UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: May 8

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MAY DAY 2026

Last Friday, UAW members across Region 9A took to the streets for International Workers’ Day. Alongside tens of thousands of fellow workers and union members, May Day was a powerful reminder that “without our labor, nothing moves.” UAW members joined rallies in San Juan, Willimantic, Hartford, Holyoke, Boston, New York City, and beyond to demonstrate our collective power to win better contracts and a better future for the entire working class.

In 1948, members of District 65 (which later joined UAW Region 9A) marched in New York City’s May Day Parade with signs reading “Free Puerto Rico!” and “One Union, One Contract!” Nearly 80 years later, our members are still fighting for economic freedom for Puerto Rico. The working class in Puerto Rico has made countless sacrifices during the last 10 years of austerity imposed by La Junta (Puerto Rico’s Fiscal Control Board established by the U.S Congress in 2016). ¡Basta ya!

LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES

Local 2110: Two New England Museums Win Voluntary Recognition to Unionize

Staff at the SPACE Gallery in Portland announced that the organization voluntarily recognized their new union with UAW Local 2110. The 21 staff workers filed to join UAW 2110 on February 27 and received voluntary recognition shortly thereafter.

"Our decision to unionize is a reflection of our institutional values and principles at SPACE and a natural step forward for our nearly 25-year-old nonprofit organization,” the unionized staff said in a statement. “We believe that joining UAW 2110 will only strengthen SPACE, solidify our future, and ensure we continue presenting arts, artists, and ideas for years to come. It is significant to us all to be joining the wider labor movement now, at a time when so many creative spaces and institutions are under attack.

Employees at the Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston also won voluntary recognition shortly after the workers went to museum leadership in early April. They are now gearing up for contract negotiations, seeking better pay and other job protections. Local 2110 will represent just over 90 ICA employees, in roles ranging from visitor services to development to curation.

Carter Seggev, an events coordinator at the museum, said seeing fellow Local 2110 members at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston go through their own unionization process inspired the ICA workers. “I like the ICA a lot. It’s a fun workplace, and I would love to have more of a voice in making sure that everyone is being considered and everyone’s needs are being taken into account,” he said. “For me personally, that’s been the biggest driving force.”

In the News:

Boston Globe: Workers quietly unionize at ICA in Boston, and management quickly recognizes the union (May 3)
Hoodline: ICA Staff opt to Unionize with UAW Local 2110 (May 3)
Maine AFL-CIO: SPACE Gallery Workers in Portland Unionize with UAW (May 4)
MaineBiz: Employees at Portland gallery vote to unionize (May 7)

Local 5118: HGSU Strikes for Third Week, Rallying on Monday
Monday, May 11 | 1 PM | Science Center Plaza, Cambridge, MA

After 14 months of contract negotiations and nearly a year without an active contract, over 4,000 workers represented by the Harvard Graduate Students Union (HGSU-UAW Local 5118) launched a strike now on its third week. Core issues at the bargaining table include living wages, real recourse for harassment and discrimination, and protections for international workers on campus.

As final exams have officially begun, HGSU members are still on strike and will not grade exams until the strike ends. The bargaining committee has been clear that they are available day or night to negotiate, but the University has refused to bargain until Thursday, May 14. Join HGSU for a rally on Monday, and follow @hgsuuaw on Instagram for the latest updates on how to support the strike!

In the News:

Above The Law: Harvard Law Students Support Striking Grad Students (May 6)
Harvard Independent: Graduate Student Union Strike Continues Through Visitas Weekend (May 7)
Harvard Crimson: How Undergraduate Course Assistants Weigh Joining the Picket Line (May 7)

Puerto Rico Local Leaders Press La Junta on Collective Bargaining Progress

On Monday, UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla—together with the presidents of our local unions in Puerto Rico—met with officials from the Financial Oversight and Management Board (FOMB). The purpose of the meeting was to address the stalled negotiations regarding the collective bargaining agreements for Puerto Rico’s public sector locals.

Our members have endured more than three years of fruitless negotiations, facing the government's and the FOMB's refusal to bargain over economic benefits. The meeting yielded positive results, as commitments were made to request that the Government of Puerto Rico participate in upcoming meetings, with the aim of implementing guidelines that will ensure the successful negotiation of these CBAs. The UAW workers of Puerto Rico deserve fair contracts, and we will not stop until we achieve it.

Local 2322: Transhealth Workers March in Annual Hampshire Pride Parade

Local 2322 members in Massachusetts including the Transhealth Workers Union walked in the Hampshire Pride Parade last weekend in solidarity with our LGBTQIA+ community and allies.

Follow the Transhealth Workers Union on Instagram for updates as they bargain for their first contract!

Local 2322: Square One Childcare Workers Union Set Strike Deadline for June 1

After 13 months of bargaining, Local 2322 members at Square One, a non-profit providing early education, care, and family support services in Springfield, MA, voted by a supermajority to authorize a strike (93%). Members have now set a strike deadline of June 1.

The primary issues are fair and equitable wages, paid leave allowance, and the ability to negotiate over changes to job descriptions. After organizing in 1985, this is the first time the Square One union has set a strike deadline. Add your name to the petition to support a fair and equitable contract for Square One teachers and staff!

More Region 9A Locals in the News

“Workers at the American Folk Art Museum in New York City joined three dozen UAW Local 2110 organizers to picket the museum’s annual gala at the Mandarin Oriental in Columbus Circle on Wednesday night, May 6, demanding higher wages and better benefits.”

Hyperallergic: American Folk Art Museum Workers Picket Gala, Calling for Higher Wages (May 7)

COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)

Local 7650 Members Make the Case for UAW’s Own Troy Jackson for Maine Governor

Three member leaders from the UMaine Grad Workers Union (UAW Local 7650)—Amanda Gavin, Peter Howe, and Eric Brown—made the case for electing UAW’s own Troy Jackson for Governor of Maine.

“When candidates like Troy Jackson walk out of the woods and union halls and into the halls of state power, we can get the politics of class solidarity that remap what’s possible in rural America,” they wrote. “We can get the kind of politics that only comes with actually being from the bottom, where fighting for each other and for a better future is the only option. We get the politics that creates new leaders and organizers who understand the power of collective action.” Read more in Jacobin.

Join the Maine AFL-CIO to canvass for Troy ahead of the gubernatorial primary on June 9!

Join Labor for Claire Valdez Canvasses in New York City
May 9 - 24 | Brooklyn & Queens, NY

People will power our UAW sister Claire Valdez’s campaign for Congress. We need your help in fighting for the rights of the working class! Join Labor for Claire’s upcoming canvasses across the district.

We’ll have conversations with our neighbors about Claire and her commitment to delivering across housing, healthcare, and workers' rights. No experience is needed. All canvasses will begin with a training, and you’ll always have the option to pair up. Bring a friend or make a new one!

FROM REGION 9A

Region 9A Labor History Event at NYU’s Tamiment Library
Thursday, May 14 | 5:30 - 7:15 PM | New York, NY

Many of the UAW locals in NYC have a proud history dating back to the 1930s when industrial unionism built a strong presence combining militant tactics, anti-racist politics, and wall-to-wall organizing. This history is not lost to us but still preserved in the archives of these locals and their leaders through photographs, documents, correspondence and more—much of which can be found in NYU's Tamiment Library, which holds rich collections relating to labor and social history, the history of the Left, the place of workers in American society, and the evolution of labor law.

Join us at the Tamiment Library to explore some of our Region’s labor history through the archives left by the NYC UAW locals and local leaders that came before us from the 1930s to present day! We will be guided by NYU Librarian Susan McElrath. Some of the archives we hope to take a look at include records covering ALAA - UAW Local 2325, LSSA - UAW Local 2320, UAW Local 259, UAW Local 2110 campaigns at NYU GSOC, MoMA, and more, District 65, and other UAW historical records. Registration is required in advance.

Governing New York City: By, Of, and For Workers?
Friday, May 15 | 12 - 1:30 PM | Online

The 2025 New York City mayoral election was truly historic, full of dramatic turns and surprises from start to finish. How did the capital of capitalism—the home of Wall Street—elect an avowedly Democratic Socialist mayor? Winning matters but winning is only the start of a new set of challenges. This session will plunge into the apparatus that elected Mayor Zohran Mamdani and offer an early assessment of attempts to govern with an affordability agenda in its first 100 days. Can this mayoral administration fund and deliver on its vision of an affordable New York City in ways that we see and feel? Historically, workers have had to fight to make their wins real. What will it take for New York City to be governed differently?

The discussion will feature Alethia Jones from the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies, Faid Ahmed of Desis Rising Up & Moving (DRUM), and UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla.

UALE Northeast Summer School for Women in Unions
July 20 - 24 | New York, NY

The 49th Annual United Association for Union Educators (UALE) Northeast Summer School for Women in Unions and Worker Organizations will take place July 20–24, hosted by the CUNY School of Labor and Urban Studies in New York City. The theme of this year’s school is: Resist · Rebuild · Renew: Sowing Seeds of Solidarity.

The Women’s Summer School is a five-day program bringing together more than 150 rank-and-file members, staff, and officers of unions and worker organizations to develop leadership, build community, and strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the labor movement. Sponsored by the United Association for Labor Educators, the Northeast Summer School rotates among host institutions across the region.

Learn more about the Summer School, and if interested in attending contact your local union.

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW

UAW Higher Education Council Virtual Meeting
May 8-9, 2026 | Elect delegates by April 15 | Online

Last year, over 300 UAW members in the Higher Ed sector gathered in Pico Rivera, California, for the first meeting of the UAW’s Higher Education Council. We discussed our “Kill the Cuts” campaign to protect and increase federal funding for science, and we strategized how to fight back against further attacks on free speech, the rights of workers in all immigration statuses, and job security at our local institutions.

While we’ve had many wins in 2025, we know the fight isn’t over. For 2026, the Higher Education Council will meet virtually. Learn more and register to attend.

2026 UAW Constitutional Convention
June 15-18 | Detroit, MI | Elect delegates by May 16

The 2026 UAW Constitutional Convention (ConCon) is on June 15-18, 2026, in Detroit! ConCon is at the heart of our democratic processes as a union. It will bring together over 1,000 UAW delegates from across the country to debate and pass resolutions on our priorities for the upcoming years, consider amendments to the UAW Constitution, and nominate candidates for the International Executive Board elections.

Each Local will be apportioned a certain number of delegates to represent you at the Convention. Delegates must be democratically elected. Refer to the UAW Constitution, Local Union Election Guide, and your Local Union Bylaws for full election process requirements. The deadline for delegate elections this year is May 16, 2026.

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!

Union Hall Arts Residency Program
August 10 - September 7 | Detroit, MI

The UAW Education Department is proud to support the UNITE HERE Education and Support Fund (501c3) and Talking Dolls Studio to pilot the Union Hall Arts Residency.

This four-week artist residency program will launch this summer in Detroit, Michigan. The program will bring together a talented cohort of 4-6 members of various unions to hone their artistic skills and unleash their creative expression to make art for our movement.

Visit the Union Hall Arts website for more details about this extraordinary opportunity: www.unionhallarts.org.

Registration Now Open: UAW Civil & Human Rights Conference
August 23 - 28 | Onaway, MI

The dates for the 40th Annual UAW Civil and Human Rights Conference are August 23-28 at the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center. The theme for this year is “Our Legacy, Our Fight, Our Generation’s Defining Moment: Celebrating Our 40th Civil and Human Rights Conference.” See the call letter for more information.

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.

SOLIDARITY REQUESTS

Maine AFL-CIO Summer Institute 2026
August 5-6 | Orono, ME
We have an exciting program in the works for this year's Labor Summer Institute on August 5-6, 2026 at the University of Maine in Orono! Labor Summer Institute is a two-day event for union members to learn and share skills and information important to building our labor movement. The Summer Institute is held at the University of Maine with the Bureau of Labor Education & Scontras Labor Center. Stay tuned for more details on registration and hotel rates. FMI: Sarah, sarah@maineaflcio.org or 207-356-7322.

Apply to the UCLA Strategic Labor Research Conference
August 7-9 | Los Angeles, CA | Apply by May 15
We are now accepting applications for the 2026 Strategic Labor Research Conference. The application portal will be open until May 15 and accepted applicants will be notified by June 5. Hosted by the UCLA Department of Labor Studies, the UCLA Strategic Labor Research Conference is an annual event that includes over 25 workshops and plenary sessions on applied skills and discussions about strategic campaigns designed for new and experienced labor and allied researchers. Dynamic keynote speakers and a variety of exciting training sessions will help strengthen and add new skills to your research repertoires. Come join labor movement researchers in discussions about the future of research and organizing!

Union Hiring Hall

SEIU Committee of Interns & Residents | Worksite Organizer | Providence, RI
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
NY United for Child Care | Director of Organizing and Campaigns | New York, NY

UPCOMING EVENTS

UAW Higher Education Council Virtual Meeting
May 8-9 | Virtual

Region 9A Labor History Event at NYU’s Tamiment Library
Thursday, May 14 | 5:30 - 7:15 PM | New York, NY

55th International Convention of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
May 20-24 | Atlanta, GA

Pride at Work Membership Convention
June 1 - 4 | Minneapolis, MN

39th Constitutional Convention
June 15-18 | Detroit, MI

Family Scholarship at Black Lake
July 12-16 | Onaway, MI

UAW Veterans Conference
August 9-14 | Onaway, MI

UAW Civil & Human Rights Conference
August 23 - 28 | Onaway, MI

UAW Bargaining & Contract Enforcement Bootcamp
September 20 - 25 | Onaway, MI

UAW Member Mobilization Institute
September 27 - October 2 | Onaway, MI