Posts tagged Detroit
Opinion: How Biden betrayed union workers by giving them what they wanted
January 7, 2025 // This would hurt the blue-collar American workers whom Biden prioritizes, many of whom wanted the deal to go through. But what’s good for rank-and-file members and what ego-sensitive union leaders want are not always aligned. United Steelworkers leaders were apparently peeved that Nippon had not sought the union’s blessing before making a takeover bid, as other prospective buyers had. (Those other suitors, however, had not offered nearly as generous terms and, in at least one case, blocked U.S. Steel from conducting due diligence on the offer.)

UAW ordered to turn over unredacted documents to independent monitor
December 19, 2024 // While the UAW contends that it has already handed over millions of pages of information– 185,000 documents and 2 million pages in total–the court sided with the monitor, expressing that the volume of documents provided does not necessarily equate to completeness.
Detroit refinery union workers, Marathon Petroleum reach 7-year agreement, ending 3-month strike
December 17, 2024 // DETROIT: Contract talks started in December 2023. Around 270 union members went on strike on Sept. 4. It was the first time in 30 years that workers with Local 283 had gone on strike. The Detroit facility refines 140,000 barrels of oil per day.
A year later, where does the UAW’s southern organizing campaign stand?
December 11, 2024 // That's where many auto manufacturers, both foreign and domestic, are locating their plants in recent years, and that trend will continue if it means automakers can pay less for labor. In 2023, the UAW's membership shrunk to about 370,000 members, the lowest number since the Great Recession. "The rule in labor organizing is, you have to organize the critical labor market," Schurman said. But the UAW also must prepare to play the long game, even if it means losing elections on the initial try.
UAW’s response to monitor at issue in federal court hearing
November 30, 2024 // At issue is the scope of the monitor’s ability to fully review information from the union under a consent decree issued after the long-running corruption scandal that sent former top union officials and auto executives to prison. Attorneys on Tuesday described about 570 redacted documents and text messages connected to UAW President Shawn Fain as being among the issues.
Nurses from Corewell Health East hospitals to vote this week on whether or not to unionize
November 12, 2024 // “We didn’t just decide to unionize with one hospital. We know for that this company that we're with, we have to have strength in numbers,” Johnson added. From Nov. 12-14, more than 9,600 Corewell Health nurses will have the opportunity to vote yes or no to unionizing.
Stellantis to lay off 400 workers at Detroit parts facility
November 11, 2024 // Stellantis added to its rising tally of layoffs on Friday, saying 400 workers at a Detroit automotive parts facility would indefinitely lose their jobs as the carmaker reduces costs in its struggling North American business. "As Stellantis navigates a transitional year, the focus is on realigning its U.S. operations to ensure a strong start to 2025," the company said in a statement.

UAW’s Fain says strike will cripple Stellantis
November 3, 2024 // Kevin Gotinsky, who heads the UAW’s Stellantis Department, described the Local 1166 vote as a low-turnout election, with about 61% voting in favor. He said the union is confident it can get “everybody moving together” going forward, with a more aligned approach over the next three months. More than a dozen locals have withdrawn grievances filed as part of the process, according to the company, but the union can refile them. UAW Stellantis Department Director Kevin Gotinsky speaks during a rally outside of the UAW Local 51 office in Detroit on Wednesday, Oct. 30, 2024, highlighting Stellantis' refusal to follow through on the $19 billion in product and investment commitments made during the 2023 Stand Up Strike. Strike authorization does not guarantee a strike will happen, but provides leverage for the union as it negotiates with the company, which says a strike under these circumstances would not be legal.
A Doc On How Amazon Workers Unionized Drew Critics’ Praise, But No Major Takers to Distribute
October 23, 2024 // The plan the group has put in place is unabashedly pro-union; it’s unclear if it ever would have been greenlit by a major entertainment company. The film will screen once or a few times in cities chosen because of partners on the ground (in Detroit, for instance, the screening is sponsored the Metro-Detroit Coalition of Labor Union Women and several University of Michigan programs) and/or because these cities are in proximity to Amazon warehouses. Several of these screenings include post-film Q&As, such as in Columbia, Missouri, where the discussion will focus on local cannabis workers’ push to unionize. The filmmakers are offering reduced ticket prices to labor partners and union members in most markets. The strategy is “tied to where the impact was strongest,” says Tuckman.

Largest Public Sector Labor Unions Unite to Get Out the Vote in Battleground States
October 23, 2024 // This joint action represents a significant escalation of labor's political engagement, with the unions pooling resources and mobilizing their combined membership of several million workers and includes people of all backgrounds working across the public service – as nurses, child care providers, sanitation workers, first responders, teachers, education support professionals and higher education workers, among others.