Tag Archive for: Stellantis

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Statement from UAW President Shawn Fain on 2024 Presidential Election

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.

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UAW President Shawn Fain to Rally with DACM Members, Call On Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to Keep The Promise

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.

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UAW President Shawn Fain Holding Facebook Live at 8 p.m. ET on the Central Question of the Election: Which Side Are You On?

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.

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79 Members of Congress Send Letters to Stellantis’ CEO Carlos Tavares in Support of UAW Workers

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.

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UAW President Shawn Fain to Join Members at Trenton Engine Rally, Call On Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to Keep The Promise

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

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UAW Releases New Video Condemning Stellantis for Broken Promises and Mismanagement as Protests Against the Company Go Global

Today, the UAW released a powerful new video calling out Stellantis for failing to honor its commitments to UAW members and criticizing CEO Carlos Tavares for mismanaging the company. The release coincides with a one-day general strike by Italian unions to protest Stellantis’ significant production cuts and the broader impact on metalworkers across Italy.

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

UAW members from Belvidere, Illinois, including UAW Region 4 Director Brandon Campbell and UAW Local 1268 President Matt Frantzen, joined the strike and spoke to the hundreds of thousands gathered to protest Stellantis’ baldfaced corporate greed. UAW members secured a commitment to reopen the idled Belvidere plant in their 2023 contract, but the company has not fulfilled its promise.

Pictures from the general strike in Rome can be accessed here and the media is invited to use the images.

The UAW’s new video highlights 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—a crucial agreement that Stellantis is now trying to backtrack on. In the video, 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.

“This is about your job, your life, and the question is, are you going to let Carlos Tavares tell you to sit down and shut up?” Fain asks in the video. “Or are you going to stand up and fight for what’s right, for what you deserve?”

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.

The UAW video serves as a call to action for members and allies, clearly stating that the union will not back down in its fight to hold Stellantis accountable.

For more information, visit ShitcanCarlos.com, where viewers can learn about the campaign to “Keep The Promise” and find the latest updates on the fight against Stellantis’ mismanagement.

The full transcript of President Fain’s narration is below:  

UAW family, as you may have heard, Stellantis has filed more than a dozen frivolous lawsuits against our Union. This is an act of desperation, plain and simple.  

Two weeks ago, nearly 200 leaders from UAW locals across the country came to Detroit to discuss the situation at Stellantis.  

At the meeting, we reviewed the clear evidence that CEO Carlos Tavares and Stellantis are seriously violating the product commitments in our national agreement. Stellantis has not kept its commitment in Belvedere and has unallocated the Dodge Durango from the Jefferson North Assembly Plant.  

For years, this company has picked us off, plant by plant, and our leadership lacked the will and the means to fight back. The Stellantis Council unanimously decided that those days are over. All 200 UAW leaders unanimously recommended to the membership that every UAW worker at Stellantis prepare for a fight and that we all get ready to vote yes to authorize a strike at Stellantis.  

Now in response, Stellantis is trying to use the federal courts to stop our campaign to get this company to keep the promises they made to American auto workers in our 2023 contract.  

Stellantis management has launched a campaign of intimidation and harassment against our members, our local unions, and the International UAW to try to get us to back down from the fight to save our jobs.  

I have bad news for Stellantis: we’re not going anywhere.  

Their corporate lawyers are claiming that our fight to keep jobs in Belvedere, Detroit, and America is based on what they call “sham grievances.”  

But here’s the real sham: over the past nine weeks, Stellantis has spent over a billion dollars on stock buybacks, all while saying they can’t afford to keep their commitments to their own employees. In fact, Stellantis has spent $3 billion on stock buybacks this year alone.  

Our proposal would cost a fraction of what Carlos Tavares has pissed away on Wall Street to save his stock price, which is down 55% since March.  

The real sham is this campaign of intimidation and interference in our Union’s business.  

Stellantis managers are calling members, threatening their jobs. They’re emailing our local presidents threatening lawsuits.  

This is what happens when a CEO is cornered and isolated. His dealers in America and Europe are turning against him. His suppliers and shareholders are suing him, and he’s pushing our customers away. 

And the sham is that he will walk away with a golden parachute of millions and millions of dollars, while American autoworkers are left holding the bag.  

The sham took place this week when he was asked about stepping down or being replaced. Carlos Tavares said, and I quote, “I signed a contract.”  

Well, Carlos, the workers at Stellantis signed a contract too, and it’s time for you to honor it.  

Our fight is about honoring a contract that Carlos Tavares signed. Our fight is about tens of thousands of American auto worker jobs, our families, and our communities.  

This is about your job, your life, and the question is, are you going to let Carlos Tavares tell you to sit down and shut up? Or are you going to stand up and fight for what’s right, for what you deserve?  

These aren’t sham grievances. These are our lives. Carlos Tavares is a sham CEO with a sham strategy to drive this company into the ground.  

We will once again save this company from mismanagement, from corporate greed, and from killing tens of thousands of good jobs, but only if we stick together. Only if we stand up.  

So, are you in? If you are, sign your strike authorization pledge today. And you can do that by going to shitcancarlos.com.  

Let me repeat that: you can sign a strike authorization pledge by going to shitcancarlos.com.  

Let the company know where you stand. And together, let’s tell Stellantis, the days of plant closures are over, and Carlos Tavares needs to go. 

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Fall 2024 Issue of Solidarity Magazine is Now Online!

The new Fall 2024 issue of Solidarity Magazine is now available. 

You can download it here, and share it with fellow UAW members.

In this issue:

  • VOLKSWAGEN WORKERS MAKE HISTORY: The recent union election victory at Volkswagen in Chattanooga, TN, marks a monumental achievement after years of persistent organizing.
  • MERCEDES WORKERS: After workers at Volkswagen won their union, workers at Mercedes were organizing to do the same. Workers courageously stepped up to fight for the voice they knew they deserved.
  • STAND UP BMW: In July, a small but mighty group of BMW workers at the distribution center in Palmer Township, Pennsylvania, pushed back on one of the largest auto manufacturers in the world — and won!
  • DAIMLER TRUCK: After mounting a massive campaign and building a serious strike threat against Daimler Truck this spring, UAW members at the multibillion-dollar manufacturer won a historic agreement by uniting across local unions — a first — and shifting to one common wage grid.
  • 2024 PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION: In 2024, we’re taking our Stand Up playbook and bringing it to the political scene because the same bosses who beat us up on the job and fight us at the negotiating table are hell-bent on owning our political system as well.
  • And more!
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UAW Goes to Washington with Campaign to Keep the Promise at Stellantis

UAW members from Stellantis plants across the country rallying Thursday with allies to make sure company meets its U.S. investment commitments


WHAT:       Keep The Promise at Stellantis Rally

WHERE:     Near the Washington Hilton – Rally will be in courtyard at Southwest Corner of Florida Ave NW & T Street NW

WHEN:      Thursday, Oct. 10, 1:00 p.m.


WASHINGTON — The campaign to Keep The Promise at Stellantis is coming to Washington.

UAW members, lawmakers and allies are rallying on Thursday to demand that Stellantis keep its promise to invest in good American jobs.

UAW members at Stellantis won $19 billion in product and investment commitments from the company during last year’s Stand Up Strike. Those commitments include the reopening of an idled assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois. Now, the company is trying to backtrack on that and other contractually required investments.

“Stellantis made a promise to invest in America and we’re making sure they keep the promise,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “The commitments we won in our contract aren’t goals, they’re guarantees. The company claims they don’t have the money to make these investments. But since the year began, they’ve dumped more than $3 billion into stock buybacks. They have the money to Keep The Promise.”

In the 2023 contract, the UAW won the right to file grievances and to strike if the company fails to meet product and investment commitments.

This August, UAW locals representing tens of thousands of Stellantis workers began filing grievances with the company over the failure to reopen the assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, and to build the next generation Dodge Durango in Detroit. Once the grievance procedure is exhausted under the national contract, the union may authorize a strike.

Two UAW locals at Stellantis have already passed strike authorization votes and more locals are on track to hold strike votes soon. A strike at one or more Stellantis facilities could begin within weeks.

Thursday’s Keep the Promise Rally will begin at 1:00 p.m. near the Washington Hilton.

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

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UAW Intensifies Fight for U.S. Investments at Stellantis as Company Spends Another $1.1 Billion on Stock Buybacks

COMMERCE CITY, Colo. — UAW members at Stellantis’ Denver Parts Distribution Center (PDC) have voted by 97% to authorize the International UAW to call a strike if the union cannot reach a settlement with Stellantis over the company’s violations of the current contract.

UAW locals across the country have charged Stellantis with violating product and investment commitments in the contract. As the grievances proceed, more UAW locals at Stellantis could be holding strike authorization votes soon.

The members of Denver-area UAW Local 186 are the second local of Stellantis workers to approve a strike authorization vote. The members of UAW Local 230 at Stellantis’ Los Angeles PDC were the first, passing their strike authorization vote on Thursday, Oct. 3.

In the UAW’s 2023 contract, the union won $19 billion in investment commitments, securing a future for tens-of-thousands of good union jobs in the United States. The UAW also made history by winning the right to strike if the company fails to fulfill those commitments. A year into the collective bargaining agreement, the company has put forward investment plans equal to only about 2% of the $19 billion in commitments and is now publicly backtracking on its commitments to reopen the idled assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, and to build the Dodge Durango in Detroit.

Instead of fulfilling its investment commitments, Stellantis has poured $1.1 billion into stock buybacks in just the last nine weeks. The company committed to spend $3.3 billion on stock buybacks in 2024.

Stellantis has launched an aggressive PR campaign peddling misinformation about the company’s attempts to evade its U.S. investment commitments. Stellantis is also mounting a desperate effort to intervene in the union’s constitutional strike authorization process. Last week, the company made robocalls to tens of thousands of UAW members across the country telling them to vote no on strike authorization. Last week’s overwhelming yes votes at both the Los Angeles and Denver parts center shows members are ready to fight and that Stellantis’ campaign is backfiring. The company has additionally filed frivolous suits in federal court to try and stop UAW members from utilizing their contractual right to strike over the company’s broken promises.

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

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UAW Issues Statements on Stellantis’ Misleading Claims on Its Legal Commitments

DETROIT — UAW President Shawn Fain and UAW Stellantis Department Director Kevin Gotinsky issued the following statements about Stellantis’ misleading claims on its product and investment commitments in the United States.

UAW President Shawn Fain issued the following statement: 

“Stellantis, formerly FCA, formerly Cerberus, formerly Daimler, formerly Chrysler, is following in a long line of failing corporate executives blaming autoworkers for their own mismanagement.”

“It is gross mismanagement by top executives that is killing this company. It is laughable that Stellantis claims our proposal to reopen Belvidere is ‘outrageous.’ In just the last 9 weeks, Stellantis has pissed away $1 billion in stock buybacks for a total of $3 billion in stock buybacks this year. Our proposal would cost a fraction of that and would go directly to the autoworkers who have built this company.

“Everyone knows the so-called ‘jobs bank’ didn’t cause the 2008 bankruptcies, and autoworkers aren’t responsible for CEO Carlos Tavares’ mismanagement today. We are asking that Stellantis keep their contractual commitments and do right by Belvidere autoworkers and autoworkers across the country. If they can’t do that, then the only answer is for autoworkers to join with dealers, suppliers, and shareholders in demanding that Carlos be shitcanned.”

UAW Stellantis Department Director Kevin Gotinsky issued the following statement: 

“Stellantis is falsely comparing its commitments in our current contract to the jobs bank program from decades ago. The jobs bank program offered protection for jobs that were outsourced. If Stellantis lives up to its commitments and reopens Belvidere Assembly and builds the Belvidere parts Megahub, our members will be back to work soon and the cost to the company will be minimal. These employees can and are willing to perform work today. That is all they want, to have a future and be able to provide for their families as agreed to in our contract.”

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

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