New York, NY – On March 23, the Contract Faculty Union at NYU (CFU-UAW) called a strike at 11 a.m. after contract negotiations failed to advance by the strike deadline. Over 200 faculty, students and community members convened at the John A. Paulson Center to picket in response to the strike call. Several classes were cancelled, which created a massive disruption amongst the university community.

Before the strike call, the NYU administration stated their intention to hire substitute professors to replace striking professors, which would make these substitutes scabs. In response, the CFU-UAW called on non-contract faculty to not take on struck work. Student groups such as YDSA, SDS and SILS called on their student peers to not attend classes with substitute professors.

The picketing went on for two days, from March 23 to March 24, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day.

During the picket, hundreds of students, faculty and community members joined in to express solidarity with their striking professors. Protesters chanted “What do we want? Contract! When do we want it? Now!” and “Get up! Get Down! New York is a union town!”

Politicians, faculty and student organizers spoke to the crowd about the importance of standing in solidarity with striking professors and why the administration should provide them with a fair contract. Student organizers from YDSA, SILS, SDS and Yecao Collective organized “Freedom Schools” that took place alongside pickets, which spoke on different topics related to NYU campus, labor or immigration.

At around 3 a.m. on March 25, the bargaining committee of the CFU-UAW announced that a tentative agreement between the administration and the union was reached. There will be a vote to ratify the contract from March 31 to April 6. If ratified, the contract will mark a major victory for faculty after years of organizing.

#NewYorkNY #NY #Labor #NYU #UAW

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.

In addition to disclosure and divestment, the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition demanded the closure of the NYU Tel Aviv campus, built upon stolen Palestinian land, and the reversal of all suspensions and probation charges of Palestine student activists. The coalition’s demands aim to cut the university’s ties to the state of Israel.

As board of trustee members were escorted into their meeting by campus security officers, they were confronted by picketersdemanding that they disclose and divest. As the meeting went on, picketers chanted “Trustees pick a side, justice or genocide” and “We want justice you say how! Answer our demands now!”

The picket was called for by the NYU People’s Solidarity Coalition, which consists of the NYU Students for a Democratic Society, NYU Students for Justice in Palestine, Shut It Down NYU, NYU Graduate Student Workers Union – UAW, and several other organizations.

The participating organizations vow to continue their fight against NYU, no matter what repressive tactics are thrown their way. They will continue struggling until they win all their demands.

#NewYorkCityNY #NewYorkNY #NYC #NYU NYUPSC #SDS #NYUSDS #NYUSJP #SJP #BDS #UAW #NYUGSWU #FreePalestine #Disclose #Divest

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.

The walkouts began at 9 a.m. and culminated in a rally at noon at the Bruin Bear statue, where students and workers demanded the university divest its investments from Israel and respect their free speech. After the rally the protesters marched to Royce Hall where they gathered on the grass to learn more about the strike.

According to one union activist, Ethan Friedland, “The university bringing these violent cops onto our campus is really just a symptom of a larger issue which is this university doesn’t care about its students or its workers; it cares about making money and investing money into arms, genocide, into death and it will use violent force to repress any attempt to change that.”

When asked about the strike, Friedland added, “The school has signaled that they want to crack down on any student organizing, any dissent and free speech, of course they want to crack down on labor.”

Earlier this month, UCLA, along with the University of Southern California and dozens of other college campuses across the country, erupted in protest as students constructed encampments to try and force their universities to divest from Israel. The encampment at UCLA was violently attacked by Zionist counter-protesters. In response to the violence, the police swept through the encampment and brutalized the protesters, beating and arresting hundreds in the process.

UAW members and students both are united in their demand that their universities divest from Israel and stop funding the genocide in Palestine and that campuses respect their right to free speech and will keep fighting until they’ve won.

#LosAngelesCA #CA #Labor #UAW #Strike #InJusticeSystem #PoliticalRepression #Palestine #StudentMovement #Feature

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.

This year, the Young Workers Committee of the Milwaukee Area Labor Council organized a march to the commemoration, starting from the site where the massacre took place on Bay Street and Lincoln Avenue in the Bay View neighborhood of Milwaukee. The theme of the march was “Carry the Struggle Forward.” About 60 unionists representing several local unions gathered to place seven white crosses at the site of the massacre, and then picked up the banners and marched to the commemoration. Marchers chanted “What do we want? The eight hour day!” and “The four day week!”

Over 200 people attended the program which featured live music, a re-enactment of the events that led to the massacre, and speeches. Speakers included labor historian Joe Walzer and unionists leading current campaigns in their workplaces and in the Milwaukee community.

Aurelia Ceja, co-chair of the Coalition to March on the RNC, got the crowd fired up to protest when the Republican National Convention comes to Milwaukee on July 15. “We are fighting against the racist and reactionary Republican agenda, and telling the Republicans: not here in Bay View, not here in Wisconsin, not anywhere!” Ceja said.

Rhen Lutz, a member of Wisconsin Federation of Nurses and Healthcare Professionals (WFNHP) 5000, spoke about the union’s campaign to pass a city ordinance to keep healthcare services open in Black, Latino and immigrant neighborhoods of Milwaukee.

Representing United Auto Workers, John Drew read a statement from UAW President Shawn Fain, condemning the mass arrests of pro-Palestine protesters on campuses. “The UAW will never support the mass arrest or intimidation of those exercising their right to protest, strike, or speak out against injustice. Our union has been calling for a ceasefire for six months. This war is wrong, and this response against students and academic workers, many of them UAW members, is wrong.”

Drew also highlighted UAW’s record contract at the Big Three automakers, and their groundbreaking organizing win at Volkswagen in Tennessee.

The program ended with the singing of Solidarity Forever and was followed by more labor songs and socializing at Puddler’s Hall, an historic bar for rolling mill workers in Bay View.

#MilwaukeeWI #WI #Labor #MayDay #UAW #RNC2024 #YWC #WFNHP #Feature

The National Labor Relations Board said the vote was 262 to 985, or 73% approval. The voting started at 4:45 a.m. Wednesday and ran until 8 p.m. Friday.

“In a historic victory, an overwhelming majority of Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee, have voted to join the UAW,” said union spokesman Jonah Furman. “The outcome is clear; Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga are the first Southern autoworkers outside of the Big Three to win their union.”

After the vote, UAW President Shawn Fain told reporters at the plant that the vote reflects the fact that working-class people are “fed up with being left behind” and living paycheck to paycheck.

“This gives workers everywhere else the indication that it's OK and it can be done,” Fain said about organizing the VW plant. “All we heard for years is that we can't do this in the South. And you can. Workers can do it. It's time for workers to take more control of their lives. The only way they can take control of their work lives is by forming a union.”

The union will now represent the only VW plant in the United States, winning by a landslide after failed votes in 2014 and 2019. The victory came in spite of opposition by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee, who joined five other Republican governors in issuing a joint statement in opposition to the UAW’s organizing efforts in the South. The union was able to successfully capitalize on the momentum from its successful strike against the Big Three automakers this fall.

The UAW hopes to further build on this momentum by organizing the Mercedes-Benz plants in Vance and Woodstock, Alabama this May.

#ChattanoogaTN #Labor #UAW #Unionize #VW

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.

“The turnout and energy that ULW members showed at the practice picket is a perfect example of what a union does for people,” said Ernie Gordon, a staff attorney and the union’s lead bargainer. “This whole bargaining process has gotten so many people engaged in the common cause we all share as workers who want to improve the working conditions of those around us.”

The practice picket comes after Legal Aid Chicago management’s last, best and final offer. Voting on the management proposal opened on Tuesday, April 18 and will close at the end of the week. Members have expressed frustration with the messaging coming from management about the value of their work.

“Compassion and commitment do not pay for childcare expenses,” said Roslyn Cruz, a public benefits paralegal. “Gratitude does not pay for groceries. We make Legal Aid Chicago work; it is time to make Legal Aid Chicago work for us.”

ULW members provide free legal services to those most in need in Chicago, Cook County, and across Illinois. After the onset of the pandemic increased the need for services like benefit appeals and eviction relief, ULW members faced heavier caseloads. A contract has not been bargained for since 2019.

“I’ve seen coworker after coworker leave. Our union members love what we do but people can literally not afford to work here,” said Hannah Bernard, a social worker. “How can we fight for the justice of others when workers don’t have their most basic needs met?”

Supporters from other legal aid agencies in the city joined the rally, along with members of the ULW’s parent, the United Automobile Workers, the Cook County Public Defender’s Office, and the City of Chicago.

“We are asking management to make this agency one where employees can stay, where we can make a living wage, [and] where we can focus on doing our job: fighting for the people of Cook County,” Bernard said.

#ChicagoIL #IL #Labor #ULW #UAW

The vote was triggered after UAW filed cards with the NLRB. Union spokespeople say that they turned in “super majority” on signed union cards in February. This super majority on cards signed came about after a two month campaign to organize a union, signaling strong energy around the idea of unionizing.

Isaac Meadows is an assembly worker at Volkswagen said, “We’re voting yes to win a better life for ourselves and our families.” Meadows went on to say, “We need a say in our schedules, benefits, pay and more. We’re proud to work at Volkswagen, but we also know the value of a voice at work.”

At the same time as the vote is occurring in Tennessee, UAW has now secured a vote for thousands of auto workers at a Mercedes-Benz plant outside of Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The NLRB announced on Thursday that the vote for the Mercedes-Benz workers will take place from May 13 to May 17, with the voted being counted on May 17.

These votes to join UAW happening in the South follow a contract fight at the Big Three automakers in 2023 that saw thousands of UAW members striking in a highly successful wave of “stand up strikes” across the U.S. which resulted in major contract gains. UAW has long talked about and even attempted organizing in the South, however previous attempts have all floundered and the elections were filed for without ever seeing a majority on cards.

While the results of these elections are still to be seen, it is clear that UAW is serious about its intention to organize the South, and to organize across more auto companies. According to the union, more than 10,000 non-union auto workers have signed cards to join UAW in the last few months. They now also launched organizing campaigns publicly at Mercedes in Vance, Alabama, at Hyundai in Montgomery, Alabama, and at Toyota in Troy, Missouri. The UAW says that workers at more than two dozen other facilities are also actively organizing.

One clear way to see the difference between this attempt and previous ones is that UAW says that over 5000 autoworkers who will be part of the Mercedes vote in Alabama have signed union cards, and as of 2023 the total bargaining unit affected was around 6100 workers, signaling a dominant majority in support of forming their union.

#ChattanoogaTN #TN #Labor #Auto #UAW #NLRB

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.

After this rally, the UAW 4121 led a march from the quad to Gerberding Hall, UW’s administrative building, to stage a “work-in” to make their demands clear. While UW police attempted to lock the doors to prevent this action from occurring, the crowd rushed past them to fill the halls of the building. The rest of the union workers marched around the building until other entrances were opened up. Once inside, workers presented their demands to those administrators still in the building; most had left their offices earlier. Union members also continued to discuss next steps in the contract campaign, and how to organize their coworkers.

In the previous year, postdocs and research scientists, also members of UAW 4121, went on strike to fight for a strong contract as well. Higher minimum, and overall, pay was won, as well as better protections for job security. University administration attempted to intimidate workers, such as by threatening to report international workers to the government if they went on strike. The union responded by rallying public support and holding a rally until the threats were dropped.

Soohyung Hur, graduate student worker at the UW Department of Geography and one of the head stewards of UAW 4121, said, “The University of Washington is proposing to make academic student employees (ASEs) pay $1000 more a year for the healthcare plan we currently have, while giving us a 3% wage increase that they themselves admitted does not keep up with inflation. Altogether, this is a pay cut to the ASE salary which is already below poverty wage. Almost 1000 of us gathered at the rally to tell the UW that we will fight back against the increasing income inequality at the UW, in higher education, and the broader Puget Sound region.”

Mathieu Chabaud, a member of Progressive Student Union, said, “You can’t have admin be both your employer, and charge you fees. The only way to stop that is collective action.” Removing pay to work fees for graduate students are another key demand of the union; because academic student employees are also students, the university is trying to recapture any increases in pay by increasing fees in turn. The union’s demands would eliminate these fees, while also keeping the workload protections the university is trying to gut.

When asked about if the union would be able to keep up pressure, teaching assistant Zawad Chowdhury said, “I think so, there’s a lot of grad student energy.” With the contract expiring in a month, the union is preparing to intensify its contract campaign and win its demands.

#SeattleWA #WA #Labor #UAW #UAW4121 #SDS #PSU #GradWorkers #Feature

#DetroitMI #AntiWarMovement #International #Palestine #Biden #UAW

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.

The tentative agreements at all three companies still need to be voted on by the members of UAW, however, the workers won significant gains in the new contract offer. The driving force behind these tentative contract gains was a 44-day period of “stand up strikes” by the union members, where they chose select locations to take workers out on strike designed to impact the bosses’ ability to keep making money, but at the same time as allowing most of their members to remain working and preserving their strike funds.

The stand up strikes appear to have worked and allowed the UAW members at all three companies to win significant gains.

On October 25, UAW first announced a deal at Ford. That deal included raises of over 25% over the length of the contract, with workers at the top of the scale seeing 30% increases and workers at the bottom seeing a 68% increase. They also won language allowing them to strike even during a contract over plant closures, which is vital as the manufacturing of cars switches increasingly to electric.

Once Ford had fallen, then on Saturday, three days later, UAW announced that they had reached a similar deal at Stellantis. The Stellantis deal follows a similar pattern to the Ford one and has the lowest paid workers seeing 165% in raises. The deal also contains language to bring the Belvidere Assembly Plant back online with a new product.

Then only two days after that, a deal was reported with GM, which is said to again follow a similar pattern as the other two contracts did. Details of that tentative agreement have not yet been released.

The workers at all three companies still have to vote on the tentative agreements to make it final, but these contract deals amount to significant gains, after years of loss for the UAW members.

#UAW #LaborMovement #Strike

The new agreement includes base wage raises of 25% over the length of the contract, which runs until 2028. Workers at the top of the wage scale will see over 30% increases, putting them above $40 an hour. The starting wage would go up significantly as well, increasing by 68%, to more than $28 an hour. For the lowest paid workers at Ford, this deal, if it goes into effect, will mean a raise of more than 150% over the life of the agreement. Some workers will see an 85% increase immediately upon ratification of the contract deal.

According to a press release from UAW, the agreement reinstates major benefits lost during the Great Recession, including cost-of-living allowances and a three-year wage progression, as well as killing divisive wage tiers in the union. It improves retirement for current retirees, those workers with pensions, and those who have 401(k) plans.

The tentative agreement also includes the right to strike over plant closures, including while the contract is in effect, which is key as the automotive industry increasingly moves to manufacturing of electric vehicles.

UAW President Shawn Fain and UAW Vice President Chuck Browning spoke in a video address about the deal. Fain said, “For months we’ve said that record profits mean record contracts. And, UAW family, our Stand Up Strike has delivered. What started at three plants at midnight on September 15 has become a national movement.” Fain added, “We won things nobody thought possible. Since the strike began, Ford put 50% more on the table than when we walked out. This agreement sets us on a new path to make things right at Ford, at the Big Three, and across the auto industry. Together, we are turning the tide for the working class in this country.”

Browning spoke as well about the agreement, saying, “Our union has united in a way we haven’t seen in years. From the Great Lakes to the Gulf of Mexico, our members came together to tell the Big Three with one voice that record profits mean a record contract.”

While workers at Ford begin voting on their agreement, the Stand Up strikes will continue at Stellantis and GM until an agreements are reached that meet the demands of the auto workers.

#UAW #Strike

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.

Negotiations for a new contract between Blue Cross Blue Shield and the UAW were due to be resolved by September 13. Instead talks between the company and the union broke down September 11 and a work stoppage and picket line began in downtown Grand Rapids two days later. Workers with the UAW Local 2145 have been on strike and walking the picket line five days a week since then.

Ed Spang, the vice president of UAW Local 2145, spoke of the demands of the union and what negotiations with the Blue Cross Blue Shield are currently looking like, saying it didn’t matter if you’ve worked “90 days or 90 years,” the union wants to bring an end to the tiered system in their existing contract, where some workers get paid more than others. The UAW also wants to eliminate job outsourcing with this new contract. Spang explained how a large amount of health insurance jobs are being sent overseas to El Salvador and the Philippines.

The UAW at Blue Cross Blue Shield is also demanding healthcare for their retiree workers. Retirees since January 1, 2009 have gone without healthcare from the company. Spang also described how their workers currently must be employed for 22 years to achieve the highest pay rate, and that the union is demanding that number be reduced to a maximum of eight years. In addition, the UAW also wants a wage adjustment to match the cost of living, which has increased since past contracts.

The strike by Local 2145 is separate from the larger UAW auto strike happening across the country, which began last month and affects workers at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.

The UAW provides the Grand Rapids local with legal, accounting and representative needs. Spang noted that UAW Local 167, located in Wyoming, Michigan, came out to walk the picket line downtown with Local 2145.

Local 2145 is organized in the Technical, Office, and Professional (TOP) sector of the UAW. TOP is currently the fastest growing sector of the union, according to Spang.

The union local returned to the table to negotiate with Blue Cross Blue Shield on Monday, October 2, but have remained on strike since then.

#GrandRapidsMN #UAW #Strike #BCBS #UAW2145

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.

Teams of workers gathered in shifts holding signs reading, “UAW on strike!”, sharing water and food with each other, and dancing to keep spirits high. One autoworker, Quinette Baker, made the groups demands clear, stating “We want our raises! We want COLA back; we want our pensions. We also want them to hire our temps.”

The UAW won a major victory this past Friday by securing unionization agreements for several electric vehicle battery plants, and the union announced they have planned not to expand the strike to new plants. However, the infectious energy outside the Stellantis Plant in Orlando clearly shows that the strength and resolution of the workers is not waning anytime soon.

#OrlandoFL #UAW #Strike #Stellantis

The workers at the Stellantis parts center recently joined the national “stand up strike” movement initiated by the UAW. This nationwide strike, aimed at the Big Three automakers, began on September 15, after the expiration of the workers' contract on September 14.

At the heart of this collective action are the demands of UAW workers to raise wages for all employees, eliminate a divisive wage tier system, reinstate cost of living adjustments, and safeguard their retirement pensions. It's a battle that resonates with the 146,000 Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis workers spread across the United States, who are all covered under the same national contract.

The “stand up strike” strategy, employed by the UAW, involves an incremental approach where strikes start at a few select facilities and then expand over time. This measured escalation serves as a powerful tool to pressure employers and protect the interests of workers.

During the solidarity rally, members and representatives from local unions, currently engaged in their own major labor battles with employers, voiced their support for the UAW fight.  Among them were members from the Writers Guild, who concluded a 148-day strike on September 24 and announced plans for a vote on the tentative agreement reached for their contract. Their employer, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers, recently gave in to their demands, including worker protections against artificial intelligence, after the workers made it clear that they would not settle for less.

The Teamsters, who won a strong contract in August after orchestrating a credible strike threat against UPS over the past year, emphatically chanted, “Teamsters don't cross picket lines!” The UPS contract included the defeat of a two-tier wage system, similar to what the UAW is fighting for. Lindsay Dougherty is the principal officer of Teamsters Local 399. Dougherty said, “We are seeing the highest disparity between the CEOs and all of you and that is going to end, right now. And the only way we’re going to do it is if we fight back and take it to the streets, which is exactly what you’re doing and that is what all of us should be doing.”

SAG-AFTRA members have been on strike against the AMPTP since July 14 and around 75,000 SEIU members are on strike right now at Kaiser Permanente, in the largest healthcare strike in U.S. history.

As the UAW strike gains momentum, solidarity from other workers will be crucial and their fight and best serves as a reminder that the fight for fair wages, equitable treatment, and secure futures is a collective one, echoing far beyond the Stellantis distribution center in Ontario.

#OntarioCA #UAW #Strike

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.

The nationwide strike began on September 14, after the contract between the UAW and Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis expired. The UAW had previously voted by an overwhelming majority to strike against these “Big Three” automakers if they were not offered wages that would keep up with inflation.

Workers from several other unions joined the rally in solidarity with the striking auto workers, including members of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, Service Employees International Union, and Starbucks Workers United. Members of these unions took turns leading chants such as “What's outrageous? Poverty wages!” and “The unions, united, will never be defeated!”

Valerie Soto, a UAW strike captain, spoke to attendees about the union's demands of the Big Three, explaining how years of concessions had resulted in wages that haven't kept up with inflation, as well as a two-tier wage system that underpays newer workers. Soto declared, “We sacrificed to save the company, and now it’s time for them to pay us back. We are fighting to take back what was taken from us.”

Many attendees at the rally expressed the need for continued solidarity and support of the strikers. “Workers are stronger when we organize together, and we saw many different unions come support the pickets because we all realize that a victory for one worker is a victory for all workers,” said Keegan Estrella, a rank-and-file Teamster.

Workers held up signs that said, “UAW on strike,” “Record profits, record contracts,” and “United for a strong contract – end tiers” along the side of the road leading to the distribution center, where they received a steady flow of passersby honking in support. Spirits were high during the rally, with UAW members stating they were prepared to continue the strike until their demands were met.

#DenverCO #UAW #Strike #Solidarity

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.

The distribution facility, a near century-long staple of the Bay View neighborhood and represented by a founding local of the UAW, has been targeted as a possible site for closure by parent corporation Stellantis. This is a part of a larger strategy by the Big 3 automotive corporations to cut labor costs and consolidate their holdings in the Midwest, at the expense of workers. On the picket line, workers are standing up against displacement from their homes, the constant reduction of their compensation in the face of inflation, and the possibility of being forced into an early retirement.

A crucial part of this plan by the Big 3 automotive companies is to maintain a tiered labor force. Nick Romano, the president of the Local 75 retiree’s chapter, spoke on the vital demand to eliminate tiers.

“There’s nothing worse than a union divider, than two-tier. There’s nothing worse! When that person comes in, they may be a little happy. After a period of time all it does is create divisions, arguments and animosity. So let’s get tiers out! They have got to go!” said Romano.

Local 75 workers led chants of “No contract, no parts!” and “When union jobs are under attack, what do we do? Stand up fight back!” to bring up the mood of the picketers on the rainy afternoon. Despite the gloomy weather, working class unity brightened the days of the workers and those gathered in solidarity. Romano, the head of the retired workers, impressed the long-term importance of solidarity among the striking workers in their fight.

“I can tell you this, the retirees wholeheartedly support the active workers. You came from us, and the future generations will come from you,” he said.

UAW Local 75 will be on the strike line from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Monday through Friday until Stellantis comes to the bargaining table with a better offer. They welcome and encourage support from any workers who wish to join them in their fight for a contract that meets their needs.

#MilwaukeeWI #UAW #Strike #Solidarity

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.

Thousands of workers are on strike for the last weeks, demanding wage increases, insurance, decreasing of working hours. Their just demands, are faced with a full-frontal attack by the employers, who have started the redundancies.

The WFTU expresses its firm internationalist solidarity with workers in the USA and fully supports their just demands, especially at a time when the companies are gaining millions in profits and the workers are suffering the aftermath of the new capitalist crisis and inflation.

#WFTU #Statement #UAW #Strike #Autoworkers

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.

Workers on the picket line were fired up and ready to fight for a better contract. Many said they want higher wages, a better pension, and an end to pay tiers and forced overtime. Others mentioned unsafe working conditions. Local 868 member Robert Fortner stated, “We work under extreme heat, we need air conditioning. Some of the equipment that we ride is old and it's not up to date like other facilities are.”

Mark Anthony Miller, Jr., the president of Local 868, was providing leadership on the picket line as he helped union members adjust and prepare for the 24/7 strike schedule. He emphasized the need to fight back against corporate greed and exploitation, “The CEOs aren’t doing anything but getting richer, while we’re the ones out here doing the work. They need to invest in their employees the same way the employees have invested in helping them make record profits. They’re taking the money and getting richer. You have the CEOs making 20-plus million dollars. Our building is paid for, so everything coming out of our building is profit. So the company can’t tell us they don’t have money.”

Miller Jr. also remarked on the support they have received from the national union leadership, “We went to Detroit to get strike preparation. This is not something that just came overnight, they talked about this for months.” He later commented on the new UAW leadership and their efforts to put members first, “Shawn Fain is the GOAT.” Shawn Fain was recently elected to his position as president of UAW, having run largely on calling for an end to what he called “company unionism.”

Local 868 member Jeff Prince stated, “I’ve been here for 20 years, and we’ve only had a $3 raise since then and cost of living has gone way up. 20 years ago it was a great job to have. With the prices of cars going up, they’ve made all these billions and billions of dollars and don’t want to give it back to the people that helped them make those billions.”

This Mopar center sits on a quiet road but received a steady flow of truckers and workers honking in support. The workers had only been striking for a few hours and began discussing plans to set up a grill and tents at the entrance to the center.

As the strike expands, many wonder if it will expand further, or even eventually include all UAW auto workers at some or all of the Big 3 companies. From the energy on the picket lines in this expanding strike, it doesn’t appear that the UAW members plan to quit fighting anytime soon.

#MorrowGA #UAW #Strike #UAWLocal868

“Remember the purpose you’re striking for – equality in your contracts, better wages, for the future, and for this plant. We stay here, and we don’t move. We’re asking the company to stay put. Let us make our future the right way,” Neu said.

Once instructions for the picket were explained, Milwaukee made it officially known that its workers had joined the national UAW strike. 

The workers are demanding an increase in wages, the end of the current tiered wage system, and overall benefits, such as more paid time off. Beyond these demands, many workers expressed concern over their future. This past week, reports have come out of Stellantis’ intention to close down this distribution center, the last of its kind in Milwaukee. These efforts are part of a larger plan by Stellantis to close down smaller distribution centers in the Midwest and consolidate the distribution of auto parts within a facility in Belvidere, Illinois. While Stellantis justifies the decision as one to improve the company, these workers represented by UAW Local 75 recognize it as a decision to increase company profits and do away with hundreds of workers.

This announcement comes just months after Master Lock announced the decision to close their plant in Milwaukee. The continued deindustrialization of Milwaukee and moving operations to places with lower labor costs only serves to benefit the rich owners at the expense of the workers who have lost their jobs or stand to lose them. But these workers will continue to fight back to preserve their jobs, for themselves, for their families, and also for their communities.

As UAW President, Shawn Fain continues to rally the 150,000 members of this union in what’s shaping up to be a fierce fight against the “Big Three,” – Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. Militant trade union activists will need all the support they can get from other unions and communities. In Milwaukee, various unions showed up in solidarity with their union siblings at UAW Local 75, which intends on holding the picket line from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday until they win their demands.

#MilwaukeeWI #UAW #Strike #Stellantis #UnionPower

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.

UAW local 900 workers and their supporters were in high spirits and the atmosphere on the ground is electric. There is a 24/7 picket running along a mile stretch in front of the massive assembly plant, with hundreds of picketers spread across several entry gates at any given time. There is no shortage of hot food, snacks and water donated by supporters and local businesses. Many UAW workers from other locals, members of other unions, friends, family, and community supporters have come out to join the picket line. There is an unending cacophony of vehicle horns honking in support of the striking workers.

On day one, strike captain Steve Kellans had much to say on the topics of their demands, the conditions leading up to this strike, and the future they hope to see.

Kellans said, “The present offer from Ford has no job security. Just due to the nature of EV [electrical vehicle] engineering, there are hundreds of jobs that will disappear from the production process for each vehicle. The Big Three keep saying they need to be competitive with foreign automakers, completely ignoring the fact that most foreign CEOs make 21 times the average worker while U.S. based CEOs make 450 times! We have not had a real wage increase in 17 years. We want a fair share of the profits we create. Having six to eight tiers [of pay] is unfair. We need the return of COLA and better “A Plan” pricing.” A Plan references discounts for Ford workers to buy the vehicles they build.

Kellans went on to say, “We work, we give money back in car purchases and sales are always up with new hires. Layoffs are more and more frequent and back in the day for a short layoff we got 95% of our weekly pay during the layoff, now it’s only 74% and this isn’t even part of the conversation! In 2019, Ford strong-armed us with a bad contract. We made concessions in 2008 and we made concessions with the last three contracts and each time, months later, executives got huge bonuses. 42% of sales worldwide came out of the Michigan Truck plant and they closed it in 2009-10 and gutted it for Ford Focuses. They closed the Wayne Assembly permanently, consolidating and renaming it the Michigan Assembly where we work now. We used to be self-sufficient and make everything we need right here, now we need to have engines and transmissions brought in. All bad decisions come from management and the workers suffer for it. No one wants to strike but in this game of give and take they’ve only been taking. They’ve been taking for 17 years, it [the strike] had to be done.”

Strikers were not shy when asked what was most important to them in the negotiations. UAW Local 900 worker Misti Robinette said, “No tiers, more wages, equal wages, and don’t touch our benefits!”

Robyn Johnson, another Local 900 worker, said, “We’ve given up so much in concessions over the years, we want to take back what’s ours.” Another strike captain, Kristy Musselman, said, “They took away a lot in concessions. We want an end to tiers, we want pay raises, for things to be fair, and nothing less, We’re on strike, but we have to fight back just to get what we’ve given up since 2007. It’s kind of embarrassing, but at age 39 I already need a double fusion in my back from the work I’m doing here, and Ford doesn’t care. They make 450 times the average worker and they don’t care.”

At a large rally in downtown Detroit, many local and state Democratic politicians, even Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders made speeches to the crowd. UAW president Shawn Fain spoke with frequent applause and cheers from the crowd, pointing out the incredible disparity between executive and assembly worker pay and the difference in media coverage the union and Big Three are offered.

In his remarks addressing the crowd, Fain said, “You know, Mary Barra, CEO of General Motors was on CNN just this morning, and they of course gave her an eight-and-a-half minute segment, and she said every management talking point you’d expect to hear. And in those eight-and-a-half minutes, she made more money doing nothing, than any auto worker makes in over two weeks.”

Fain continued, speaking to the attempts by Big Three CEOs to pit workers from different sectors against each other, “The day before that, Jim Farley, CEO of Ford was on CNBC, sitting right over there,” pointing to Ford headquarters, “he said if they give us economic justice, it would bankrupt the company. He talked about how they can’t pay auto workers too much otherwise schoolteachers and firefighters would get left behind. I don’t know where he’s been living, but public school teachers and firefighters, everyone’s been left behind.”

Fain then led the crowd, now well over 1000, on a march in the streets of downtown Detroit. The march quickly reached striking UAW insurance workers from Blue Cross Blue Shield, further swelling the numbers and highlighting the solidarity between UAW workers of different sectors. The march continued with chants such as “No justice, no Jeeps!”, “Get up! Get down! Detroit is a union town!”, “If we don’t get it? Shut it down!”, “Hey hey! Ho ho! Corporate greed has got to go!” and simply “U! A! W!”

Right now, over 13,000 UAW workers at the Big 3 remain on strike, and it is possible that more of the 146,000 workers UAW represents at the big 3 may join as things go forward.

#WayneMI #DetroitMI #MI #UAW #Strike #UAWLocal900