UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: June 20
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COMMEMORATING JUNETEENTH
This week, we honor Juneteenth, a powerful day of remembrance and reflection on the struggles and triumphs of Black freedom in this country. Across the country, communities are coming together to celebrate Black history, resilience, and the ongoing fight for racial justice. We hope all of our members had a meaningful Juneteenth.
Join the Juneteenth Parade with UAW & the Richard ‘Dik” Days Scholarship Committee
Saturday, June 21 | 11 AM | Blue Hills Fire Department, Bloomfield, CT
The Blue Hills Fire District in partnership with the town of Bloomfield invites all to a three-day celebration of unity, love, and joy in honor of Juneteenth. UAW Region 9A members along with the Richard ‘Dik” Days Scholarship Committee will be marching in the parade. All UAW members are encouraged to come, bring your families, and wear blue UAW gear. If interested in joining the march, contact Alexi Shalom at ashalom@uaw.net.
NYC MAYORAL ELECTION
UAW President Shawn Fain & NYC UAW Members on Mayoral Race:
“We don’t need another hack politician like Cuomo”
Today, ahead of Tuesday's primary election for New York City mayor, the UAW released a new video narrated by President Shawn Fain in an enthusiastic endorsement of Zohran Mamdani.
“We don’t need another hack politician like Cuomo—someone who smiles for the cameras and then sells us out behind closed doors,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “What we need is a national movement that unites the working class to take on the oligarchs and rebuild our democracy. And that is exactly the kind of movement that Zohran Mamdani is leading.”
In December 2024, UAW Region 9A became the first labor union to endorse Zohran for mayor, recognizing that his campaign, focused on the cost-of-living crisis, would resonate with New Yorkers. Moreover, Zohran’s commitment to build affordable housing, freeze the rent, make buses fast and free, and institute universal childcare echoed our demands to make life more affordable for working-class New Yorkers, the majority of whom are renters and commuters.
That’s why on May 30, UAW Region 9A called on its New York City UAW households to rank Mamdani first on the ballot. “Zohran isn’t owned by Wall Street,” said Fain. “He’s a fighter for free transit, housing for all, universal childcare, and a $30 an hour minimum wage. He believes in democracy—not just in city elections, but on the job, in our apartment buildings, and in our neighborhoods.”
Sign up to join us at canvasses across the city this weekend—the last chance to join us to get out the vote before election day:
UAW Canvass for Zohran in Prospect Heights | Sat, 6/21 | 2-5 PM
- UAW Canvass for Zohran in South Flatbush | Sun, 6/22 | 2-5 PM
- UAW Canvass for Zohran in Harlem | Sun, 6/22 | 2-5 PM
- UAW Canvass for Zohran in North Flatbush | Sun, 6/22 | 2-5 PM
- UAW Canvass for Zohran in Sunset Park, followed by social hour at Minnie’s Bar | Sun, 6/22 | 2-5 PM
UAW Stands with Brad Lander Against ICE’s Attacks on Our Communities
On Tuesday, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander—endorsed by UAW alongside Zohran Mamdani for New York City Mayor—was arrested by Trump’s ICE agents for asking for a judicial warrant while accompanying an ALAA-UAW Local 2325 member and their client in immigration court.
UAW members working in legal services fight abuses by ICE every day. We demanded Brad’s release and continue to demand an end to ICE’s attacks on our communities. We encourage our fellow members to follow Zohran and Brad’s cross-endorsement and rank Brad #2 on our NYC mayoral ballots.
See all of UAW’s endorsements for New York City Council, Comptroller, and Brooklyn Borough President before voting on Tuesday!
LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES
Harvard Book Store Union Wins Record Contract After Living Wage Campaign
After seven months of intense bargaining, the Harvard Book Store Union (UAW Local 1596) announced a record contract including an immediate increase in the starting wage, a record raise for current employees, paid severance, official union recognition at all future locations, a 100% increase in dental coverage, and more.
“Like all contracts, ours was won on the shop floor and signed at the bargaining table,” the union wrote. “We are proud of our members, who stand shoulder to shoulder with each other every single day. Our victory was also possible because of the groundwork laid by the living wage campaign that began 18 months ago and the solidarity from our supporters. As workers at one of the oldest and longest unionized bookstores in the country, we look forward to selling books and standing together for many years to come.”
NYC Legal Aid Society Attorneys Prepare for Strike Authorization Vote
On Wednesday, the board of the Legal Aid Society Attorneys Union voted unanimously to ask members to authorize a strike at The Legal Aid Society for the first time in over 30 years. On Monday, members will begin voting.
“Rudy Giuliani thought he could break us in 1994, but UAW members will never be divided,” said the union. Follow @lasattysunited on Instagram and Twitter for the latest updates.
Add Your Name: Petition in Support of Suspended Bronx Defenders Worker
In May, the Bronx Defenders Union filed a grievance against their employer’s decision to place a member on “unpaid suspension pending investigation” in violation of multiple sections of the union contract, including just cause protections. After the union filed an unfair labor practice charge and mobilized an emergency general body meeting, petitions, and direct email actions, Bronx Defenders committed to converting the member’s “unpaid suspension pending investigation” into a paid suspension, including backpay, pending investigation.
The BxD Union is prepared to file another ULP charge against the Bronx Defenders on Monday if there’s not a substantive response to the Union’s May 19 grievance and request for information. Help the BxD Union keep the pressure on by reading their petition in support of their member and adding your name! Follow the Bronx Defenders Union on Instagram for the latest updates.
Want to learn more about how to mobilize around grievances in your workplace? Join the Worker Power Institute’s grievance mobilization training in NYC on Wednesday, July 2!
More Region 9A Locals In the News
- Daily Union Elections: 25 Emily Dickinson Museum workers in Massachusetts are unionizing with UAW Local 2110 (June 17)
“HGSU-UAW bargaining committee member Denish K. Jaswal, who has handled member grievances for five years, said the University’s internal processes have not sufficed in dealing with worker complaints. ‘We have hundreds of complaints about harassment, discrimination, and bullying that don’t go through the University process because people do not think it is a fair, impartial, neutral process,’ she said.”
- Harvard Crimson: Rejecting Grad Union’s Title IX Request, Harvard Asks To Ban External Arbitration in All Discrimination Cases (June 14)
FROM REGION 9A
Sharpen Your Skills at This Summer's Worker Power Institute
June 25 - July 10 | Sign up by June 20 | New York, NY
Sharpen your skills with the UAW Region 9A Worker Power Institute this summer! Join members of the UAW Region 9A Summer Brigade for interactive workshops on topics including organizing for power, grievance mobilization, membership drives, effective union meetings, and more.
All trainings will be in-person in New York City. Lost time or release time is the responsibility of the local union. Please sign up using the form below by today, June 20!
Now Open to All Members: Register for Region 9A Summer School!
Friday, July 25 & Saturday, July 26 | New York, NY
Over the last year, attacks on collective bargaining, civil liberties, the social safety net, and working-class communities have only escalated, but UAW members are fighting back and leading the way. In Region 9A and across the country, rank-and-file union members are waging historic strikes and winning record contracts, leading movements to oppose war and injustice, defending immigrant communities, and challenging their bosses on the shop floor. Every day we are battling to win justice in the face of repression and retaliation, but we have a world to win for the working class.
Please join us for two days of political education, cultural programs, panels, forums, workshops, skillshares, and other events that will help build our working-class power as a union. This conference is an excellent opportunity to meet your fellow UAW members across sectors and share strategies to win!
Register today, and we encourage members and groups of members who would like to give a workshop to submit a proposal. Some of the great workshops already scheduled include:
- Organizing the South
- New Organizing in Region 9A
- Striking to Win
- Building a Powerful Contract Campaign
- Effective Union Meetings
- Organizing for Power
- Mobilizing in Manufacturing
- Fighting for Economic Justice
- Effective Grievance-handling
- Organizing a Grievance Campaign
- and more!
Region 9A Retirees Council Meeting
Friday, June 27 | 10:30 AM | Hartford, CT
The UAW is proud of the important role that retirees play in our union. Our union’s retirees and surviving spouses belong to the Local Union Retired Workers Chapters, as well as Area Retired Workers Councils. It is this structure that enables our retirees and retiree associate members to have a strong voice—not only in our union, but also in the communities and states where they live. For more information and to get involved, contact Aaron Eisenberg at aeisenberg@uaw.net.
Join UAW Region 9A at the NYC Queer Liberation March
Sunday, June 29 | 11 AM | NYC AIDS Memorial
As the results of the 2024 election have made clear that America’s LGBTQIA2S+ communities are under the greatest threat from the federal government we have experienced since the 1969 Stonewall uprising, The Reclaim Pride Coalition has announced that the theme for this year’s 7th annual Queer Liberation March on Sunday, June 29, will be: Resist! Reclaim! Rejoice!
The March will assemble at 11 AM at the NYC AIDS Memorial and St. Vincent’s Triangle Park (7th Avenue between Greenwich and West 12th Streets) and march north to Lenape Circle, dispersing into Central Park.
RSVP to join your union siblings and march together!
Save the Date: Region 9A Women’s Council Meeting
Thursday, July 10 | 10 AM | Groton, CT & Zoom
The Region 9A Women's Council focuses attention on the issues and concerns of women in the workplace. Save the date for 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.
Buy Your Tickets Now! UAW Yankees Night
Thursday, July 10 | 7 PM | Bronx, NY
Join your fellow UAW members in New York City to cheer on our union siblings in the MLB Players Association at Yankee Stadium! Each ticket includes a New York Yankees UAW hat.
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)
UAW Members Joined Hundreds of Workers to Picket Gov. Lamont
On Monday, hundreds of Connecticut UAW and fellow union members picketed in front of Gov. Lamont’s mansion in Hartford to urge him to sign Senate Bill 8, which would allow striking workers to access unemployment insurance after striking for two weeks.
“As a labor movement, we’re here to fight. We’re going to fight for every single penny, nickel, dime, quarter and dollar we deserve,” Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla told CT Insider. “But we also know that if legislators and elected officials knew where they stood, we wouldn’t have to fight this hard.”
The legislation passed overwhelmingly in the State Senate and with a large bipartisan majority in the State House. The bill was transmitted to the Governor’s office on June 9. Gov. Lamont has fifteen days from then to sign or veto the legislation. However, in late May, the Governor threatened to veto SB 8.
This bill has been a priority for UAW and the Connecticut labor movement for the past two years and is considered a vital protection in the face of the assault on workers’ rights coming out of Washington. UAW members believe Connecticut should follow in the footsteps of New York state and New Jersey, which provide unemployment benefits to striking workers.
Take two minutes now to contact Governor Lamont and demand he sign SB 8!
Connecticut AFL-CIO Path to Power Candidate Training
Saturday, June 21 | 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM | IBEW Local 90, Wallingford, CT
The Western and Eastern Connecticut Area Labor Federations, in partnership with the national and Connecticut AFL-CIO, are hosting a free Path to Power Political Candidate Training. This program is designed to teach union members how to run for public office and build power to positively influence our communities.
Government runs best when it's made up of everyday working people like us. Running for office is a powerful way to give workers a voice and ensure we are creating policies that improve the lives of working people. The Path to Power training will guide you through the entire process—including determining if you can win, developing a campaign message and stump speech, running a field program, fundraising, and more. Whether you're thinking about running for Board of Education, City Council, Mayor, or the state legislature, this training will give you the tools to run an effective campaign.
UAW CAP in the News
“On December 4, 2024, Zohran got his first labor endorsement when Region 9A endorsed him on an unranked slate of three. Then on May 30, 2025, once Zohran had begun to surge, the union urged its members to rank him first. ‘Some may say we took a chance,’ explained 9A director Brandon Mancilla, “but the actual reckless gamble is to endorse status quo candidates that caused the crisis working families face in the first place.’”
- Jacobin: Labor Could Swing New York’s Election to Zohran Mamdani (June 19)
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW
UAW IEB Elects Laura Dickerson as Vice President to Succeed Chuck Browning
The UAW International Executive Board has elected Region 1A Director Laura Dickerson to serve as Vice President and Director of the Ford Department, succeeding Vice President Chuck Browning, who will retire at the end of this month.
In accordance with Article 10, Section 17 of the UAW Constitution, the vacancy was filled by a majority vote of the International Executive Board. Dickerson was elected to serve in this critical role and will be sworn in when Browning officially vacates the position at the end of the month.
Dickerson currently serves as Director of UAW Region 1A and brings nearly three decades of union experience to her new role. She becomes the first African-American woman to serve as UAW Vice President, continuing a trailblazing legacy of leadership.
Dickerson pledged to build on the department’s legacy: “I’m proud to take the baton from Chuck and lead the Ford Department at a time when UAW members are demanding more—and winning. We’re not doing business as usual anymore. We’re doing things differently, and it’s working. Our members stood up, took on the Big Three, and showed the world what union power looks like. I’m ready to build on that member-led momentum, fight for even stronger contracts, and make sure every worker has the dignity, respect, and voice they deserve. This union raised me, and I’ll keep fighting every day to raise standards for the entire working class.” Read more at UAW.org.
UAW Hails Decision of Federal Judge to Restore Terminated NIH Grants
On Tuesday, leaders of the UAW reacted to Judge William Young’s ruling to reverse the cancellation of hundreds of National Institutes of Health grants the agency had recently cut based on claims that they support certain topics including “gender ideology” or “diversity, equity and inclusion.” The UAW, which was a plaintiff in one case, represents more than 120,000 academic workers at higher education institutions across the country, many of whose work and careers were directly impacted by the terminated grants.
“These politically motivated attacks jeopardized medical and scientific progress and threatened the jobs of researchers studying climate change, renewable energy, cancer, viral pandemics, heart disease, diabetes, and Alzheimer’s,” said Brandon Mancilla, Director of UAW Region 9A. “This decision is poised to restore hundreds of millions of dollars in previously allocated research funding, reanimating labs and workers focused on some of the most pressing health questions we face. We are grateful that this work can now get back on track.” Read more at UAW.org.
UAW Hotline for Immigration Legal Counsel & Emergencies
UAW members in higher education are facing escalating anti-immigrant actions from the Trump administration, including visa revocations and ICE activity in and around campuses. Our union has set up a hotline to quickly refer members facing an immigration emergency to legal resources. In the event that a member is experiencing an unexpected change in immigration status or any other immigration-related emergency, they may call this number to be connected with legal counsel: 888-416-2110. Please share this information with your fellow members.
2025 UAW Civil & Human Rights Conference
August 24 - 29 | Onaway, MI
The 39th Annual UAW Civil and Human Rights Conference is August 24 - 29 at the Walter and May Reuther Family Education Center. This year's theme is Defending…Demanding…Justice… We are the Defenders of Justice.”
SOLIDARITY REQUESTS
New York State Judicial Pipeline Program for Public Interest Lawyers
Are you a public interest lawyer interested in becoming a New York State judge? Apply here by Monday, July 7, to be considered for the second cohort of our Judicial Pipeline Program.
Center for Community Alternatives is excited to announce the second cohort of our Judicial Pipeline Program. Since launching The Court New York Deserves in 2022, CCA has led a campaign that made history by inspiring the State Senate to reject a governor’s nominee for Chief Judge for the first time; drawn attention to the harmful records of two judges up for reappointment, compelling them to retire; and founded a national network of advocates working toward judicial accountability in state courts. The Judicial Pipeline Program complements this work by supporting public interest and progressive lawyers who are interested in pursuing New York state court judgeships.
The program curriculum provides in-depth information about judicial selection in New York, including information about judicial appointments, judicial elections, the politics that shape judicial selection, and more. It also provides mentorship, resources, and ongoing support to participants during and after the program, as participants decide when and how they wish to pursue judicial office. The program will comprise four virtual, 90-minute sessions over three weeks in the early fall, with an optional in-person gathering.
March with RI AFL-CIO at Providence Pride
Saturday, June 21 | 8 PM | Providence, RI
Show your union pride at Providence Pride! Join RI AFL-CIO as we march in solidarity to celebrate who we are, the people we love, and the power of our movement. This is a time for union members, families, and allies to come together, stand tall, and make some joyful noise for equality and justice. Please share widely with your union family!
Mass-Care Medicare for All Conference
Saturday, June 21 | 10 AM - 4 PM | Clark University, Worcester, MA
Mass-Care is hosting a state-wide strategy and working conference on June 21. We all know the health care crisis that exists in Massachusetts: already exorbitant insurance rates are soaring by an additional 12% this year, and the bankruptcy of Steward Hospitals has left minority and working class communities without access to hospitals. Medicare for All is the only solution that will provide complete coverage to all Massachusetts residents and save money for all.
The core of the conference will be breakout sessions, by sector, throughout the day: healthcare workers, labor unions, businesses, municipal and elected officials, and community organizations and organizers. Each of these sectors have a unique relationship with the private health insurance system. Bringing those common experiences together will help define and carry out a stronger action-oriented organizational effort to enact Medicare for All, however we win it, through a legislative vote or by a binding referendum vote by the people. The breakout sessions are designed to build activism and deepen all aspects of the commitment and to embolden the movement for Medicare for All in MA.
Cornell Strategic Corporate Research Summer School
June 22-27, 2025 | Ithaca, NY | Apply by May 1
The AFL-CIO and Cornell University are sponsoring a Strategic Corporate Research Summer School on June 22-27, 2025. The application deadline is May 1. The course is designed for students and others who want to make corporations accountable by working as researchers in unions and social change organizations. The course offers a regular track and an advanced track with an additional research and writing requirement. It is open to individuals applying on their own and to individuals sponsored by unions and other organizations. For more info, visit the course website.
EWOC Conference Registration Open: Unite & Win
June 27–29 | Wayne State University, Detroit, MI
The Emergency Workplace Organizing Committee is hosting its first-ever organizing conference, and registration is now open! This conference will bring together 250 EWOC volunteers, workers, union leaders, and local organizers for a weekend of training, discussion, and movement building focused on new workplace organizing. EWOC is the only project that any non-unionized worker, anywhere in the country, can reach out to and immediately receive workplace organizing support and training. Scholarships are available through a reimbursement basis.
Fundamentals of Workplace Organizing: EWOC Training on How to Unite and Win
Saturdays, July 12 - August 2 | 4 - 5:30 PM
In four 90-minute weekly sessions, you will learn how to approach your co-workers, build a team of organizers among them, and develop a campaign. You will meet other workers who are organizing and learn helpful tools, practices, and principles for winning workplace improvements and getting a democratic voice over your working conditions. We also welcome those who are interested in joining EWOC as a volunteer and supporting other organizing workers! Space is limited to 120 participants, so register here today!
Register for Skills to Win Training: Workers vs. Billionaires
July 19-20 | 12 PM - 6 PM | Online
Join us July 19 and 20 for this special edition of “Skills to Win”, tailored specifically for groups in the May Day Strong and 2028 strike networks who want to sharpen their organizing skills to take on the billionaires. This training program, built on Jane McAlevey’s core organizing methods, will teach members and staff how to build both strike-ready organization and powerful community-labor alignments. The UC Berkeley Labor Center and Bargaining for the Common Good are partnering to host this training, which will be held for two full days over Zoom. Groups are required to attend in groups of at least ten people from your organization, because organizing is a team sport. Learn more and register by June 13!
People’s Summit for Korea
July 25-27 | New York, NY
The People’s Summit for Korea is being convened by Nodutdol for Korean Community Development, in partnership with key organizations in the Korea movement and anti-imperialist movement in the US. We are calling this summit at a critical juncture in Korea’s struggle for sovereignty, with tensions on the peninsula reaching new heights as the US escalates the New Cold War against China. Now is the time to unite across communities, struggles, and borders to oppose U.S. aggression in Korea.
Join us for a three-day convening featuring plenaries, panels, workshops, breakout sessions, and cultural performances led by key figures in the Korean liberation movement and the global anti-imperialist struggle. We call on organizers, artists, intellectuals, students, and community members across the Korean diaspora, South Korea, and beyond to build our movement together.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Higher Education Council Meeting
June 21-22 | Pico Rivera, CA
2025 UAW-LUCA Communications Conference
June 22 - 27 | Onaway, MI
APALA 18th Biennial Convention
June 26 - 29 | Los Angeles, CA
UAW Night at the Yankees
July 10 | New York, NY
NAACP 116th National Convention
July 12 - 16 | Charlotte, NC
UAW Family Scholarship
July 20 - 25 | Onaway, MI
LCLAA 25th National Membership Convention
July 28 - August 2 | Atlanta, GA
APRI 54th Annual National Educational Conference
August 6 - 10 | Chicago, IL
UAW Veterans Conference
August 10 - 15, 2025 | Onaway, MI
2025 UAW International Women's Conference
August 17 - 22 | St. Pete Beach, FL
2025 UAW Civil & Human Rights Conference
August 24 - 29 | Onaway, MI
2025 UAW Local Union Officers Institute
October 5 - 10 | Onaway, MI