Organizing Updates, Paul Schrade, Bargaining Convention, & More
Dear Region 6 Siblings,
In the past month, active and retired UAW members have been taking action to build worker power across Region 6. Thanks to thousands of members coming together and participating at every level of the union, together we’ve made major progress in new organizing, ramped up pressure in bargaining, won huge legislative victories, and built stronger connections and solidarity with our broader communities.
Keep reading to learn more about this ongoing work and how you can plug in. As a Region, what we’re able to achieve is a function of how many members are actively participating to build power at every level – to get involved with any of this work, fill out the Get Involved form.
Region 6 Conference: An Injury to One Is an Injury to All
RSVP today for a participatory Region 6 conference on issues of social justice, May 6-7 in Seattle, Washington! The conference will include guest speakers, panels highlighting recent campaigns that made big social justice wins, and skill-building workshops. We’ll also spend significant time in collaborative strategy sessions to make forward-thinking plans for how to make our region an engine for social justice - through joint contract priorities, community fights, political priorities, direct action, and more.
For more info, check out the call letter.
The conference is open to all members and experience levels. Members who are active, or would like to become active, in their Local’s committees on Civil & Human Rights, Gender Justice Issues, LGBTQ issues, International Solidarity, and related topics are strongly encouraged to participate.
New Organizing
Huge news this week for organizing & climate justice! We've signed an agreement with the battery manufacturer SPARKZ, establishing a national labor-management agreement & statement of neutrality for future organizing. This initiates a strong UAW foothold in battery manufacturing. At their initial location in central California, SPARKZ is expected to employ 500 workers with the potential to grow to as many as 3,000.
Academic Student Employees at UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA have continued doubling down on their organizing to win union recognition, despite months of stalling and shifting legal challenges from management. After meeting their showing of interest in March, they marched to the President’s office to show their resolve to unionize and push for a timely election.
On March 31, workers at TESLA won big in their ongoing efforts to organize. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld NLRB rulings that Tesla committed unfair labor practices by firing pro-union employee Richard Ortiz, and via tweets that constitute unlawful threats. The ruling includes reinstating Ortiz.
Bargaining Campaigns
At University of Washington, Postdocs and Research Scientists of LOCAL 4121 continue fighting for fair contracts. Earlier this month, 250 Postdocs and RSEs came together for a mass meeting, and on April 24 more than 400 rallied on campus.
Academic Student Employees at WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY are bargaining their first contract, and management has proposed excluding harassment and discrimination from the grievance process. On April 24 more than 150 ASEs turned out to bargaining to deliver a series of proposals that would establish real protections.
Ford, GM, and Stellantis members of LOCALS 76, 230, 492, 509, 2162, and 6645 continue preparing for Big 3 negotiations later this year.
Graduate Student Workers at UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA officially started bargaining their first contract after a landslide election win.
Academic Student Employees of LOCAL 4123 at Cal State are ramping up for bargaining with trainings and systematic outreach to expand member participation and decision-making.
Political Action
After significant organizing by ASEs at WESTERN WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY, our bill SB 5238 (Saldaña) to expand collective bargaining rights to ASEs at Washington’s four Regional Universities has been signed into law! Now, all ASEs at public universities in Washington will have collective bargaining rights.
LOCALS 2865 & 5810 are leading the way on legislation co-sponsored by the Teamsters, California Federation of Teachers, and the California Labor Federation that would protect the right of public sector workers to respect picket lines, and to void no strikes clauses in public sector union contracts. So far this bill has garnered unanimous support from dozens of CA public sector unions, and recently passed out of two committees.
Members from LOCALS 2865 & 5810 traveled to Sacramento to testify at a California Assembly budget hearing and make lobby visits calling on elected leaders to urge UC to uphold the commitments they made in UAW contracts without cutting jobs.
Region 6 submitted comments in response to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Fee Schedule and Changes to Certain Other Immigration Benefit Request Requirements. Our comments called on USCIS to appropriate new funds to speed up visa processing, to stop increases to visa fees, and to streamline the process. The final rule was published in March & did not adopt the outrageous fees originally proposed, instead imposing only minor increases.
LOCAL 3555 members met with Nevada AFL-CIO leader Susie Martinez to discuss their campaign to ban smoking in casinos.
Members of LOCALS 2320, 2350, 2865, 4123, 5810, and retirees from LOCAL 148 have been reaching out to California Congresspeople to urge them to cosponsor the PRO Act. Thanks to our outreach, Reps. Jim Costa, Ami Bera and Scott Peters have signed on as a co-sponsor.
International UAW: IEB Elections & Special Bargaining Convention
The first direct election of the UAW International Executive Board concluded in late March, with our new UAW President Shawn Fain sworn in before the 2023 Special Bargaining Convention. All Region 6 Locals came together to share a letter with the new IEB, outlining the need to continue to expand new organizing, to build strong bargaining campaigns and strike readiness, and to reassert the UAW’s historic role as a vehicle for social justice. The letter was also published in the Detroit News. Then at the Bargaining Convention that week, Region 6 Delegates joined with hundreds of members from across the country to debate bargaining priorities across sectors.
Paul Schrade: A Celebration of Life
On April 21, active and retired UAW members joined with community members including UFW leader Dolores Huerta, UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz, and the UCLA Labor Center to celebrate the legacy of Paul Schrade, former Director of Region 6. If you missed the event, check out the recording here.
Paul Schrade was a long-time champion of social and economic justice. He became Region 6 Director in 1962, and his strong early support for the California farmworker movement was key for garnering high-profile support from the broader UAW and figures like Robert Kennedy. As Regional Director, he also committed resources to helping found organizations including the Watts Labor Community Action Council and the East Los Angeles Community Union. More recently, he was a vocal advocate for adopting direct elections for the UAW International Executive Board (1 Member, 1 Vote).
Pacific Northwest Member Meeting: May 15 at 5pm
On Monday, May 15th at 5pm, all members in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska are encouraged to join our second Pacific Northwest coordination and strategy meeting (via zoom). Come by to share updates from your Local/campaign and learn what others across the PNW have been up to in the past month. We’ll also collaboratively discuss how we can build up coordinated political education, communication, and participation throughout the PNW. RSVP here to receive zoom info!
Message from Region 6 Director Mike Miller
It was great seeing many of you at the Special Bargaining Convention in March, and even better being in bargaining with you at USC where 3,000 Academic Student Employees kicked off their historic first contract campaign earlier this month.
I look forward to working with many of you in May at the Injury to One is an Injury to All conference in Seattle where members from across the Region will convene to discuss and refine strategies and plans to advance social, economic, racial, and climate justice.
I also enjoyed meeting with many of you last week to honor the legacy of former Region 6 Director Paul Schrade. Paul was a bright spot of progressive unionism in the labor movement and inspired myself and many Region 6 members to fight to make many of the changes – like the direct elections of International Executive Board members and organizing the organized – in the UAW and the Region that have put us all on the path to growing strength and participation on which we find ourselves. If you have any questions or feedback, please email me.
Upcoming Events & Conferences
The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) is holding two conferences in Las Vegas in May: the Young Women Workers Academy (May 7-9) and the CLUW Education Conference (May 10-11). Find more information and register at www.cluw.org.
The UAW Education Committees Conference will be June 11-16 at the UAW Family Education Center in Onaway, Michigan. Contact your Local to register.
Mark your calendar for Region 6 Summer School, June 25-29 at Cal State Los Angeles. More info on how to register will be sent out soon.
The UAW Family Scholarship will be July 23-28 at the UAW Family Education Center in Onaway, Michigan. Contact your Local to apply.
Solidarity Action
Across the country, workers are taking action to build a fighting labor movement, and UAW Region 6 members have been putting solidarity into action: joining picket lines, contributing to strike funds, and voicing support. Many of these fights are ongoing - please support where you can!
UAW 2110 workers at the Hispanic Society of America have been on strike since March 27 - contribute to their hardship fund here.
GEO 3550 graduate workers at University of Michigan continue their strike for a fair contract. Region 6 members joined the picket line in March. Contribute to their strike fund.
After launching a massive multi-unit strike, Full-time Faculty, Graduate Workers, and Adjuncts at Rutgers reached a strong tentative framework that includes a 48 percent pay increase for adjunct and a 33 percent increase for graduate employees. Check out this solidarity letter cosigned by a number of UAW higher ed locals.
After nearly a month on strike, UAW 2322 staff at Goddard College reached tentative agreement on a new contract.
UAW members walked the picket line with LAUSD workers during SEIU 99 and UTLA strikes in March.
UAW members in Washington and California took action in solidarity with United Farm Workers - joining a rally in Seattle in support of unionizing mushroom workers, and a rally in Southern California for César Chávez Day.
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.