Updates

May 2023 Newsletter

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Thanks to the active participation of members throughout the region, the past month has been full of action to make progress in bargaining, new organizing drives, political fights, and more. In the coming months, a large number of Locals and organizing campaigns in the Region will be going into bargaining, in addition to those who are currently bargaining. This includes: Locals 76, 230, 492, 509, 2162, 3555, 4121, 4123, 6645, as well as units bargaining first contracts at University of Washington, University of Southern California, California Immigrant Policy Center, Washington State University, Western Washington University, University of Alaska, and potentially more. Coming up in June, Summer School will be an opportunity to learn from each other and collaboratively prepare cross-Local coordination for powerful campaigns, escalation, and solidarity across the region.

As with everything we do as a union, what these campaigns are able to achieve will be a direct function of how many members are actively participating to build power at every level. Keep reading to learn more about ongoing work and how you can plug in, and fill out the Get Involved form for more. You can also access a copy of this newsletter on the Region 6 website.

Region 6 Summer School

Region 6 Summer School is coming up from June 25-29 at Cal State Los Angeles! Summer School will be an opportunity to come together with members from across the Region and build skills, knowledge, and action plans on a range of important areas: organizing, bargaining, strike readiness, member participation, direct action, UAW history, political action, grievances, communications, and more. Each delegate will go through a three-day class to develop deeper strategies and knowledge, in addition to skill-building workshops, panel discussions, strategy sessions, and more. 

Summer School is open to all members, but space is limited. Get in touch with your Local ASAP if you’re interested in attending. For more info, check out the call letter. 

UAW Unionwide Town Hall 

The first-ever UAW-wide Town Hall was held earlier today, May 31, via Zoom. The Town Hall focused on how we can collectively build a powerful approach to upcoming Big 3 bargaining. You can access the full livestream here.

This was the first UAW-wide Town Hall since delegates to the 2022 Constitutional Convention voted to add it to our UAW constitution. To stay up to date on future Town Halls, as well as updates via Facebook Live, check out the main UAW website, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.

New Organizing

  1. After months of organizing and winning collective bargaining legislation, Educational Student Employees at WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY began their union election on May 29! Earlier this month, a group of Operational Student Employees at WWU also announced an organizing drive. 
  2. Student workers at UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA continue pushing back against significant opposition from management in their efforts to form a union. Management has now raised objections to two separate petitions and is attempting to circumvent a fair hearing slated to begin in July. 
  3. A majority of Project Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley Labs have signed union authorization cards to join LOCAL 5810, joining LBL Postdocs who have been members since 2016.

Bargaining Campaigns 

  1. At a mass rally on 5/25, Postdocs and Research Scientists/Engineers of LOCAL 4121 voted to set a strike deadline of June 7 if administration doesn’t agree to fair contracts by then. The Postdoc contract expired on January 31, and RSEs have been bargaining for their first contract since August.  
  2. As part of their ongoing bargaining campaign, Academic Student Employees of LOCAL 4123 marched on the Board of Trustees on 5/23 alongside union members across California State University.
  3. Workers at CALIFORNIA IMMIGRANT POLICY CENTER have been bargaining their first contract, and earlier this month voted 91% to authorize a strike. Please sign on in support of their fight here. 
  4. Graduate Student Workers at UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA continue bargaining for their first contract, and earlier this month reached Tentative Agreement on a strong Health & Safety article.
  5. Academic Student Employees at WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY also continue bargaining for their first contract. Check out updates like this healthcare video on their social media.
  6. With Big 3 negotiations coming up later this year, members of LOCALS 76, 230, 492, 509, 2162, and 6645 at Ford, GM, and Stellantis continue work to get ready for strong campaigns.  

Political & Community Action

  1. Members of LOCALS 2865 & 5810 joined the California State Labor Fed lobby day in support of our sponsored Picket Line Protection bill, which passed its vote on the Assembly floor this morning!
  2. LOCALS 2865 and 5810 also sent a letter to the California Joint Legislative Budget Committee calling for funding to stop cuts to public transportation service.
  3. Earlier this month, UAW members from around Region 6 joined a rally to protect the right to strike in Seattle before attending the Injury to One Conference. A ruling is expected in June on the Glacier NW v. Teamsters Supreme Court Case, which will likely increase unions’ liability under the NLRA to pay for “property damage” incurred during a strike. The day the decision is released, there will be a rally in Seattle. Please plan to be there if you can.
  4. Region 6 members joined with fellow UAW members from across the country at the Labour and Working-Class History Association Graduate Worker Organizing Workshop to discuss the history and future of graduate worker organizing.
  5. Senator Bernie Sanders hosted a panel discussion with LOCAL 2865, GEO 3550, MIT Grad Union, and UIC Chicago on how graduate workers are organizing to rebalance power at their universities and win fair pay & benefits. 
  6. On May Day, members of LOCAL 230, 2865, and more joined the May Day march in Riverside alongside thousands of others in the community. 

Message from Region 6 Director Mike Miller 

Thanks to everyone who attended the Region’s Injury to One is an Injury to All Conference in Seattle! Attendees contributed to a growing feeling of, and plans for, expanding solidarity and commitment to social justice in the Region. Please take a moment, if you haven’t already, to get in touch with your Local about registering for Summer School (June 25-29 at Cal State Los Angeles): where members from across the Region will build on the plans made at the Regional Leadership and Injury to One Conferences earlier this year. Finally, make sure to reach out and express support to the Educational Student Employees at Western Washington University who vote in a Washington State Labor Commission election to form their union starting May 29 and to the University of Washington Postdocs and Research Scientists and Engineers who recently announced that they will strike starting June 7 if UW administration doesn’t agree to fair contracts – including fair compensation, support for an inclusive workforce, and an end to UW’s unfair labor practices. 

Upcoming Events & Conferences 

  1. The following UAW-wide conferences will be held in the coming months at the UAW Family Education Center in Onaway, Michigan. Contact your Local to apply: 
    1. UAW Family Scholarship, July 23-28
    2. Young Workers Institute, July 9-14 
    3. UAW Women’s Conference, August 6-11
  2. The 114th NAACP Annual Convention will be held in Boston, Massachusetts, July 26-August 1. To register, go to https://naacp.org/convention. 
  3. This year’s Labor Council for Latin American Advancement (LCLAA) National Membership Convention will be held at the Caribe Hilton Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico from August 2-6. To register for the conference and the hotel, go to www.lclaa.org/convention. 
  4. The Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance’s (APALA) 17th Biennial Convention will be held August 3-6 in Seattle, Washington. Registration and membership information can be found at www.apalaconvention.org. 
  5. For more upcoming events & meetings, check out the Region 6 Calendar. 

Across the Labor Movement 

  1. UAW LOCAL 12 members (battery manufacturers in Ohio) have been on strike for four weeks for a fair contract, including fair pay and scheduling. 
  2. UAW LOCAL 174 members (parts suppliers in Michigan) are also on strike after weeks of the company refusing to bargain in good faith. They are fighting to address health and safety issues and unfair discipline. 
  3. In the wake of Masterlock announcing plans to close a manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, members of UAW LOCAL 469 have been fighting back against job cuts.  
  4. The WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA continues their strike for a fair contract, including fair compensation and protection from unfair use of AI. In the past month, members of Local 2865 and GSWOC joined the picket lines in Los Angeles with WGA West.
  5. UAW 2110 workers at the Hispanic Society of America won a strong new contract after eight weeks on strike. 
  6. 200 workers at Webasto Roof Systems (parts suppliers for Ford, Chevy, and Jeep) organized to join UAW LOCAL 3000, winning their election against heavy employer opposition. 
  7. Over 1,900 doctoral, master's, and undergraduate student workers at UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA have signed union authorization cards to form a union. 
  8. A majority of Fellows at NIH have signed cards to form a union, and will hold a filing rally on June 1.

Stay connected!

For regular updates and information, check out Region 6 on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and our website. Members who are interested in helping with Region 6 communications work are encouraged to join the Communications Committee - fill out the Get Involved form for more info and to get looped in.