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UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: February 27

Catherine Graugard
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LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES

 

New York UAW Members Take Albany to Tax the Rich

Tax the Rich for Science

On Wednesday, UAW members in New York took part in a day of action with unions and community organizations calling on Governor Hochul to tax the rich to fund child care, housing, scientific research, and more. Members from Locals 2320, 2325, 4100, and more took part in NY United for Childcare’s takeover of Albany’s War Room, turning it into a playroom, as well as a rally with Our Time.

Local 2325 member Ella Abeo spoke to 1,500 attendees at the Our Time rally and was highlighted in the New York Times. “New York is the wealth capital of the country,” she said. “We can also be the state that leads the nation in economic justice. The money is here. The question is, Governor Hochul: Do you have the courage to collect it?”

Rallies Rescheduled! Join Safe Horizons, Nitehawk, & Guggenheim Unions in NYC

Tuesday, March 3 | 1-2 PM | 2 Lafayette St, New York, NY

Picket Time

The rain and snow won't stop us this time! Local 2325 members at Safe Horizons are beyond tired of low wages and measly parental leave. Come spend an hour in solidarity at their rescheduled lunchtime picket. 

Follow @safehorizonlegalworkersunion on Instagram for the latest.

Wednesday, March 4 | 5:45 - 7:45 PM | Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY

Guggenheim Picket

Local 2110 members at New York City’s Guggenheim Museum are rallying to kick off their fight for a fair contract.

Let’s remind them: art workers are workers. Our members deserve a fair contract, a living wage, and job security!

Follow @guggenheimmuseumunion_2110 on Instagram for the latest updates on their contract campaign.

Friday, March 13 | 12 PM | Nitehawk Cinema, Brooklyn, NY

Nitehawk Rescheduled

The snow on the ground has frozen over, and so have the Nitehawk Workers Union’s contract negotiations—so join Local 2179 on March 13 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 @nitehawkunion on Instagram for more.

 

Local 6950: Protect Public Education & Stand with UConn Graduate Workers

Local 6950 Rally 2.28.26

GEU-UAW Local 6950 is the union representing UConn’s graduate workers, whose instruction, research, and mentorship are core to the university’s daily functions.

At a time when public education is under attack, Local 6950 is asking community members to write to UConn's administration asking them to invest in public higher education and democratic values by guaranteeing the economic and social well-being of graduate workers in their next contract.

On Saturday, union members are planning to flyer outside the UConn men’s basketball game—follow @uconngeu on Instagram for the latest updates!

Local 2320: Stand with NELP Union Members Against Devastating Layoffs

On February 20, the National Employment Law Project reduced its staff union by 25 members through voluntary and involuntary layoffs. These layoffs, precipitated by a budgetary shortfall, dramatically decreased the NELP Staff Association (NOLSW-UAW 2320)'s membership down to a total of just eight members.

The layoffs disproportionately impacted longer-tenured staff, many of whom have served at the organization for over a decade. Union members are concerned about the future of NELP’s work without most of its programmatic staff, and its ability to live up to its mission and the ambitious agenda set for 2026.

Following a unanimous no-confidence vote in the executive team, as led by Rebecca Dixon, and the Board of Directors, the NELP Staff Organization is calling on the executive team to step down from leadership, install an interim executive director, and steward the organization so NELP can once again champion worker rights–for all, including its employees.

Follow the NELP Staff Association on MediumBluesky, and Instagram for updates on their campaign.

More Region 9A Locals in the News

“An overwhelming majority of New York University contract professors voted to strike late Friday night, after more than a year of waiting for administrators to finish bargaining a first contract in good faith.”

  • American Prospect: NYU Professors Vote to Strike After Bosses Stonewall for Months (Feb. 25)

COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)

 

UAW & Other Unions Slam Bills To Restrict NYC Protests and Pickets

UAW and other unions are opposing a proposed New York City Council bill that would severely restrict the ability to protest or rally anywhere near schools and college campuses. The bill would order the police commissioner to establish a “buffer zone” at every entrance and exit of public and private schools, college campuses, and educational facilities, giving the NYPD even more control over protests in those areas.

An amended version of his bill posted late Monday eliminated language determining that the “buffer zone” would measure 100 feet from every entrance and exit of any educational facility, which UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla said would essentially bar protests anywhere in a city as densely populated as New York. It also more explicitly asserts unions’ federal right to picket their employers, but it has yet to address unions’ concerns. Read more in The City, and join our next New York City CAP Council meeting to learn more about our fight back.

Higher Ed Labor United Joins May Day Strong National Call
Wednesday, March 4 | 8 PM ET | Online

Together We Declare May day

Over the last year, the Trump Administration has been escalating sector-wide strategies for attacking higher ed. Higher ed workers have seen our campuses being used as bargaining chips and testing grounds for policies advancing an authoritarian political agenda that seeks to control our work, our research, and our communities. 

In response, HELU member unions, delegates, and at-large members have been building a growing movement with the power necessary to win better working, learning, and living conditions throughout our sector. We have a long way to go towards a vision for higher ed that actually fulfills its public mission—the only way we’ll get there is by coming together as higher ed workers to exercise our power at the bargaining table, at the ballot box, and on the streets. 

We’re gearing up to make our power as higher ed workers on full display this coming May Day. Join us as we join with organizations across the country for a national May Day Strong call—because Together We Declare May Day.

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.

UAW Regions 9 & 9A New York State CAP Lobby Conference
March 22 - 25 | Albany, NY

NYS CAP

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.

Save the Date: Next No Kings March
Saturday, March 28 | Nationwide

UAW is a proud supporter of No Kings!  We’re coming together again on March 28 to make clear to President Trump that his fear and intimidation aren’t working against a united working class. In America we have #NoKings, and we’ll do whatever it takes to protect our neighbors. Find an event (or start one!) in your area.


FROM REGION 9A

 

Applications for the 2026 Richard 'Dik' Days Scholarship Now Available
Apply by May 8

Dik Days Scholarship

The Scholarship Committee is pleased to announce the availability of the 2026 Richard ‘Dik’ Days Scholarship application. Connecticut graduating high school seniors attending college full-time in the fall and current full-time undergraduate students are eligible to apply. Three $2,000 scholarships will be awarded this year. The application deadline is May 8, 2026.

The Richard ‘Dik’ Days Scholarship Fund is an initiative formed through collaboration between the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists Connecticut Chapter, UAW Region 9A and the Days Family. The Richard ‘Dik’ Days Scholarship Fund was created in memory of Richard Adam Days, who was a labor educator for the UAW. Prior to his retirement he was the Education & Civil Rights Director for UAW Region 9A. Read more about Brother Days and learn more about the scholarship on the Region 9A website.

Sign Up for LSAT Prep for UAW Members
Tuesdays, 6 - 9 PM | March 31 - May 19 | Sign up by March 1 | New York, NY

LSAT Prep Session C

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!


FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW

 

Update Your Membership Records with the International UAW

Update Your Contact Info

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

Membership Mobilization Institute

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 month. 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, and keep an eye out for upcoming regional trainings on how to prepare to serve as a delegate.

Apply Now for the 2026 Family Scholarship at Black Lake
July 12-16 | Onaway, MI | Apply by June 1

Family Scholarship

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

 

Laban Bayan! Report on the Struggle for Land & Livelihood
Saturday, February 28 | 2 - 5 PM | New York, NY

February is Philippine-U.S. Solidarity Month! Join BAYAN Northeast, New York Committee for Human Rights in the Philippines (NYCHRP) and Juventud Unida Por la Independencia (JUPI) in learning how communities across the Philippines are fighting for their rights and livelihood amid worsening militarization, fascist repression, corruption and exploitation. In November 2025, members of our organizations joined BAYAN USA's Peace Mission to the Philippines. Throughout the mission, our delegates integrated with local communities to learn about their struggles, their aspirations, and how they're taking action. Together, we'll hear their stories from on the ground and discuss our role in resisting U.S. imperialism here in New York City

Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island Know Your Rights Trainings
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.

Solidarity Rally & Vigil for Fishers outside the North American Seafood Expo
Monday, March 16 | 4:30 - 6 PM | Convention Center, Boston, MA

Migrant fishers in Taiwan's distant-water fishing industry, who catch the tuna that ends up in the cans we buy, face routine labor rights violations, including injuries and even death. Fishers are at sea for 6 months or longer without a way to communicate with their families, unions, or regulators, unable to report injury and abuse. Despite the known labor risks in Taiwan’s tuna industry, U.S. companies continue to purchase tuna from the Taiwanese fleet without investing in real protections for workers, putting their own profits ahead of workers’ rights, health, and safety. The fishers need our support more than ever. Please join us for a rally and vigil for those lost at sea in front of the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center to show solidarity with migrant fishers working in Taiwan and elsewhere who face dangerous, abusive conditions and extreme isolation at sea.

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


UPCOMING EVENTS

 

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