UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: January 30
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A MESSAGE FROM REGION 9A DIRECTOR BRANDON MANCILLA
Dear fellow members,
The surge in ICE’s attacks on our communities nationwide, but especially in Minnesota and right here in our region in Maine, has sparked a powerful wave of resistance from the working class. The ICE shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti—the latter a VA nurse and member of AFGE—demonstrated how far the federal government will go to try to intimidate people who are rightfully standing up against the unconstitutional raids on our communities.
Last week in Minnesota, unions, community organizations, and businesses executed a successful economic shutdown, including boycotts and a general strike. Last night, I attended the vigil for Alex Pretti in New York City, where the commemoration of his life by his fellow unionists was also combined with solidarity for the striking nurses members of NYSNA now nearly three weeks on strike. I am profoundly moved that UAW members have organized and shown up at actions across our region in solidarity with those targeted by ICE’s terror and violence.
This is a generational defining moment, in which every right that ensures our ability to build power as a union—from speech to assembly and protest—is under attack. How we act from here will decide our history for decades. In the next few days and weeks, I look forward to conversations with our locals and members about how we prepare as a union and in our different cities and states to meet this moment and fight back.
As UAW President Shawn Fain said this week, “In moments like these, the labor movement must not be silent.” Many unions and community organizations are organizing additional actions this weekend to continue fighting back. Here are resources to find actions near you.
- Many community organizations are calling for a national economic shutdown today and organizing ICE Out of Everywhere rallies tomorrow.
- The Maine Nurses Association is holding vigils in Bangor and Portland tonight to honor the victims of ICE’s violence.
- Our siblings at AFGE are organizing vigils at VA facilities this Sunday to honor the life of their member who was killed, Alex Pretti.
- The Minneapolis Regional Labor Federation is raising rapid response funds to meet the needs of impacted union members, workers, and their families.
- Continue supporting New York State Nurses Association members, who are heading into their fourth week on strike.
In solidarity,
Brandon Mancilla
LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES
Puerto Rico’s Public Sector Locals Gear Up for the Fights Ahead in 2026
Local 2337, representing employees of Puerto Rico’s Environmental Quality Board, held its annual meeting last Saturday, January 24, with excellent participation from union members. Assistant Director Vail Kohnert-Yount attended and addressed the workers, conveying a message of support from Region 9A and the International Union regarding the challenges they are facing.
She also had the opportunity to meet and offer her support to the newly elected Executive Board of Local 1850, including President Luis Perez, representing employees of the Puerto Rico Government Employees Credit Union (AEELA). This local recently achieved a significant victory by signing a collective bargaining agreement with excellent benefits and a substantial wage increase.
We take this opportunity to also thank longtime Local 1850 President Mayra Munoz for her service. She decided not to seek re-election for a new term this year. She is not retiring from her job at AEELA just yet, and she will not be a stranger to the UAW. Thank you for a career of service, sacrifice, and struggle!
We look forward to welcoming many of our Puerto Rico local leaders to Washington, DC, next month for UAW’s National CAP Conference.
LSSA Local 2320 Wins Powerful Arbitration in Defense of Members’ Rights
In a historic win, three paralegals at Legal Services of New York City won reinstatement through the union’s arbitration. The arbitrator’s decision found that management lacked just cause to fire three paralegals following their HR complaint of harassment by their direct supervisor. LSNYC management fired these longstanding shop members based on the outrageous claim that they colluded to fabricate charges against their direct supervisor due to discriminatory motives.
The arbitrator has ordered all three paralegals to be reinstated and to be made whole in regards to back pay and other economic benefits. In addition to pursuing arbitration, LSSA members organized pickets and other union actions to demand reinstatement of their coworkers. LSSA is also seeking support for another union delegate who was unjustly terminated. As the union pursues arbitration in her case, they have also filed a ULP against LSNYC for illegal retaliation against union activity.
Shoutout to LSSA Local 2320 for showing the power of solidarity! Follow LSSA on Instagram for the latest updates.
Local 2710 Hosts UAW-Endorsed State Assembly Candidate Town Hall
Monday, February 9 | 6 PM | 601 W 114th St, New York, NY
Student Workers of Columbia (Local 2710) is proud to introduce two state assembly candidates endorsed by the UAW: Conrad Blackburn for District 70 and Eli Northrup for District 69. As career public defenders, Conrad is a current member and Eli is a former member of Local 2325.
At the local’s town hall, you can meet the candidates, ask questions, and connect with other attendees who support progressive and leftist agendas. A part of the conversation will focus on how we can work together to keep Columbia University accountable as an employer, landlord, and neighbor. RSVP to join!
Local 2110 Fights Back Against Proposed Layoffs at MFA Boston
Yesterday, Local 2110 members at the Museum of Fine Arts Boston learned of management’s plan to lay off 16 union members and 17 other employees. The union issued a statement in response: “We are deeply concerned to hear about the layoffs of sixteen of our members and seventeen other employees of the Museum and we have asked the Museum to provide detailed information about the reasons for the layoffs and what steps they could have taken to avoid this drastic step. We expect to meet and bargain with the Museum over this matter to see if there ways to avert layoffs, retain workforce diversity that is the strength of our institution, and ensure that if there are to be layoffs of rank and file workers, that there be shared sacrifice from Museum leadership.”
Local 2110 successfully fought back against layoffs at the Brooklyn Museum last year, and we stand with them in their fight to save jobs at MFA Boston. Read more in Hyperallergic and ArtNet, and follow the MFA Union on Instagram for the latest updates on how you can support these members.
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)
Urgent Action: Protect Legal Precedent on Workers' Rights & Tribal Sovereignty
UAW is asking our members to take two minutes and contact your Congressional representative to oppose H.R. 1723, the misleadingly named Tribal Labor Sovereignty Act of 2025.
UAW deeply believes in tribal sovereignty and has a strong record in supporting civil rights throughout our history. This bill, however, seeks to overturn National Labor Relations Board precedent in order to attack fundamental collective bargaining rights. It would strip workers in certain commercial enterprises, including UAW members, of rights and protections under the NLRA.
In sum, this bill threatens to create a dangerous precedent that could be used to weaken landmark worker and civil rights protections—including minimum wage, OSHA, and ERISA—for all employees on tribal lands. Use this form to send your Congress member a letter!
Our Time Field Trip to Albany
Wednesday, February 25 | New York to Albany, NY
On February 25, UAW Region 9A is joining New Yorkers United for Child Care, the Working Families Party, and more in getting on the bus to Albany.
Together with a coalition of partners, we’re bringing thousands of New Yorkers to Albany for a march and rally to demand a New York we can actually afford. We’re calling on state leaders to tax the rich and invest in the public goods working families need and deserve, including universal childcare, permanently affordable housing, and fast and free buses.
We’re coordinating a fleet of buses leaving NYC early in the morning (around 6am) and returning in the evening. More details about the day and transportation will be shared closer to February 25.
This is our moment to show Albany the power of working people, and to demand that the richest New Yorkers finally pay what they owe so we can fund a New York we can afford. You won’t want to miss it.
Massachusetts CAP Endorses Bill to Keep ICE Out of Courthouses
The Massachusetts CAP Council voted to endorse Senator Lydia Edwards’ proposed Protecting Access to Justice Act (SD 3607), which would require law enforcement entering a courthouse to ID themselves to court personnel and state their purpose, require judicial warrants or approval for civil arrests, and ban face coverings obscuring identities in the courthouse unless medically necessary. Join our next Massachusetts CAP Council meeting to learn more about the fight to protect Massachusetts from ICE interference.
Greater Boston Labor Council: State of Play 2026
Tuesday, February 3 | 6 PM | IBEW 103, Dorchester, MA
Join GBLC for the February delegates meeting and State of Play Panel. Following brief business, we will hold a panel discussion featuring Erik Berg, Boston Teachers Union; Chaton Green, Boston Building Trades Unions; Lindsay Kenney, MA AFL-CIO; Natalicia Tracy, Community Labor United; and Ken Guiel, Malden Firefighters Local 902.
Panelists will reflect on the challenging times on the horizon and how we can protect our members and communities; provide guidance and vision; and advance our agenda in Massachusetts and beyond. All union members and community allies are welcome.
Upcoming Campaign Events for UAW-Endorsed Candidates
Field Launch for Claire Valdez for Congress
Saturday, January 31 | 1 - 4 PM | Brooklyn, NY
Canvass to Fight ICE with Conrad Blackburn for State Assembly
Sunday, February 1 | 1 - 4 PM | Harlem, NY
Petitioning Kickoff for Eli Northrup for State Assembly
Tuesday, February 24 | 6 - 8 PM | New York, NY
Local 2710 State Assembly Candidate Town Hall
Monday, February 9 | 6 PM | 601 W 114th St, New York, NY
FROM REGION 9A
May Day Strong Coalition: How We Build a General Strike
Sunday, February 1 | 5 - 6:30 PM | Virtual
More than 75,000 people took to the streets in Minneapolis on January 23 and hundreds of stores closed in solidarity. They shut the city down in a day of solidarity. No work. No school. No shopping. And they’re ready to do it again.
Join this call to hear from Minnesota organizers, international experts on authoritarian regimes, and regular people who are leading the way in their neighborhoods. Together we’ll learn how we each can build the power we need to make a general strike real in our communities, wherever we are. And we’ll learn why it works and why we will win. Join us!
Labor’s Fight for Justice in the Workplace and Society: Lessons from the UAW
Monday, February 2 | 6:15 - 8 PM | Cornell ILR Center, New York, NY
Join us for a discussion of this new book, Roy Reuther and the UAW: Fighting for Workers and Civil Rights, with the author, Alan Reuther. This public event will feature a presentation by Alan Reuther, accompanied by historical photographs and commentary from UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla, as well as a conversation moderated by Zoe Carey from the UAW Higher Education Department.
We will examine lessons learned from the UAW’s historic fight to unionize the auto industry and to advance social justice beyond its core industrial base. In the current moment, how can the labor movement continue to organize workers? What is its role and responsibility in social justice movements, defending democracy against an existential threat posed by rising authoritarianism, protecting immigrant workers facing cruel deportations, confronting the climate crisis, and addressing growing inequality? These are the kinds of questions we will be exploring.
Join the Next Region 9A Women’s Council Meeting
Thursday, February 5 | 10 AM | Local 571 Hall, Groton, CT
The Region 9A Women's Council focuses attention on the issues and concerns of women in the workplace. All are invited to join us at our next meeting, which will be both in-person and on Zoom. For more information and to get involved, contact Amy Fehr at afehr@uaw.net.
May Day Solidarity School
Saturday, February 21 | 9 AM - 5 PM | 411 Pearl St, New York, NY
Billionaires are stealing from working families, destroying our democracy, and building private armies to attack our towns and cities.
Just like any bad boss, the way we stop the takeover is with continued, escalating collective action. May Day Strong is a national network of labor, community and tenant organizations working together to rise up and stop the billionaire takeover–not just through the ballot box or the courts, but through building a bigger and stronger movement. We are holding a May Day Solidarity School in New York City on Saturday, February 21.
Join us to bring together community organization and labor unions to strategize May 1st direct actions, defend against federal attacks, build the fight for a bold affordability agenda, and more!
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Dropkick Murphys Union Night Fundraiser
Friday, March 13 | 4:45 - 10 PM | MGM Music Hall, Boston, MA
Buy your tickets now for the Dropkick Murphys’ annual Union Night, hosted by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO to raise money for the Steven A. Tolman Recovery Fund.
Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey has joined UAW members at rallies and on the picket line many times, including our Local 3270 members on strike at Wellesley College and last week at Boston labor unions’ anti-ICE rally.
Tickets are $65 each and include the main show, a special pre-show acoustic performance specifically for union members, and a union-made commemorative t-shirt.
Join AFL-CIO Frontline Solidarity Trainings on Immigrants’ Rights
The Constitution protects everyone, regardless of immigration status. In the context of escalating militarization and immigration enforcement around the county, understanding our rights is vital for workers and our families. These trainings will cover the rights and protections we all have when it comes to interacting with law enforcement, including immigration agents, so we are prepared to exercise our constitutional rights at home, at work and in the community.
Know Your Rights: Constitutional Protections and Immigration Enforcement
The mass deportation agenda is a deeply anti-worker agenda that hurts workers, unions, and the economy. These trainings will provide participants with information to navigate the escalating attacks on immigrant workers and discuss resources available for unions and organizers.
Frontline Solidarity: Immigration Tools for Organizers and Activists
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW
UAW President Shawn Fain on the Killing of AFGE Member Alex Pretti
The UAW stands in solidarity with the family and loved ones of our fallen union brother Alex Pretti and all those standing up for justice in Minneapolis and beyond. Alex Pretti was an ICU nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs hospital, and a member of AFGE Local 3669. He was a fellow union member doing what UAW members do all the time—heeding a call for solidarity and exercising his Constitutional rights. For that, he was killed in the street. Our union mourns his loss and our thoughts are with his family, his union, and his community.
As proud trade unionists, we value our Constitutional freedoms. The right to free speech and the right to protest are core to who we are as Americans and as union members. The killing of peaceful protesters like Alex Pretti threatens our rights and our Constitution.
In moments like these, the labor movement must not be silent. Unions in Minnesota took action last Friday, January 23, by participating in a general strike and protested across the state. If the right to protest or speak freely is under attack, then our rights as workers are not safe. Our freedom to strike, or to walk a picket line to win a better life, may be threatened next. Read more at UAW.org.
Behind the Flint Sit-Down Strike: Courage of the Women’s Emergency Brigade
Tuesday, February 10 | 6:30 - 7:30 PM | Online
Discover the story of the Women’s Emergency Brigade, the fearless women in red berets who stood on the front lines of the 1936–37 Flint Sit-Down Strike. From defending plants during police attacks to feeding and caring for strikers, their courage and solidarity helped secure the UAW’s first major victory—and redefined the role of women in the labor movement.
Save the Date: UAW Higher Education Council Virtual Meeting
Friday, May 8 & Saturday, May 9 | Virtual
For 2026, albeit a busy year for our union, the UAW is planning a virtual meeting for the Higher Education Council. This will help minimize costs for local unions and enable more members and prospective members to attend. A link to register for the conference will be available at a later date. Where necessary, local unions should elect Council delegates by April 15, so that they can register.
Apply Now for the 2026 Family Scholarship at Black Lake
July 12-16 | Onaway, MI | Apply by June 1
Since 1970, thousands of UAW members and their families have participated in the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center Scholarship Program—changing their lives and those of their loved ones forever!
Located in scenic Onaway, Michigan, on Black Lake, the Center was envisioned by legendary UAW President Walter Reuther to be a place where UAW members and their families could come together to learn and relax.
Through educational and recreational activities, the Family Scholarship Program provides an opportunity for adults and children to learn and think about how our union empowers us to change our workplaces and communities for ourselves and future generations.
Learn more and apply for the Family Scholarship Program today!
SOLIDARITY REQUESTS
Higher Ed Labor United Fundraiser for the UNITE HERE Local 17 Solidarity Fund
HELU is hosting a solidarity fundraiser for the Unite HERE Local 17 Solidarity Fund to encourage higher ed workers across the country to directly support the labor movement & immigrant workers in Minneapolis. Anyone donating $20 or more to the Unite HERE Local 17 Solidarity Fund can submit proof of receipt on this form to receive an “ICE Out of MN” postcard and sticker.
Labor Guild Workshop: Runaway Inequality and the Crisis of U.S. Health Care
Thursdays, February 12 - March 12 | 6 - 8 PM | Virtual
Our healthcare system isn’t working. It costs too much and covers too few people. And at the bargaining table, year after year, unions and employers face off over who will pay for the ever-escalating costs. This course offers and in-depth examination of the U.S. healthcare system, how we compare to other countries, and who really benefits from it. We’ll consider how healthcare impacts collective bargaining, how insurance companies behave, and how the Canadian healthcare system works. And we’ll look at the possibility of a solution that can deliver high-quality, affordable healthcare for everyone. Presented by the Labor Guild, Debs-Jones-Douglass Institute, and the Labor Campaign for Single Payer Healthcare.
Out of the Union Halls & Into the Streets: Building Labor’s Political Power
Saturday, March 7 | 8:30 AM - 2 PM | Andover, MA
Join the Merrimack Valley & North Shore Labor Councils for a one-day conference uniting organizers, workers, and allies to build solidarity, share strategies, and strengthen networks to push back against rising authoritarianism—together.
Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) in the Winter
Saturday, March 14 | 9:30 AM - 3:30 PM | Worcester, MA
The Women’s Institute for Leadership Development (WILD) provides education, training and support to help women become ever more effective organizers and leaders: in their unions and the labor movement as a whole; in the political arena and within their communities.
26th Annual Boston Labor Seder
Sunday, March 22 | 4:30 PM | Dorchester, MA
Join the greater Boston Jewish and labor communities to celebrate our shared traditions and strengthen our work together.
Apply for the WILL Empower Apprenticeship Program
Apply by April 10
The WILL Empower Apprenticeship Program is a multipronged initiative designed to identify, nurture, and train a new generation of women’s and non-binary people’s labor leadership. As a WILL Empower apprentices, you can work in a variety of capacities, including organizing, research, communications, politics, mobilization, and policy. Apprentices benefit from a formal mentorship program, with mentors both within and outside of the host organization.
Get Involved with NYC’s TheaterWorks for Workers’ Theater-Making
Started in 2001, TheaterWorks! was designed as an avenue for our working constituents to have direct access to theater-making. It is a 12-16-week playwriting and performance class that culminates in a final performance of the participant’s short plays in an off-Broadway theater with professional actors.
TheaterWorks! is offered to corporations and unions as a resource for their employees and members, and each class is tailored to meet the specific needs of the host organization. Since its inception, the program has partnered with 10 unions, Cornell University ILR, CUNY, Climate Justice Institute, and been offered in bilingual sessions.
To find out how to offer TheaterWorks! at your union or group, please contact us at info@theworkingtheater.org.
AFL-CIO Frontline Solidarity: A Mass Deportation Fight-Back Toolkit
The AFL-CIO released a new edition of Frontline Solidarity: A Mass Deportation Fight-Back Toolkit for Union Activists and Organizers, which is an educational resource to fight back against the mass deportation agenda impacting workers. Union activists and organizers can request a copy of the toolkit, which includes know your rights materials, expanded employer engagement guidance, and updates on travel, termination of status, and detention.
Union Hiring Hall
- Community Labor United | Senior Researcher | Boston, MA
- Community Labor United | Organizing Director | Boston, MA
- Community Labor United | Development Director | Boston, MA
- NOLSW Local 2320 | West Coast Servicing Representative | CA, NM, WA, CO, NV
- UAW International Union | International Representative, CAP Dept. | Washington, DC
- UAW International Union | Assistant Director, CAP Dept. | Washington, DC
- Emergency Campaign to Support Higher Education | National Campaign Director
- Emergency Campaign to Support Higher Education | National Organizing Director
- NY United for Child Care | 3-K & Pre-K Campaign Manager | Outside NYC, NY
- Ranking Member Sen. Bernie Sanders’ Office, Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee | Paid Internships | Washington, DC
UPCOMING EVENTS
Region 9A Women’s Council Meeting
Thursday, February 5 | 10 AM | Local 571 Hall, Groton, CT
Worker Power Institute: Boston Bargaining Training
Friday, February 6 | 9 AM - 5 PM | Northeastern Crossing, Boston, MA
UAW National CAP Conference: Building Power for the Working Class
February 8-11, 2026 | Washington Hilton, Washington, DC
Behind the Flint Sit-Down Strike: Courage of the Women’s Emergency Brigade
Tuesday, February 10 | 6:30 - 7:30 PM | Online
May Day Strong Solidarity School
Saturday, February 21 | 9 AM - 5 PM | 411 Pearl St, New York, NY
2026 Financial Officers Conference
February 22-27, 2026 | New Orleans, LA
Join Region 9 Members at UAW Local 677’s Organizing 101 Training
Saturday, March 7 & Sunday, March 8 | UAW Local 677, Allentown, PA
UAW Region 9A Labor History Event at NYU’s Tamiment Library
Tuesday, March 31 | 5:30 - 6:30 PM | NYU Tamiment Library, New York, NY
UAW Member Mobilization Institute
April 19 - 24, 2026 | Onaway, MI
UAW Higher Education Council Virtual Meeting
Friday, May 8 & Saturday, May 9 | Virtual
39th Constitutional Convention
June 15-18 | Detroit, MI
Family Scholarship at Black Lake
July 12-16 | Onaway, MI | Apply by June 1