Fight Back! News

News and Views from the People's Struggle

UAW

By staff

Protesters hold banners that read “NYU FUNDS GENOCIDE” and “WE DEMAND 1. DISCLOSE 2. DIVEST 3. SHUT DOWN NYU TEL AVIV”.

New York, NY – On February 25, over 20 NYU students, faculty and workers picketed the board of trustees meeting demanding they disclose and divest from all companies supplying Israel in its genocidal occupation of Palestine.

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By Hannah Keith

UCLA workers strike after crackdown on pro-Palestine activism.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Los Angeles CA – On Tuesday, May 28, hundreds of workers and students at the University of California Los Angeles walked off the job in response to the university’s brutal crackdown on pro-Palestine encampments earlier this month.

The striking workers are graduate students and academic researchers represented by the United Auto Workers union local 4811 (UAW) which represents 50,000 workers across the UC school system. The UAW declared the university’s response to the protest an unfair labor practice and will be on strike until at least June 30 or later if the strike is extended.

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By staff

Milwaukee labor marks anniversary of the Bay View massacre.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Milwaukee, WI – Trade unionists, community members, and elected officials gathered for a commemoration of the “Bay View Massacre” on Sunday, May 5, in Milwaukee. A sunny afternoon of activities paid homage to the seven martyrs who were shot and killed by the Wisconsin State Militia during the 1886 nationwide general strike for the eight-hour day. The historic event followed closely on the heels of the actions in Chicago which would eventually lead to the creation of May Day. The Wisconsin Labor History Society has organized the commemoration of the Bay View Massacre every year since 1986, and it has become an important labor tradition.

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By staff

Chattanooga, TN – The United Auto Workers made American labor history Friday, April 19, with its biggest organizing win in decades, when workers at the Volkswagen Chattanooga plant in Tennessee voted decisively to unionize.

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By Louise Carhart

Members of United Legal Workers picket in Chicago.  | Fight Back! News/Joseph Garcia

Chicago, IL – On April 17, around 60 members of the United Legal Workers (ULW) picketed in front of the downtown offices of Legal Aid Chicago in an effort to get management back to the table. During the past three months bargaining, workers have advocated for livable wages, cost of living increases, workload relief, and more paid time off.

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By staff

Chattanooga, TN – More than 4000 workers at a Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee began voting on Wednesday, April 17, in a union election set to determine whether or not they join the United Auto Workers (UAW) union. The vote is taking place across three days and is being conducted by the National Labor Relations Board.

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By Mantak Singh

Members of United Auto Workers \[UAW\] 4121 rally for a strong contract.  | Fight Back! News/staff

Seattle, WA – On March 29, United Auto Workers (UAW) 4121 held a rally in the quad of the University of Washington-Seattle campus to demand a strong contract. With over 1000 attendees at the rally, the UAW made clear that they will not abide by UW administration’s attacks on their healthcare, wages and their international workers.

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By staff

Detroit, MI – Supporters of Palestine gathered in metro Detroit, February 1, to protest a visit by President Biden for his complicity with the genocide in Gaza. Biden was in Michigan to meet with officials of the United Auto Workers. The protest is one of many that have occurred at Bidens appearances around the U.S. A major demonstration is set for the upcoming Democratic National Convention.

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By staff

Workers hold signs on a picket line reading "No deals, No wheels, No pay, No parts" and "UAW on strike"

On Monday, October 30, the United Auto Workers at General Motors announced that they had reached a tentative agreement for their next union contract. This tentative agreement comes as the last of three, after they reached a similar deal in negotiations with Stellantis on Saturday, October 28, which in turn followed news of a deal at Ford on Wednesday, October 25.

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By staff

Late on Wednesday, October 25, the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Ford Motor Company reached a tentative agreement for their next contract. This agreement comes after 41 days of “Stand Up” strikes against Ford, GM and Stellantis, otherwise known as the Big Three. The tentative agreement will still need to be voted on to go into effect, however, UAW says the strike at Ford will end while they are waiting for the members to vote whether to accept the deal.

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By Owen Frassetto

Blue Cross Blue Shield strikers pose for a photo on the picket line in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. | Fight Back! News/staff

Grand Rapids, MI – Health insurance workers of Blue Cross Blue Shield, organized with the United Auto Workers (UAW), walked out on strike four weeks ago after new contract negotiations fell through.

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By staff

Workers picket outside Stellantis parts distribution on Boggy Creek Road in Orlando. | Fight Back! News/staff

Orlando, FL – On October 7, more than a dozen striking member of the United Auto Workers were picketing the Stellantis Parts Distribution Center in Orlando. The day's picketing marked the third week the Orlando workers had been on strike, and nearly a month since the UAW strikes began this September.

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By staff

Ontario, CA – On Tuesday morning, more than 100 individuals from various unions including the United Auto Workers (UAW), the Teamsters, the Writers Guild, SAG-AFTRA, and Service Employees International Union (SEIU), gathered at the Stellantis parts distribution center in Ontario, California for the Big Three Solidarity Rally. The rally brought together workers from different industries who are using the strike and strike threat as a tool to win strong national contracts.

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By Katherine Draken

Rally at the Chrysler Parts Distribution Center in Denver, Colorado.

Denver, CO – On Friday, September 29, United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 186, along with the AFL-CIO and other unions, held a rally at the Chrysler/Stellantis Parts Distribution Center where workers have been holding a picket line for the past week – since the auto workers strike expanded to the two Denver facilities.

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By staff

Milwaukee rally in support of UAW strikers.

Milwaukee, WI – Outside the Mopar Parts distribution center in the Bay View neighborhood, striking workers of UAW Local 75 were joined in solidarity by a crowd of hundreds to aid in their contract fight against Stellantis. On the afternoon of September 27, the Milwaukee Area Labor Council (MALC) rallied workers, community members, and union leaders to the strike line. Representatives of this broad coalition included members of the CWA, Ironworkers, Teamsters, Educators, Laborers, UFCW, AFSCME, USW, and ATU, among other unions.

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By staff

Fight Back News Service is circulating the following statement from the World Federation of Trade Unions.

The World Federation of Trade Unions, on behalf of its 105 million workers in the 5 continents, expresses its full and unconditional solidarity with the workers of the automotive industry in the companies of GM, Ford, and Stellantis in the United States of America.

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By Alex Carson

Striking UAW members in Morrow, Georgia. | Fight Back! News/staff

Morrow, GA – Members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 868 in Morrow, just south of Atlanta, began picketing on Friday, September 22, as the auto workers strike expanded to more facilities across the country.

The strike began on September 15 at three manufacturing plants in Michigan, Missouri and Ohio and has now expanded to 38 parts distribution centers owned by GM and Stellantis. Members of UAW Local 868 work in a Mopar center, which is the parts distribution division of Stellantis. While only about 120 people work at this location, their impact is massive, as they provide parts to service centers and dealerships across the South.

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By staff

Milwaukee, WI – At exactly 11 a.m. on Friday, September 22, about 100 workers at a Milwaukee auto parts distribution center owned by Stellantis exited the rundown brick building and joined the national United Auto Workers (UAW) strike. These brave workers lined up along the sidewalk and listened attentively to a short speech by Joseph Neu, president of the UAW Local 75 in Milwaukee.

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By Jacob Smith

Striking auto workers marching in downtown Detroit. | Fight Back! News staff

Wayne, MI – Since 12 a.m. September 15, over 4000 UAW Local 900 auto workers have been on strike at the Ford Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne, which is located just outside of Detroit. Since the strike was announced, the UAW workers have received much media attention nation-wide, and many Detroit residents are excited about the kind of fight the UAW are leading and the implications a win could have for them.

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By staff

On September 15, over 13,000 workers walked off the job at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis (the maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and 13 other brands of cars around the world). The workers are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW), who have been in negotiations with all three automakers.

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