Sarah Smith, Local 492

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!

Hello my Region 6 Siblings! I'm Sarah Smith, of Local 492 in Portland, Oregon. I'm the 1st Shift Committeeperson at the Stellantis Mopar Parts Depot, where I represent my coworkers during our grievance process. I've been with UAW Stellantis for 12 years, starting at the Belvedere Assembly in 2012. In 2022 I was laid off with job cuts, and eventually was given a transfer to Portland where I joined Local 492. The adjustment from Assembly Line to Parts Picking and Stocking has been a learning process, but one I enjoy!

As a second generation Auto Worker, I learned the ins and outs of bargaining on a daily basis as I grew up. My personal union story got rolling last summer with the Stand Up Strike, during which I was a Strike Captain for the overnight shifts and participated in organizing, attendance reporting, and information sharing with our members. During the strike, we started a Twitter for Local 492 to share our stories, and I am now our Local’s LUCA (Local Union Communications Association) delegate and working to re-launch other committees.

After attending the LUCA Conference at Black Lake & the Region 6 Summer School in Pico Rivera, I’m excited by the bright and strong future for our Region and the UAW more broadly. We represent such a wide variety of industries that we can share our experiences in the workplace to build one another up. These corporations and establishments may be big, but together, we are bigger- and without us, they are nothing! #Solidarity