UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: February 13
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2026 NATIONAL CAP CONFERENCE
UAW Members Take Working Class Agenda to Our Representatives on Capitol Hill
UAW members took the union’s working-class agenda to Capitol Hill this week, lobbying political leaders to support legislation advancing the union’s four core issues.
Delegates from each of the UAW’s nine regions met with our respective elected representatives to share personal stories and push for pro-worker policies, including affordable healthcare, protecting and expanding worker rights to freely organize, shorter work weeks and improved paid leave, and real retirement security for every American.
Region 9A members met with elected representatives or their staff from Puerto Rico, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Our delegates highlighted our upcoming contract fights in our states, spoke about Puerto Rico’s struggle against the austerity imposed by La Junta, and pressed our representatives to answer how they’re fighting back against ICE’s violence and repression in our communities.
UAW’s Four Core Issues Take Center Stage at National CAP Conference
At our 2026 National CAP Conference, speakers addressed the nearly 1,000 members by calling out corporate greed and focusing on the four core issues that will guide our union into 2028.
UAW President Shawn Fain gave an impassioned keynote address to open the conference. “12 billionaires own as much wealth as the bottom half of society,” he said. “Our democracy is dying at the hands of an authoritarian billionaire class. The question we are here to answer is, how do we rise to the occasion? This is our defining moment. We need to send a clear message as a working class: A Billionaire dictatorship is not an option for the American people. Divide-and-conquer politics has no place in the working class!”
Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla spoke later in the week on the need to fight for more time off the job for UAW members: “It’s about more than just a paycheck. It’s about more than just our rights on the job. It’s about a much bigger question: What kind of life does the working class deserve? In the richest country in the history of the world, what kind of life can working class people expect to have?”
Guest speakers included SEIU-USWW President David Huerta and Region 9A’s own Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14) and Senator Bernie Sanders (VT).
“Our country needs a labor movement that is ready to lean in,” Huerta implored, calling for worker solidarity in the labor fights ahead. “We should be preparing now for May Day 2028 to shut the whole thing down. Right now, our union is working to align our contracts with yours. When you go on strike, we’ll go with you!”
“We do not pledge allegiance to Wall Street. We don’t pledge allegiance to greed,” Rep. Ocasio-Cortez told an energetic crowd. “We pledge allegiance to no one president. We pledge allegiance to a nation. Our nation. The United States of America. To the betterment of all people.”
"These are not radical ideas!” Senator Sanders told the crowd as he closed out the conference. “Brothers and sisters, in this momentous, unprecedented moment in American history, let us stand together. Let us show the world what a great country like ours can be, and let us fight for the country that you and I know we can become!”
Delegates also attended various workshops to sharpen their knowledge on political topics based on the union’s four core issues. Local 2110 member and New York Assemblymember Claire Valdez spoke about her experience running for office as a UAW member. Interested in getting more involved with our union’s political work? Join your state’s next CAP meeting!
LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES
Local 2320: NELP Union Fights Unjust Layoffs
The National Employment Law Project, the country’s leading workers’ rights policy advocacy nonprofit, is expected to lay off an estimated 60% of staff in the coming weeks due to a large budget shortfall. The layoffs would be devastating to the NELP Staff Association (NOLSW-UAW Local 2320). Many of the employees facing possible layoffs are over 40 and have worked at NELP for more than a decade. All have contributed years of valuable education and experience to the organization’s mission of guaranteeing expansive rights for all workers.
Although the staff union has expressed its willingness to work with management to address the deficit, the union maintains that NELP management has not consistently engaged in good-faith bargaining around the layoff process. Management initially rejected all of the union’s substantive proposals to improve layoff terms and offered bare-minimum layoff packages, including just one month of COBRA coverage. In recent days, management has proposed improved economic terms, but conditioned on staff waiving or dismissing pending unfair labor practice charges and grievances related to bargaining unit erosion. They are also conditioned on staff signing a non-disparagement clause and non-disclosure agreement—the kinds of coercive waivers NELP has always opposed on principle.
Follow the NELP Union on BlueSky and Instagram for the latest updates on how you can support them in their fight against these unjust layoffs!
Local 2325: Picket to Support Safe Horizon Workers’ Demands
Wednesday, February 18 | 1-2 PM | Manhattan, NY
Spend your lunch in solidarity with Local 2325 members at Safe Horizon on February 18! We'll be picketing in front of 2 Lafayette Street in Manhattan to let management know that it's beyond time for meaningful offers on salary and parental leave.
Follow the Safe Horizon Legal Workers Union on Instagram for the latest updates.
Local 2179: Nitehawk Workers Union Winter Rally
Friday, February 27 | 12 PM | Brooklyn, NY
The snow on the ground has frozen over, and so have the Nitehawk Workers Union’s contract negotiations—so join us on February 27 for the union’s first ever rally! Come show your support, stand with our union members, and help Nitehawk workers fight for a FAIR CONTRACT!
Follow the Nitehawk Workers Union on Instagram for the latest updates.
More Region 9A Locals in the News
“Jacob Remes, a professor and member of the union bargaining committee…said the union was looking for management to move on issues key to the union, such as pay, protections for international faculty and initiatives to protect academic freedom the union has proposed. ‘And they didn't do any of that,’ Remes said. ‘The next step that workers have to shake loose a fair settlement from the boss is to take a strike vote.’”
- WNY Labor Today: After 15 Months Of First Contract Bargaining, Unionized Full-Time Faculty At New York University Faculty Hold A Strike Authorization Vote (Feb. 13)
Student Workers of Columbia-United Auto Workers Local 2710 hosted a town hall Monday evening for Democratic New York state assembly candidates Eli Northrup and Conrad Blackburn, as the two progressives vying to represent Districts 69 and 70, respectively, gain momentum.
Columbia Spectator: SWC-UAW hosts town hall for state assembly candidates Conrad Blackburn and Eli Northrup (Feb. 12)
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)
Connecticut for All Democracy School
Saturday, February 21 | 10 AM - 2 PM | Middletown, CT
Why we're coming together for a bigger Democracy School—42,000 people came together across Connecticut’s No Kings rallies in October. This February, leading up to No Kings 3 on March 28, we are creating a space for activists and organizers to build our shared analysis, sharpen our skills, and prepare to harness the people power we'll need to stop a fascist takeover of our state. All UAW members are invited to Connecticut for All’s largest Democracy School to date!
Inspired by the solidarity of Minneapolis, we seek to have a united front of labor, students, community organizations, Indivisible groups, immigrant defense networks and faith communities in Connecticut because no single group can, on its own, counter the scale of coordinated authoritarian threats or win the systemic changes people need.
UAW Members Field Trip to Albany with Our Time
Wednesday, February 25 | New York to Albany, NY
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 to come. Before the trip, join a mass call with Our Time at 8 PM on Monday, February 9, to learn more about how our growing coalition can force Gov. Hochul to tax the rich and fund the New York we deserve.
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.
UAW Regions 9 & 9A New York State CAP Lobby Conference
March 22 - 25 | Albany, NY
Join the New York State CAP Council for our annual lobbying conference in Albany. Region 9A will join members and leaders from UAW Region 9 to advocate for issues including unemployment, student loan assistance, temporary disability insurance, the NY Health Act, and the EmPIRE Act.
All members are welcome to join us in Albany! Active participation by our local union members helps us attain the positive results we need to fight for our issues at the legislature.
Maine AFL-CIO Labor Lobby Day
Thursday, March 5 | 8 AM - 3 PM | Augusta, ME
Working people are getting squeezed. Skyrocketing costs are making it harder to make ends meet. This is no accident. Billionaires and corporations set the rules and shift wealth to the top.
That's why it is more important than ever for working people to organize, build power and demand a fair deal. Join workers and unions from across the state for the Maine AFL-CIO’s annual Labor Lobby Day at the Governor Hill Mansion and Maine State House in Augusta.
Upcoming Campaign Events for UAW-Endorsed Candidates
Petitioning Kickoff for Eli Northrup for State Assembly
Tuesday, February 24 | 6 - 8 PM | New York, NY
FROM REGION 9A
Sign Up for LSAT Prep for UAW Members
Tuesdays, 6 - 9 PM | March 31 - May 19 | Sign up by March 1 | New York, NY
The UAW Region 9A Workforce Training Center is excited to release the course offering for Spring 2026. This 8-week intensive LSAT prep course is intended for members and their family members who plan to attend law school. When offered by for-profit institutions, these courses can cost students $2,000 or more—but through the Workforce Training Center, you will have the opportunity to take this course for free with other UAW members.
LSAT Prep for UAW Members will prepare students to take an upcoming Law School Admissions Test and succeed in their goals to attend the law school of their choice. We will cover general exam preparation tips as well as advanced techniques to take on logical reasoning and reading comprehension questions. Sign up to join us by March 1!
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!
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
Update Your Membership Records with the International UAW
The International UAW is committed to improving our member records. This effort is led by the UAW Membership Department. Maintaining accurate member records allows the UAW to effectively represent and communicate with active and retired members, provide relevant educational and training opportunities, better allocate resources, deliver targeted support, and facilitate International and local union elections.
Please take a moment to enter your contact information by completing the quick online form available at myinfo.uaw.org. Updating your mailing address now will help ensure that you receive a ballot to vote in the 2026 UAW International Officer Election, as well as other important communications and union updates in a timely manner. Download a flyer to share with your fellow members.
Register for the 2026 UAW Member Mobilization Institute
April 19 - 24 | Register by March 9 | Onaway, MI
The UAW Education Department will hold its Member Mobilization Institute at the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center in Onaway, Michigan. This institute transforms committed union members into skilled labor movement leaders ready to build union power from the inside out!
Three focused tracks offer hands-on training for rank-and-file members and local leaders who want to step up their involvement or sharpen their existing skills as union advocates. Whether new or experienced, delegates will gain practical skills and strategies to strengthen our union for the fights ahead. Learn more and register by March 9!
Save the Date: 2026 UAW Constitutional Convention
June 15-18 | Detroit, MI
Call letters for the 39th UAW Constitutional Convention were delivered to local unions this week. Each local union elects delegates to the Constitutional Convention, which occurs every four years in Detroit. For information about delegate elections, contact your local union. Region 9A delegate lodging and registration information will be available soon.
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.
Schools, Drop ICE Mass Call
Sunday, February 15 | 7 PM ET | Online
Higher Ed Labor United is co-hosting a mass call this Sunday with Sunrise Movement, YDSA, AAUP, AFT, UE, and more to organize on our campuses to get our institutions to drop contracts with companies who work with ICE. Colleges—and the students, faculty, and staff they rely on—have real leverage over companies providing services to ICE through purchasing, partnerships, and public legitimacy. On this call, you’ll hear how organizers in Minneapolis and beyond moved from defense to offense—picking a few winnable targets and escalating sustained, nonviolent pressure that hits brands and bottom lines. You’ll leave with concrete tools to map your university’s ties, link up with others on your campus, and run an escalating campaign that forces decision-makers to drop ICE’s billionaire partners.
Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island Know Your Rights Trainings
Tuesday, February 17 & Saturday, February 28 | Providence, RI
The Lawyers' Committee for Rhode Island (LCRI) will provide Know Your Rights trainings in central Rhode Island. These trainings will provide guidance on how to stay within the law when you are a friend or bystander during an ICE arrest, you are protesting, you are documenting, you are protecting your place of worship, business, or home from ICE, and when federal immigration enforcement is present in our neighborhoods and our communities. Please join us for this important training and learn how you can stand up for democracy and stand by those who are targeted.
AFT Day of Action to Protect Our Kids, Our Families and Our Communities
Wednesday, March 4 | Nationwide
March 4 is a nationwide day of action to Protect Our Kids, Our Families and Our Communities. Life is getting harder—not easier. Schools and childcare are being cut. Student borrowers are under attack. Academic freedom is being muzzled. Healthcare and public services are being hollowed out. Immigration raids are making communities less safe and pushing fear into schools, campuses and hospitals—places that should be safe for learning, care and belonging. Families are facing rising costs. Educators, healthcare workers and public employees are being stretched thinner. Kids and families are paying the price. This administration throws chaos at people every day—distraction is the point. That’s why we have to show up together, nationwide, keep the pressure on, and make clear what really matters and what our kids, our families and our communities need.
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.
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.
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.
2026 CUNY SLU Strategic Corporate Research Summer School
June 21 - 26 | Apply by April 1 | New York, NY
The SCR Summer School is now accepting applications! This school is a great way for union staff, community organizations, social movement organizations, and activists to develop skills for organizing, corporate accountability, and campaign building. To get all the details visit 2026 Strategic Corporate Research Summer School, and apply by April 1.
Connecticut AFL-CIO Health and Safety Committee Scholarship Essay Contest
Apply by April 1
The Connecticut AFL-CIO Health and Safety Committee is excited to announce the return of our Scholarship Essay Contest for high school seniors in Connecticut. This contest invites students to thoughtfully explore the real world impact of workplace hazards on workers and their families. Students are asked to submit an original essay of 1,000 words or less, responding to one of the scenarios listed below. The contest awards three scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000. All applicants must have a parent or grandparent who is a member of a union affiliated with the Connecticut AFL-CIO. Learn more and apply by April 1.
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
- Muslim Advocates | Senior Staff Attorney | New York, NY
- Community Labor United | Senior Researcher | Boston, MA
- Community Labor United | Organizing Director | Boston, MA
- Community Labor United | Development Director | Boston, MA
- 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
- May Day Strong | Campaign Coordinator | Albuquerque, NM (flexible)
- Connecticut Tenants Union | Staff Organizer | Hartford, CT
- Reclaim Rhode Island | Tenant Organizer | Providence, RI
UPCOMING EVENTS
May Day Strong Solidarity School
Saturday, February 21 | 9 AM - 5 PM | 411 Pearl St, New York, NY
National Financial Officers Conference
February 22-27, 2026 | New Orleans, LA
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
55th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
May 20-24 | Atlanta, GA
39th Constitutional Convention
June 15-18 | Detroit, MI
Family Scholarship at Black Lake
July 12-16 | Onaway, MI | Apply by June 1