Mary Ann Massenburg, Local 2320 Retiree
Member Spotlight is a segment of the Region 6 Newsletter that profiles members from different Region 6 Locals and organizing campaigns each month. Get to know your fellow UAW members from across many industries and states!
Greetings Region 6 Members. I’m Mary Ann Massenburg and I’m a Retired UAW Region 6 International Rep. I started out as a legal worker and bargaining chair at California Rural Legal Assistance, where we organized with District 65 in the 1970’s. We affiliated with the UAW in the 80’s and became part of Local 2320. I joined the Region 6 International staff in the 1980’s and was fortunate to do both organizing and servicing for several Region 6 locals in multiple sectors.
In 1985, I received the first organizing lead from graduate student workers who had started a union at UC Berkeley, and were looking to affiliate with a larger union. I spoke to several other unions and found that they were reluctant to take on the campaign, saying that UC would fight unionization for at least 20 years and that it would cost millions of dollars to win. But after the Region 6 leadership and I met with the impressive leadership at Berkeley, we decided to take it on and I was appointed to coordinate the campaigns. We made a commitment to support workers organizing at all the UC campuses and wage a fight for recognition using legal, legislative, and organizational power.
Even with turnover, the campuses showed an amazing ability to replicate leadership. After 17 years, TAs/GSIs, Readers and Tutors won recognition and fought for a good first contract. I always thought that if the student workers had a positive union experience, they would take it with them wherever they went, which has been proven to be more than true as I worked on other campaigns in academia.
The organizing successes and increased membership significantly contributed to getting Region 6 re-established. As an active retiree, I have been so impressed by the commitment and ability of members from all the sectors of Region 6 to work together to organize, bargain, and do turnout for the UC and Big 3 strikes. And to help with the victory at VW! It is inspiring to be part of a diverse community where people have confidence in each other to achieve not only workplace goals, but broader community goals. I love continuing to be involved in our union alongside other Region 6 retirees!