Stand Up Strike victories of 2023. 

The video can be accessed here, and the media is invited to use the footage. 

“What we win or lose now,” says UAW President Shawn Fain, “will impact every single contract negotiation, every new organizing campaign, whether we go forwards or backwards for a generation. Everything is at stake.” 

“Last fall, America’s autoworkers said it was time to stand up. We united the entire working class. That’s the winning formula.” 

“The dream of a man like Donald Trump is that the vast majority of working-class people will remain divided. They divide us by race. They divide us by gender, by who we love, or where we were born. That’s the game of the wealthy: divide and conquer.” 

“There is only one answer to the threat we face as a nation. The answer is solidarity.” 

The new video comes on the heels of a two major Harris-Walz campaign events with the UAW in Michigan, following the union’s endorsement of Harris for President last week. 

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Kamala Harris and Tim Walz Meet with UAW Members, Leaders, at UAW Local 900 in Wayne, Michigan

WAYNE, MI – Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz joined UAW members and leaders at UAW Local 900’s union hall in Wayne, Michigan, to discuss the issues that matter to working class people in this election. 

Local 900 represents thousands of members at Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant, one of the three original Stand Up Strike locals that walked out on September 15, 2023. These members were the leading edge of a strike that brought Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis to the bargaining table and agree to record contracts for 150,000 Big Three autoworkers. 

“I am so deeply honored as a lifelong supporter of union labor, for Tim and I to have the endorsement of the UAW,” Vice President Kamala Harris said. “When you know what you stand for, you know what to fight for. We stand for the people. We stand for the dignity of work. We stand for justice. We stand for equality. And we will fight for all of it.” 

“Thank you for the privilege of walking the picket line with you last year and thank you for allowing us to lift up our voices,” Governor Tim Walz told UAW members in attendance. “The work that you did didn’t just benefit UAW workers – it benefited all workers. So, I couldn’t be prouder to be on this stage and couldn’t be prouder to stand with the UAW.” 

“At the end of the day, we all know that we rise and fall together,” Local 900 President Dwayne Walker said. “And that’s why we need to be involved in this process. It’s now or never. We may never have this chance again. We need to be together, and we have to be proactive.”

“We wanted to let Vice President Harris know we got her back,” Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson said. “We’re proud that she stopped by to see us here in Wayne, Michigan. We know she’s with us because she understands that all UAW members want is to make an honest living, feed our families, and put our kids through college.” 

“I’m very proud, on behalf of the UAW, to welcome Vice President Kamala Harris and Governor Tim Walz to our house – to labor’s house,” UAW President Shawn Fain said. “This election is about a choice, about whether we continue forward or whether we go backward. This is a ‘which side are you on moment,’ and the choice cannot be any clearer.” 

The UAW International Executive Board voted to endorse Kamala Harris last week, citing her record of standing with the UAW and working class people, opposing anti-worker trade deals, and taking on corporate greed.  

On Wednesday, thousands of UAW members joined tens of thousands of Michiganders in welcoming the Harris-Walz ticket to the state, building a movement to win for the working class in November and beyond. 

Photo of Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at the UAW Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI on August 8, 2024.
Photo of Vice President Kamala Harris at the UAW Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, on August 8, 2024.
Photo of Vice President Kamala Harris at the UAW Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, on August 8, 2024.
Photo of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz at the UAW Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, on August 8, 2024.
Photo of Minnesota Governor Tim Walz speaking at the UAW Local 900 union hall on August 8, 2024.
Photo of Vice President Kamala Harris at the UAW Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson (far left) and UAW President Shawn Fain (middle, blue shirt) addressing the media at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, during Vice President Kamala Harris and Tim Walz's visit on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
Photo of Vice President Kamala Harris shaking hands with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz as UAW President Shawn Fain looks on.
Photo of UAW members at the Local 900 union hall in Wayne, MI, to meet with Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Governor Tim Waltz on August 8, 2024.
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“Everything the Working Class Has Ever Won, We’ve Had to Fight for”: UAW Releases New Video Endorsing Kamala Harris for President

DETROIT – The UAW released a new video today endorsing Kamala Harris for President of the United States. The video highlights the stark contrast between the candidates: Donald Trump, who is a scab and a lapdog for the billionaires, and Kamala Harris, who has stood with working people and walked a picket line. The media is invited to use the video on the union’s Facebook page, YouTube channel and Twitter account.

UAW President Shawn Fain narrates, “Whether at the workplace, or at the ballot box, we’re done falling behind. We’re ready to stand up.”

“In 2024, we’ve got a choice. We can put a billionaire back in office and let him and his buddies get even richer. Or we can elect somebody who’s ready to stand with us. Somebody who’s walked a picket line.”

On Wednesday, the UAW International Executive Board voted to endorse Kamala Harris for President, and will join Harris for a mass rally in Detroit on Wednesday, August 7th, with a visit with UAW members to follow.

The video’s full transcript is available here:

Look around you. 
We live in the wealthiest country in the history of the world. 
We’ve got enough food for every plate. 
Enough doctors for every patient. 
And enough jobs for every family. 
So why do working class Americans have to scrape to get by paycheck to paycheck? 

Everything the working class has ever won, we’ve had to fight for. 
And every time we win an inch, the billionaires want to take back a mile. 
Whether at the workplace, or at the ballot box. 
We’re done falling behind. We’re ready to stand up. 
And we need a President who’s ready to stand with us.

In 2024, we’ve got a choice. 
We can put a billionaire back in office  
and let him and his buddies get even richer. 

Or we can elect somebody who’s ready to stand with us. 
Somebody who’s walked a picket line. 
Somebody who’s on our side. 

We know which side we’re on. 
We’re voting for Kamala Harris in 2024 
Because she’s walked the walk. 
Because she supports working class people when we fight for more. 
And because we don’t need another billionaire in the White House. 
Donald Trump is no friend of the working class. 
Donald Trump is a scab.
I’m a UAW member, and I’m voting for Kamala Harris for President.

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UAW Endorses Kamala Harris for President Ahead of Mass Rally in Detroit

On Wednesday, July 31, the UAW International Executive Board voted to endorse Kamala Harris for President of the United States. Her historic candidacy builds on the Biden-Harris administration’s proven track record of standing with the UAW and delivering major gains for the working class.  

Years before the Stand Up Strike, Kamala Harris walked the picket line with striking autoworkers in 2019, has taken on corporate price-gouging and profiteering, and has spoken out and voted against unfair trade deals that hurt the American worker like NAFTA and NAFTA 2.0, the USMCA.  

On Wednesday, August 7th, the Harris for President campaign will come to Detroit to rally with UAW members, Michigan voters, and thousands of working class people who are fighting for a better future. Vice President Harris will also meet directly with UAW members and leaders to hear about the issues that matter to Michigan workers.   

“Our job in this election is to defeat Donald Trump and elect Kamala Harris to build on her proven track record of delivering for the working class,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “We stand at a crossroads in this country. We can put a billionaire back in office who stands against everything our union stands for, or we can elect Kamala Harris who will stand shoulder to shoulder with us in our war on corporate greed. This campaign is bringing together people from all walks of life, building a movement that can defeat Donald Trump at the ballot box. For our one million active and retired members, the choice is clear: We will elect Kamala Harris to be our next President this November.” 

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UAW Members at Ultium Cells in Lordstown Reach EV Industry-Defining Tentative Agreement

UAW Local 1112 has reached a historic tentative agreement at Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio, where workers build electric vehicle batteries for GM vehicles. The agreement marks a historic breakthrough for electric vehicle workers and a path forward that ends the race to the bottom pursued by corporate America throughout the EV transition.

The local agreement builds on the successes of the national contract that Ultium workers joined as a major win of the Stand Up Strike.

“Eighteen months ago, this company was on a low road path to poverty wages, unsafe conditions, and a dark future for battery workers in America,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Ultium workers said, ‘Hell no,’ got organized, and fought back. Now they’ve more than doubled their wages by the end of this contract, won record health and safety language, and showed the world what it means to win a just transition.”

“We were told at the beginning of bargaining that Ultium workers would never be allowed to join the UAW’s national agreement at GM,” said UAW Vice President Mike Booth. “Not only did we prove them wrong, but we did them one better, winning a major local agreement that sets the standard for the EV battery industry.”

“Five years ago, when they closed Lordstown Assembly, it was a major gut punch – I know, I lived it,” said UAW Region 2B Director David Green. “They wrote Lordstown off for dead. They thought we’d settle for low wages and unsafe jobs. They thought wrong, and now Ultium workers are leading the way.”

“Organizing to win our union took relentless persistence on behalf of hundreds of my coworkers at Ultium. Negotiating this contract was no different,” said UAW Local 1112 Shop Chairman Josh Ayers. “We want this agreement to become a cornerstone for current and future battery plants across the nation. First we planned. Then we took action. And now we have a tentative agreement to be proud of.”

Now, the 1,600 UAW members at Ultium Cells will review the details of the agreement and hold a ratification vote in the coming days. If ratified, the agreement will set a new standard for electric vehicle battery workers everywhere and mark a major milestone in the just transition to EVs.

For more on the fight for justice at Ultium, visit UAW.org/Ultium.

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Statement from UAW President Shawn Fain on Mercedes Alabama Vote

“These courageous workers at Mercedes reached out to the UAW because they wanted justice. They led us. And they lead us. What happens next is up to them. 

Justice isn’t about one vote or one campaign. It’s about getting a voice, getting your fair share. And let’s be clear: workers won serious gains in this campaign. They raised their wages, with the “UAW bump.” They killed wage tiers. They got rid of a CEO who had no interest in improving conditions in the workplace. Mercedes is a better place to work thanks to this campaign, and thanks to these courageous workers.  

The company told the workers to give the new CEO a chance. That’s exactly what Volkswagen told its workers in 2019. And in 2024, Volkswagen workers realized it’s not about a CEO. It’s about a voice on the job, it’s about getting our lives back, and getting our time back. The only path to do that is through a union contract. 

Mercedes engaged in egregious illegal behavior. The federal government as well as the German government are currently investigating Mercedes for the intimidation and harassment they inflicted on their own workers. We intend to follow that process through. 

This is a David and Goliath fight. Sometimes Goliath wins a battle. But David wins the war.  

These workers will win their fair share. And we will be there every step of the way to support them. 

We’ve been here before. We know what we’re taking on. This company, like most corporations, operated off the same old playbook of fear, threats and intimidation. 

Our fight is also in the halls of the legislatures of this country. Sixty million Americans say they’d join a union if given the option. Polling here in Alabama and in Tennessee show people supported the UAW by a two to one margin. But with weak labor laws in place, sometimes the companies are able to turn those numbers around. 

The UAW will continue to lead the fight against corporate greed and runaway inequality. And through that fight we’ll change the nation and the world for the better. 

While this loss stings, these workers keep their heads held high. We fight the good fight and continue forward. 

And the workers here ultimately will win. Most of us have lost elections in our lives and I know I’ve always learned from it. What matters is what you do with that experience. 

We put everything we had in this fight, we left nothing on the table. I look at John Wooden’s definition of success: “Success is the peace of mind attained only through self-satisfaction in knowing you made the effort to become the best of which you’re capable. Success is never final; failure is never fatal. It’s courage that counts.” 

There are more than 2,000 workers at Mercedes in Alabama who want to join our union. They aren’t going away. The sun will rise, and the sun will set, and our fight for justice for the working class will continue. 

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UAW Members Ratify Historic Contract at Daimler Truck

UAW members at Daimler Truck turned out in record numbers to ratify their new historic common contract by 94.5%. The four-year agreement delivers major economic gains for 7,300 workers who build Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Thomas Built Buses in North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia. The deal includes raises of more than 25%, and the introduction of profit-sharing and Cost-of-Living (COLA) for the first time at Daimler. The agreement will end the tiered wage system at Daimler, ensuring that workers who make trucks and workers who make buses get equal pay for equal work by the end of the contract.

“Daimler Truck workers just showed the world that Southern workers have the power to Stand Up and win big in heavy truck and beyond,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Knowing that Daimler had made record profits year after year from their hard work, members used every tool – including the potent threat of a strike – to win. Daimler workers and UAW members are not only setting the standard but raising it. Workers are fed up and ready to fight for a better way of life, and the UAW is ready to go all-out in that fight.” 

“The membership at Daimler Truck was fired up and unified. That energy fueled the bargaining team’s push for a record contract – and they made great gains on the issues our members said were most important to them,” said Tim Smith, Region 8 Director. “Across Region 8, workers are standing up for justice and a better way of life. Whether they’re just forming their union, like the brave workers in Chattanooga and Tuscaloosa, or bargaining a new contract at Daimler, Southern workers continue to push for a voice and a fair deal in this economy.” 

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