Posts tagged Stellantis
UAW calls off strike authorization vote at Ram truck plant after reaching deal
May 11, 2026 // The Sterling Heights plant that employs about 6,000 union workers is critical for the company as it builds the highly profitable Ram 1500 pickup, one of the automaker's top sellers. The facility has recently been run at full capacity, on "emergency status," to churn out as many pickups as possible and make up for previous production hiccups related to an engine shortage, the union leader said. Spencer previously told The Detroit News that union officials had grown increasingly frustrated over the last year and filed a series of grievances after Stellantis hired outside contractors to do certain work inside the plant, rather than letting the plant's own union-represented skilled tradespeople bid on the jobs. Such projects by workers who include electricians, pipefitters and millwrights might involve repairing a production line, or installing new lights inside the plant.
UAW unionizing attempt defeated at Axalta plant in Mount Clemens
April 17, 2026 // An attempt to organize a UAW union for nearly 400 employees at the Axalta Coating Systems plant failed Wednesday in a somewhat close vote. The tally to certify the UAW at the plant was defeated by 51 votes, 184 to 133, excluding 34 or challenged ballots that were not resolved because even a 100% success rate for the union would not have made a difference, according to UAW officials. Voting took place Tuesday and Wednesday. “It didn’t go well for us, we ended up losing it, unfortunately,” a disappointed Region I Assistant Director Ray Pecoraro said Thursday morning. “It was an unfortunate thing. It surprised us as a collective group.”
3 UAW officers ordered to pay $50,000 back to union after audit
February 2, 2026 // Instead, Gjokaj and two other local officers appointed then are each facing an order to repay almost $50,000 dollars to their union for “overpayment of lost time,” because the wages they were paid were not written properly into the local’s bylaws. “Lost time” refers to hours spent working on behalf of the union when a local officer would otherwise be working for the company. Gjokaj, who is contesting the order to repay the $49,954.73 he received over 13 months spanning 2023 to 2024, said he understands why there is concern over the wages he earned, though he had no idea the union was violating rules. The amount he’s been ordered to repay is more than half of his total compensation he took home during that time (UAW officers are paid by the company when working in the factory, and paid by the union when staffing the local union hall).
Former Chattanooga activist Chris Brooks has left his senior union post after federal monitor report
January 1, 2026 // Chris Brooks, a former Chattanooga activist and an architect of the United Auto Workers' 2024 win at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant, has left his senior union post after a federal monitor's report said he conspired to retaliate against another union leader in an internal power struggle.
Shawn Fain: Future of UAW ‘hangs in the balance’ as strike looms at Volkswagen plant
November 7, 2025 // To Fain, anything shy of total job security is not good enough. The current negotiations at Volkswagen remain stalled over a clause in Volkswagen's current offer that stipulates the company will not close the plant or cut jobs "unless conditions beyond the control of the company arise that make compliance with this commitment impractical." "American workers live in fear," Fain said. "Fear that if they ask for a dollar more, the boss is going to fire them or move the damn plant. That's economic terrorism."
The UAW Is Still Fighting to Unionize Auto in the South
October 18, 2025 // Daniel Kopp At the time of your election in 2024, you had a rather supportive National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) under the Biden administration. This is no longer the case, as Donald Trump is starving it of resources. Has that influenced your strategy at Mercedes? Jeremy Kimbrell You don’t change your strategy, because organizing is organizing. Workers have to have courage. You have to understand that the risk will never be zero. Inherently, you hope and expect that the risk is limited.
Volkswagen Breaks Off Talks With UAW Local in Tennessee
September 18, 2025 // Volkswagen VOW -1.85%decrease; red down pointing triangle made its “last, best” offer Wednesday to hourly workers represented by the United Auto Workers at its Tennessee assembly plant, and it is up to the union whether to put the proposed contract to a vote, the German automaker said. Volkswagen is offering an immediate pay hike of 5% and subsequent annual increases of 3% to 6% over four years, according to a company official. VW says a worker at its top hourly wage would earn nearly $80,000 in 2026, including an attendance bonus, before overtime and profit-sharing. Over four years, wages would rise by 20%, the company estimated.
Shawn Fain, Who Pledged to Reform U.A.W., Faces Internal Dissent
September 16, 2025 // The dissident workers’ main complaints about Mr. Fain are rooted in internal union matters like budgets and his treatment of other union officials, rather than in grand philosophical disagreements about labor and political issues. The people seeking to oust him say that he has spent too much of the union’s money on organizing campaigns in the South and other initiatives they consider misguided. They contend that he has improperly stripped two board members of critical duties and say he failed to prevent a Michigan-based automaker from laying off thousands of workers.
BlueOval SK begins production one week out from pivotal union vote. Here’s what that means
August 21, 2025 // Production is beginning just one week ahead of a major crossroads for workers. Plant staff will vote on whether or not to unionize with the United Auto Workers on Aug. 26 and 27.
UAW Faction Seeks to Oust President Fain in Sign of Union Unrest
August 6, 2025 // Turnout at some locals has been small. At the Sterling Heights plant that voted over the weekend, 63 workers showed up with all but one voting to oust Fain, Pillsbury said. The plant has 6,200 employees. If the union challenges any of the victories because of low voter turnout or for any other reason, he said he wants enough wins to maintain the six victories needed to push ahead.