Political Action & Leadership Conference Recap

The Region 6 Political Action & Leadership Conference was an incredibly energizing start to 2024! More than 450 active & retired members came together from across all areas of the region, including members from 15 locals and 12 organizing campaigns in higher ed, research, manufacturing, EV & battery, non-profits, and gaming. In addition, members were joined by guest speakers who shared their visions for building power in 2024, including UAW International President Shawn Fain, Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson, and LA City Councilmember Hugo Soto-Martinez. Together, members reflected on our work together in 2023 and set key priorities for 2024, including:

Advancing Climate Justice 

Members discussed priorities around new organizing in EV/battery manufacturing, building contract campaigns around climate justice demands, and political organizing to win a worker-led transition to a green economy & ensure public money goes to workers, not billionaires. Next steps include: 

1. Canvassing in California to elect pro-labor politicians and connect with Tesla workers who want to organize. If you live in California, sign up for shifts here.
2. Circulating the the UAW Region 6 Just Transition Pledge and identifying more workers interested in organizing in EV, battery, and semiconductor workplaces 
3. Developing coordinated contract enforcement campaigns around health & safety impacts of climate change 
4. Attending an action and giving public comment at the LA Metro Board Meeting on Thursday 1/25 at 9:30AM to demand Hyundai commit to good labor standards and community benefits. RSVP here if you live in the LA Metro area and can attend in person or give phone comment

Advancing Social Justice & Equity

Members discussed priorities around new organizing campaigns to promote social justice & equity at work and in our broader communities, bargaining demands to improve equity & anti-harassment in our workplaces, and the unique role we can play as labor in the fight to end the genocide & occupation of Gaza. Next steps include: 

1. Coordinated Justice for Palestine actions: 1/26 in Oakland, 1/26 in Seattle, and 2/10 in Los Angeles.
2. Developing trainings for the Region 6 Injury to One Is an Injury to All Conference
3. Identifying new organizing leads & making plans to follow up on them

Fighting Corporate & Institutional Greed

Across the Region, members’ work is bringing in huge revenues for our employers – record profits, massive research grants, etc. But whether it’s a massive auto company or a university, top management is pouring that money into their own bloated salaries and expensive (often illegal!) anti-union campaigns. Members discussed how we can build power to fight corporate & institutional greed by organizing the unorganized, building strong contract campaigns, and taking political action. Next steps include: 

1. Building coordinated campaigns & engaging coworkers to take action on renters’ initiatives and collective bargaining legislation in various parts of the region
2. Building coordinated contract bargaining & enforcement campaigns around issues of fair wages, workload, overtime, and undoing patterns of corporate & institutional greed
3. Identifying new strategic organizing targets, brainstorming leads, & making plans to follow up on them

Get Plugged In

The priorities and action steps outlined above are all ongoing, with regular coordination and planning taking place in Regional Committees led by members. All are open to all Region 6 members & workers on active organizing campaigns: 

1. Region 6 Gender, Civil, & Human Rights Committee - next meeting Monday 2/12 from 6-7pm - RSVP here.
2. Region 6 Climate Justice Committee - next meeting Tuesday Jan 30 from 6-7pm. To join, fill out this form & select “yes!” on the last question.
3. Region 6 Political Action Committee - next meeting Saturday 2/17 at 10am - RSVP here.
4. Region 6 Education & Communications Committee - next meeting Friday 2/16 from 12-1pm - RSVP here. 
5. Plan to join 2024 Region 6 Conferences: An Injury to One Is an Injury to All (May, Oakland), Summer School (June, Los Angeles), and Political Action (October, Seattle). Keep an eye out for more details closer to each conference, shared in call letters & Region 6 newsletters. 

Help Plan Future Region 6 Conferences

The Political Action & Leadership Conference would not have been possible without the significant work of members from Locals and campaigns around the Region -- facilitating small table discussions and workshops, presenting campaign updates, assisting with logistics, and more. In particular, huge shout out to Marissa Wirick for running A/V; to Brigid Boll, Willa Gibson, Levin Kim, and Reed Yalisove for running communications; and to Dan Scott, Joel Benefield, Emily Weintraut, and Griffin Johnson for leading facilitation trainings ahead of the conference. 

The more members who participate in planning and running future conferences, the more effective and participatory they will be. Please fill out this form if you’re interested in helping with A/V, comms, facilitation, fun activities, etc.