Posts tagged UAW
Full-time Gould RTPC faculty release statement opposing inclusion in non-tenure faculty unionizing effort
April 22, 2026 // These reasons include the American Bar Association’s protections for clinical and non-tenured law faculty exceeding those available to full-time RTPC faculty. They said they would also lose participation in the merit review process for faculty. Additionally, they wrote that they want to preserve the ability to negotiate individually with law school administration. They also stated that a previous University-wide initiative to improve the conditions of RTPC faculty harmed full-time Gould faculty while faculty at other schools benefited. They wrote that the prior initiative to give RTPC faculty five-year contracts overrode a Gould policy that gave RTPC faculty rolling three-year contracts without an end-of-contract review. “We oppose being included in a collective bargaining unit with such disparate interests,”
Union Now Is America’s New Strike Fund
April 20, 2026 // The American labor movement will soon have something it’s never had before: a centralized strike fund. Union Now, the new nonprofit and brainchild of Association of Flight Attendants-CWA International President Sara Nelson, began officially fundraising at a kickoff rally on Sunday, April 12th, in Manhattan. National leaders of the Democratic left were there in support; both Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani made rousing speeches, which suggests that the supporters Union Now hopes to enlist will go beyond those who are already union activists.
‘Blue Power’ and the Rise of Police Union Politics
April 18, 2026 // "Everybody else can indulge in politics—every black group, every political party group, every church group," groused Carl Parsell, then president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, in 1969. "Why are police officers so different?" The question goes to the heart of Stuart Schrader's Blue Power, a new book charting how police unions accreted and cemented power in the decades following Parsell's query. It's a ripe subject for review: Police officers' savvy use of public sector unions and lobbying to largely immunize themselves from oversight is one of the greatest political coups in recent American history. In under four decades, police unions evolved from beer-drinking clubs to organized bargaining units to potent political forces at the local, state, and national levels.
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.”
Text Messages Deleted. Allegations Fabricated. How Deep Does the UAW Mess Go?
April 15, 2026 // Still, the ongoing oversight program continues to cast a long shadow. The consent decree mandates at least six years of federal monitoring, meaning millions more in costs are likely before the process concludes. Additional expenses tied to internal compliance measures and external legal support could push the total even higher. The timing is critical. The UAW is preparing for its upcoming constitutional convention and leadership elections, both of which are expected to be shaped by the findings of the monitor and the broader push for reform.
In another letter to court, member urges monitor investigate UAW local
April 13, 2026 // The latest letter, submitted by UAW retiree Rick Michael, a former parole officer represented at UAW Local 6000 in Lansing, requests that the monitor look beyond President Shawn Fain and his administration's conduct. Previously, Michael wrote in December to ask the monitor to investigate claims of discrimination taking place at Local 6000. He had previously been told it was outside of the monitor's purview.
The Disillusioned College Grads Turning to the Labor Movement
April 10, 2026 // The fate of the college-educated working class is probably worse than most people assume. In one darkly hilarious detail from Scheiber’s book, he notes in a chapter about “salts” (people who intentionally go to work at a company in order to promote unionization) that one of these college-educated salts at Starbucks is actually making his highest wage ever there. When Starbucks is the best-paying job you’ve ever had with a college degree, something is truly wrong.
University of Alaska staff vote to unionize
April 5, 2026 // University of Alaska staff announced a vote to form a union on Wednesday. The union would represent 2,300 permanent staff across the three universities and a dozen community campuses. Staff voted to form the union Coalition of Alaska University Staff for Equity, or CAUSE, which would be part of the national United Auto Workers union, in a 1,106 to 610 vote, with 64% voting yes. UA staff that would be represented by the union include student services staff, researchers, fiscal and administrative staff, development staff, science communicators, information systems specialists, library workers, athletics coaches
UAW strike in Findlay enters day 10 as company allegedly seeks replacement workers
April 4, 2026 // Despite the strain, union members say they are prepared to continue the strike indefinitely. Workers are receiving $500 per week in strike pay, and the international union is covering health benefits, according to McDonald. He also warned that broader impacts could emerge soon. The Findlay facility produces union-made PTFE seals used across the U.S. auto industry, and McDonald said existing supplies could run low as early as next week.
UAW Federal Oversight Cost Union More Than $25M So Far
April 4, 2026 // These rising expenditures come at a time when the UAW faces broader financial pressure, with relatively flat membership growth over the past several years. Despite these headwinds, the UAW reported more substantial gains in 2025, with total membership rising 4.6 percent to 392,447 members, up from 375,161 the previous year. The 2025 calendar year marked the biggest annual membership increase since Fain was elected as union president in 2023. The report also provides additional insight into compensation among UAW leadership, with Fain receiving $276,378 in total compensation last year.