UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: July 4
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LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES
ALAA’s Sectoral Shops Overwhelmingly Authorize Strikes
Nine shops that are part of ALAA’s sectoral bargaining efforts representing nearly 2,000 workers have voted overwhelmingly to authorize strikes over the past week.
- Appellate Advocates: 89% yes, 97% turnout
- Bronx Defenders: 97% yes, 94% turnout
- Center for Appellate Litigation: 95% yes, 95% turnout
- CAMBA Legal Services: 96% yes, 96% turnout
- Goddard Riverside Law Project: 100% yes, 100% turnout
- Legal Aid Society Attorneys: 91% yes, 99% turnout
- New York Legal Assistance Group: 88% yes, 93% turnout
- Office of the Appellate Defender: 100% yes, 95% turnout
- Urban Justice Center: 98% yes, 99% turnout
At the same time, ALAA members at other shops like Brooklyn Defender Services and Neighborhood Defender Services have secured commitments from their management to not take on struck work. With 600 workers across both shops, this deals a major blow to any attempts to undercut a sectoral strike.
ALAA’s sectoral pressure is working. The City and the mayor are finally recognizing that to avoid the crisis a sectoral strike would trigger for them, they'll need to increase legal services funding. "By giving us less, what they're really saying is our clients deserve less," said Jane Fox, chair of the Legal Aid Society attorneys union.
New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani expressed his support for the chapters in a statement. "These 2,000 ALAA UAW 2325 workers are the last line of defense for New York City from Trump, so much so that I hosted a press conference about Trump-proofing the city at their local union office," he said. "They keep our most vulnerable New Yorkers protected in our courts. Mayor Adams has the ability to avert a strike here and the courts being shut down by paying these workers what they deserve. If he doesn't, I will proudly stand with these brave workers on day one of their strike on the picket line."
Meanwhile, hundreds of workers at sectoral shops are keeping the pressure on by taking to the streets this week in practice pickets at Goddard, LAS, NYLAG, and UJC. Join the OAD Union at a practice picket on July 7!
Read more about ALAA’s sectoral bargaining campaign in the news:
- New York Central Labor Council: City Legal Services Workers Voting on Strike Authorization (June 27)
- Gothamist: Legal Aid Society, NYC’s largest public defender group, set to vote on possible strike (June 27)
- New York Times: New York’s Public Defenders Threaten to Strike for Higher Pay (June 30)
- Law360: NY Legal Services Union Chapters Authorize Strikes (June 30)
- AMNY: Legal Aid union authorizes strike as midnight contract deadline approaches (June 30)
- The Chief: Legal Aid attorneys authorize strike (July 3)
More Region 9A Locals in the News
“We are doing our best to write proposals that we think mirror a lot of demands and needs that our workers have expressed to the University for years,” bargaining committee member Denish K. Jaswal said, “and so we hope that we don’t have to rehash the same arguments over and over again.”
- Harvard Crimson: Harvard Grad Union Contract Expires With Months of Negotiations Still Ahead (July 2)
“For them to then turn around and constantly be appealing this — and it’s not free to do so — while they’re also trying to do a hard bargain on things that don’t even cost money that we’re requesting for this next contract, it is a very frustrating thing,” said HGSU president Sara Speller. “It doesn’t really paint the case that Harvard cares for its student workers as much as they say they do.”
- Harvard Crimson: Harvard Appeals Decision Requiring Inclusion of Psych Students in Grad Union for the Second Time (June 30)
“The books world has been full of labor action in the last few years, most recently with Quirk Books voting to form a union with the NewsGuild and Abrams Books winning their vote to form a union with the UAW.”
- Literary Hub: This is how over 40% of NYC bookstores became unionized (June 24)
FROM REGION 9A
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. 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.
Last Chance: Register for Region 9A Summer School!
Friday, July 25 & Saturday, July 26 | Sign up by July 8 | New York, NY
We are excited to have so many members from around the Region join us for an exciting Summer School! Please note that the registration deadline is coming up soon on July 8. For those needing overnight accommodations be sure to secure your hotel booking by July 7 to take advantage of the group rate.
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!
UAW Region 9A Represents at NYC’s Queer Liberation March
UAW members turned out for NYC’s Queer Liberation March last weekend!
As the current administration made clear that America’s LGBTQIA2S+ communities are under the greatest threat from the federal government we have experienced since the 1969 Stonewall uprising, this year’s theme was Resist! Reclaim! Rejoice!
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)
NYC CAP Makes Headlines as First Union to Endorse Zohran Mamdani
“A lot of folks in the labor movement were puzzled that we would put our support behind a candidate who they thought had no chance of winning,” said United Auto Workers Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla in an interview. The union was one of the few to get behind Mamdani early and became one of his leading backers. Mancilla said the primary results should prompt some introspection from both Democratic Party and risk-averse union officials. “The lesson from Donald Trump’s second win was that Democrats need to focus on bread-and-butter issues, rebrand as economic populists and embrace a new generation of leadership,” he said. “Zohran represented exactly that.”
- Politico: Unions see template for Dems in Mamdani’s economic message (June 30)
Labor leaders said they expect Mamdani to peel off more support from unions that had earlier sided with Cuomo or had not thrown support to anyone. After all, Mamdani’s policy positions coincide with gains that unions typically have to fight for across the table. Livable wages, benefits, childcare, and general affordability are all matters unions would not have to fight with bosses to get if they were already available to everyone across the city. “That’s why, for us, it was a no-brainer,” Mancilla said. “We were disappointed that the labor movement didn’t jump on it from the beginning, but we got there.” He added that mainstream Democrats “have backed themselves into a corner” by putting Mamdani “up against two villains,” Cuomo and Adams. If they want to survive, the Democratic Party will have to acknowledge that voters do not want “repackaged Chuck Schumer in a 32-year-old body.”
- American Prospect: Labor Lines Up Behind Mamdani After Decisive Win (June 30)
Mancilla, Region 9A director of the United Auto Workers union, which backed Mamdani’s campaign, said the Democrats needed to “promote a new generation of leaders, and listen to younger workers and newer immigrant communities”. “They face a big decision about what kind of leaders they want to elevate. Voters were clear — they want change. They want someone like Zohran who’s not afraid to be bold, principled and visionary.”
- Financial Times: Is Zohran Mamdani US Democrats’ saviour or ‘albatross’? (July 3)
“The days of taking labor’s vote for granted are over. It’s time for labor to think about a bigger vision that lifts up and includes all working class people.”
- As the World Churns podcast: A Vote Against the Past with Brandon Mancilla & Andy Levy (June 28)
Upcoming CAP Council Meetings
- Connecticut | Tuesday, July 8 | 10 AM
- Massachusetts | Wednesday, July 9 | 10 AM
- Rhode Island | Tuesday, July 15 | 9 AM
- New York City | Thursday, July 17 | 9:30 AM
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW
UAW Statement on the Republicans’ Anti-Worker Budget Reconciliation Bill
Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill is a gut punch to working people. Behind a smokescreen of small, short-term gains, this bill inflicts deep, lasting harm. It’s a gift to billionaires and corporations—and a betrayal of the working class.
In our union, we talk about four core issues that matter most to working families—a livable wage, affordable health care, retirement security, and time to live a full life outside of work. This bill fails on every count. It means millions of families will lose health care. It means millions of kids will be hungrier because of the biggest cut in history to food assistance. It means millions of people are not able to afford to live, let alone live well.
Instead of lifting people up, this legislation shoves them down. The bill slashes Medicaid—ripping health care away from the most vulnerable and making it more expensive for us all—so the rich can get even richer. Clean energy investments that have given blue-collar communities a shot at real economic renewal? They’re on the chopping block.
This legislation shifts the balance of power even further in favor of the billionaire class. It weakens workers’ bargaining power, hollows out social protections, and doubles down on a system that exploits labor and rewards wealth. We’ve been told to accept less, sacrifice more, and be grateful for crumbs, while CEOs cash in. It’s an outright class war on workers. Read more at UAW.org.
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.” Labor rights and civil rights are inextricably intertwined. Register for the UAW Civil and Human Rights Conference at the UAW Education Center in Onaway, MI. Talk with your local union leadership and request to attend. Registration is open until August 1st.
SOLIDARITY REQUESTS
Apply for Fall Internships in Senator Bernie Sanders’ HELP Committee Office
Apply by Sunday, June 29
Applications for fall 2025 internships in Ranking Member Bernie Sanders’ office of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee in Washington, DC are now open. Interns work directly with our health, education, labor, pensions, and disability teams. With the exception of our health interns, there is no required level of education or experience to intern with our team. This program is an opportunity for individuals of all backgrounds to learn more about the work done by a Senate committee and fight for policies that serve the needs of people across the country. More information and the link to apply can be found on the HELP website.
Protect Our Students, Protect Our Rights Rally
Monday, July 7 | 1:30 PM | 1 Courthouse Way, Boston, MA
Join AAUP and allies for a rally to stop the Trump administration’s attacks on pro-Palestinian speech on campuses. The rally will be happening outside the U.S. District Court immediately following day 1 of the trial in AAUP v. Rubio.
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.
Rally for LGBTQ+ Youth: Hands Off the 998 Lifeline!
Saturday, July 12 | 12:30 PM | Trump Tower, 725 5th Avenue, NYC
On June 18, Trump Administration ordered the termination of the national LGBTQ+ 988 Youth Suicide Lifeline—a devastating move that will end life-saving services to more than 1.3 million LGBTQ+ young people who will no longer be able to receive support when they need it.
Over 200 workers at the Trevor Project who had provided that specialized support learned that they would lose their jobs on July 17, 2025. On July 12, Trevor Project workers represented by CWA 1180 and allies are coming together to say: HANDS OFF 988.
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
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