Tag Archive for: Stellantis

Detroit, MI — Today, the UAW released a new deep-dive reportUnlocking the Potential of U.S. Auto Manufacturing Capacity, revealing that America’s auto industry has the infrastructure and skilled workforce to build millions more vehicles — and create tens of thousands of good-paying union jobs — if companies invest at home instead of offshoring production and funneling more money to Wall Street.

In 2024, the United States had the capacity to manufacture over 14.7 million vehicles at active, existing plants, but produced only 10.2 million, leaving 4.5 million units of unused capacity. Plants across the country are underutilized because of high-exploitation race to the bottom practices that kill U.S. jobs and suppress wages for workers overseas, with the difference going straight to Wall Street.

Instead of using existing capacity, the Big Three and the rest of the auto industry loot the Rust Belt for stock buybacks and special dividends. Revitalizing the auto industry’s dormant capacity could create up to 90,000 new U.S. auto manufacturing jobs in short order, according to UAW estimates.

“We don’t need to break ground on a single new plant to rapidly grow auto manufacturing capacity — it’s already right in front of us, in the plants we’ve built, the skills of our members, and the communities that depend on these jobs,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Instead of offshoring jobs to low-wage, high-exploitation countries, auto companies must invest here at home and rebuild the middle class with union labor.”

The analysis shows that major automakers — GM, Ford, Stellantis, and Volkswagen — have steadily cut U.S. production even as they expanded output in Mexico. Since 2015, these companies have reduced annual U.S. vehicle production by 1.8 million units, hitting communities nationwide with plant closures, layoffs, and underutilized facilities.

“The working class built the auto industry — and we’re ready to build its future,” Fain continued. “Auto companies should be using this moment to scale up and add good jobs by investing in workers instead of Wall Street.”

View the full report here: https://uaw.us/ExcessCapacityPaper

In a shocking move, Stellantis is preparing to spend billions of dollars on stock buybacks and dividends while autoworkers who build profitable vehicles are laid off and auto plants are underutilized across America.

At the company’s annual shareholder meeting in Amsterdam, the Stellantis Board of Directors has approved a $2.6 billion dollar dividend, while they consider an additional stock buyback of up to 10 % of the company’s stock, or $2.6 billion.

The UAW is calling on all allies of the working class to sign on to a petition demanding Stellantis invest in its workers, not just Wall Street.

“Two weeks ago, Stellantis said the sky was falling because of auto tariffs, and said they had to lay off workers, claiming they are losing money. But then all of a sudden, a miracle happened: they found billions of dollars, nearly half of last year’s profits, to pay to Wall Street!” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “This is everything that has been wrong with corporate America for decades. Instead of investing in the autoworkers and facilities that make this company run, Stellantis is putting Wall Street over Main Street. Stellantis could create thousands of good paying jobs in America in very short order by utilizing excess capacity in places like Toledo South Assembly in Ohio, Belvidere Assembly in Illinois, Mack, Warren, Trenton Engine in Michigan, and plants in Kokomo, Indiana. It’s time for Stellantis to stop looting the Rust Belt for short-sighted Wall Street jackpots. INVEST IN US!”

With $5 billion, Stellantis could reopen multiple plants, lower the price of vehicles, and regain their market share in the US auto market. Instead, the company is choosing to spend that money on Wall Street.

Some shareholders are pushing back as well on Stellantis’ $25 million payout for disgraced CEO Carlos Tavares. As part of the UAW’s Keep the Promise campaign, Tavares was ousted following his gross mismanagement of the company.

It’s time for Stellantis to get back on track building great vehicles in the US, using their unused capacity, and do right by the taxpayers, consumers, and autoworkers.

Detroit, MI – After months of pushing the company to Keep The Promise made in 2023 contract negotiations, the UAW has successfully secured a commitment from Stellantis to invest billions in American autoworkers. In response, the union has agreed to settle its grievances concerning the Dodge Durango and the reopening of Belvidere Assembly.

Specifically, Stellantis has committed to build the next generation Dodge Durango at the Detroit Assembly Complex and to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in 2027 and allocate a new midsize truck, as agreed to in the union’s 2023 contract. Both of these commitments had been walked back by disgraced former CEO Carlos Tavares, and are being honored by the company’s new leadership.

“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.”

The company also committed to a significant investment in Kokomo, announcing plans to build Phase II of the GME-T4 EVO engine beginning in 2026, reversing plans to move work out of this country. There will be no change to existing GME-T4 EVO production at the Dundee Engine Plant. Finally, the company committed to increased component production at the Toledo Machining Plant.

Thousands of UAW members and leaders rallied, marched, filed grievances, and organized their coworkers as part of the union’s Keep the Promise campaign, contributing to CEO Carlos Tavares’ ouster in late 2024. The new North American COO Antonio Filosa has expressed a desire to work with the UAW to build vehicles here in the U.S.

After securing a historic agreement in 2023 contract negotiations which included a first-ever right to strike over product and investment commitments, the UAW has successfully enforced its contract with Stellantis, while advocating for pro-worker trade policies that will stop the auto industry’s race to the bottom and the gutting of working class communities across America.

flsaMore 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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Social Media Tends10 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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Stellantis Council Group PhotoUAW 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.

FULL STORY CLICK HERE


making a better boskUAW 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.

We are excited to announce that Stellantis has finalized their employee leasing agreement at their joint venture battery plant with Samsung SDI. This means over 1,000 new jobs for UAW members in Kokomo, at a time when Stellantis is trying to cut its way out of its own mismanagement.

We won this leasing agreement in our 2023 contract negotiations, but under the failed leadership of Carlos Tavares, the company delayed making good on their commitment to workers in Kokomo. This pattern of going back on agreements and violating our contract was part of what led us to call for Tavares’s resignation.

We look forward to continuing this progress in honoring our contract with new Stellantis leadership that respects hardworking UAW members and is ready to keep its promise to America by investing in the people who build its products.

Tavares’ resignation is a major step in the right direction for a company that has been mismanaged and a workforce that has been mistreated for too long. Tavares is leaving behind a mess of painful layoffs and overpriced vehicles sitting on dealership lots. For weeks, thousands of UAW members at Stellantis have been calling for the company to fire Tavares due to his reckless mismanagement of the company. We are pleased to see the company responding to pressure and correcting course.

We will keep using all means available to hold Stellantis accountable and enforce the contract we won in 2023, including advancing strikeable grievances until Stellantis keeps its investment commitments to workers in Belvidere, Michigan, and beyond. We are looking forward to sitting down with the new CEO, backed up by thousands of UAW Stellantis members ready to take action, and discussing their plan to keep making world-class vehicles here in the United States.

UAW members around the country clocked in today under the same threat they faced yesterday: unchecked corporate greed destroying our lives, our families, and our communities. It’s the threat of companies like Stellantis, Mack Truck, and John Deere shipping jobs overseas to boost shareholder profits. It’s the threat of corporate America telling the working class to sit down and shut up.

We’ve said all along that no matter who is in the White House, our fight remains the same. The fight to fix our broken trade laws like the USMCA continues. The fight for good union jobs and U.S. leadership in the emerging battery industry continues. The fight for a secure retirement for everyone in this country continues. The fight for a living wage, affordable health care, and time for our families continues.

It’s time for Washington, DC to put up or shut up, no matter the party, no matter the candidate. Will our government stand with the working class, or keep doing the bidding of the billionaires? That’s the question we face today. And that’s the question we’ll face tomorrow. The answer lies with us. No matter who’s in office.

If that’s the question you’re asking today, no matter who you voted for, sign up and join us at solidarity.uaw.org.

DETROIT, MI — UAW President Shawn Fain will rally with members from Detroit Assembly Complex-Mack at UAW Local 51 to call on Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to honor the union contract and Keep The Promise. The union secured product and investment commitments in Belvidere, Illinois and across the country in its 2023 contract. A year later, the company is trying to go back on their commitments to Stellantis autoworkers – and they’re saying, “No!”

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain, UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English
WHAT: Rally to Make Stellantis Keep the Promise
WHERE: UAW Local 51, 11000 E. Jefferson, Detroit, MI 48214
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 3:00 pm

UAW President Shawn Fain, UAW Region 1 Director LaShawn English, UAW members and supporters will highlight Stellantis’ refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. These promises include reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois and building the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit—both crucial agreements that Stellantis is now trying to backtrack on.

UAW locals representing tens of thousands of Stellantis workers have filed grievances with the company over their failure to Keep the Promise made in contract negotiations. Once the grievance procedure is exhausted under the national contract, the union may authorize a strike.

As Stellantis has filed frivolous lawsuits and robocalled members in a desperate effort to block the union’s actions, three UAW locals have already passed strike authorization votes, with more locals preparing to follow. The union’s grievance process, initiated due to Stellantis’ failure to reopen Belvidere and invest in future production, is moving forward. If grievances remain unresolved, a strike at one or more Stellantis facilities could begin within weeks.

UAW President Shawn Fain recently urged Stellantis members to stand up and fight for their jobs and futures by going to ShitcanCarlos.com to sign a strike authorization pledge.

For more information on the fight to make Stellantis Keep The Promise, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise.

President Fain will highlight recent polling showing effectiveness of union’s large-scale member engagement program and will field questions from members

 

Detroit – On Tuesday, October 29 at 8:00 pm, UAW President Shawn Fain will address UAW rank-and-file members in a virtual livestream to directly reach undecided voters and fulfill the union’s constitutional duty to “play an active role at all levels of government to protect the lives and rights of its members and their families.”

He will highlight the choices members face in the upcoming election, contrasting the two presidential candidates and drawing the direct connection between the ballot box and the bread box.

His remarks will underscore how this election is about making clear who is on the side of the working class and using the union’s strength in numbers to support leaders who will stand with workers in critical fights—like those who have stood with UAW members in the union’s ongoing battle to make Stellantis keep its promise to autoworkers. His message will clarify that this election is not about endorsing a single party or candidate, but rather about advancing the needs of the working class and casting votes for candidates who support working-class interests.

President Fain will present a fact-based overview contrasting the two candidates’ positions, particularly on trade, labor law, and other policies that affect manufacturing, and discuss the effectiveness of the union’s large-scale election program in reaching members directly.

The media will be invited to join the livestream on the UAW’s YouTube channel or social media accounts (Facebook or Twitter).

President Fain will also take live questions directly from UAW members.

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain
WHAT: Election 2024 Livestream
WHERE: Livestream on UAW YouTube, social media (Facebook, Twitter)
WHEN: Tues., Oct. 29, at 8 p.m. ET

The UAW’s roadmap for victory aligns with the vision behind 2023’s Stand Up strike and movement. By setting the record straight, uniting the working class, and empowering members to lead, the UAW’s “Stand Up, Speak Up, Show Up” campaign will channel the collective power of the union to curb corporate greed at the ballot box.

Washington, D.C. – In a powerful show of solidarity with UAW members, 79 Members of Congress have sent letters to Stellantis and its CEO, Carlos Tavares, expressing deep concerns about the company’s recent actions and urging a renewed commitment to American workers.

A letter signed by 23 Senators, including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and all 4 Senators from Michigan and Illinois, was addressed directly to CEO Carlos Tavares. The Senators called out Stellantis for failing to uphold its contractual obligations to UAW members, highlighting concerns that recent company decisions undermine its commitment to its workforce.

Meanwhile, 56 members of the House of Representatives—including the entire Democratic delegations from Michigan and Ohio, as well as Rep. Bill Foster, who represents Belvidere, Illinois—sent a letter to the Stellantis Board of Directors. They voiced their dismay over the company’s direction and decisions, specifically noting the delays in reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant.

Both letters echo the calls from President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, emphasizing the need for Stellantis to prioritize American jobs. The lawmakers criticized the company’s rationale of “poor market conditions” to delay investments, pointing to Stellantis’ $6 billion in profits in the first half of the year, $8 billion spent on stock buybacks and dividends, and the $39.5 million compensation package awarded to CEO Tavares.

Senators also highlighted the $335 million in public dollars that Stellantis is slated to receive for reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant. They urged the company to honor the promises made to UAW workers and the community of Belvidere.

“Stellantis’ reliance on taxpayer support, while planning layoffs and moving production outside of the United States, betrays the trust of American workers and taxpayers,” said the letter, citing recent layoffs at Stellantis’ facilities in Sterling Heights, Warren, Toledo, and Detroit.

The Congressional letters stress that Stellantis’ decision to delay investment in the Belvidere Assembly Plant and potentially move production of the Dodge Durango outside the U.S., not only violates the UAW contract but also breaks faith with Congress and the American public’s expectations of the company’s role in supporting domestic jobs.

As UAW local unions continue to file grievances and take strike authorization votes to enforce their contract, the letters are a firm reminder that the company’s decisions to reward shareholders and punish workers are under scrutiny, with elected representatives and top officials holding Stellantis accountable for its promises to American workers.

TRENTON, MI — UAW members will rally at the UAW Local 372 union hall to call on Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to honor the union contract and Keep The Promise to maintain product and investment commitments in Belvidere, Illinois and across the country.

WHO: UAW President Shawn Fain and UAW Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson
WHAT: Rally at Trenton Engine to Make Stellantis Keep The Promise
WHERE: UAW Local 372, 4571 Division St, Trenton, MI 48183
WHEN: Wednesday, Oct. 23, at 3:00pm

UAW members and supporters will highlight Stellantis’ refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. These promises include reopening the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois and building the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit—both crucial agreements that Stellantis is now trying to backtrack on.

UAW locals representing tens of thousands of Stellantis workers have filed grievances with the company over their failure to Keep the Promise made in contract negotiations. Once the grievance procedure is exhausted under the national contract, the union may authorize a strike.

As Stellantis has filed frivolous lawsuits and robocalled members in a desperate effort to block the union’s actions, three UAW locals have already passed strike authorization votes, with more locals preparing to follow. The union’s grievance process, initiated due to Stellantis’ failure to reopen Belvidere and invest in future production, is moving forward. If grievances remain unresolved, a strike at one or more Stellantis facilities could begin within weeks.

In a new video released last week, UAW President Shawn Fain directly addresses Stellantis members, urging them to stand up and fight for their jobs and futures by going to ShitcanCarlos.com to sign a strike authorization pledge.

For more information on the fight to make Stellantis Keep The Promise, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise