UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: September 5
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LABOR DAY 2025
TOMORROW: March with UAW Region 9A in NYC’s Labor Day Parade
Saturday, September 6 | Kickoff at 11 AM | West 45th St., New York, NY
Come march with fellow UAW members in this year’s 2025 NYC Labor Day Parade, which is themed Power in Unity. Bring your family, friends, and colleagues and wear your Region 9A red shirt! All are invited to join us after the parade for food, drinks, and fellowship. Please RSVP! Labor for Zohran is also hosting a post-parade picnic at 12:30 PM in Central Park.
UAW Represents at First Ever Boston Labor Day Parade
UAW showed up and showed off a UAW-made ‘65 Chevy at Boston’s first ever Labor Day parade on Monday! Even at a time when the working class is under attack, we have a lot to celebrate—WOAW-UAW reaching a tentative agreement after a hard-fought strike, MFA Union ratifying a new contract this summer, CORE-UAW winning their union this spring, and so much more.
LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES
TOMORROW: Local 379 Rallies to Kick Off Bargaining at Cummins
Saturday, Sept. 6 | 1 -3 PM | UAW Local 405, 666 Oakwood Ave., West Hartford, CT
Join Local 379 members as we kick off our fight for fairness, respect, and a strong contract! Contract negotiations started in August with Cummins/Jacobs Vehicle Systems, a supplier of engine braking, cylinder deactivation, start and stop and thermal management technologies.
At the rally, hear from union leaders and guest speakers, learn about our goals and next steps, and show solidarity with your fellow UAW members. Read more about the contract campaign and sign up for bargaining updates.
Mount Holyoke Housekeepers in Local 2322 Join SEIU 32BJ for One-Day Strike
Local 2322 members who are housekeepers at Mount Holyoke College have been fighting for a fair contract for nearly six months. Alongside our union siblings in SEIU 32BJ who are custodians, groundkeepers, skill trades, cooks, and dining workers, these members struck for 24 hours on Tuesday.
In their words: “We are nearly all women and many of us have devoted 10, 20, and even 30 years to making this college a special place for students. We deserve a living wage in these times of increasing costs. Our employer has an over $1 billion endowment and the raises we are asking for over three years are worth less than one one-hundredth of a percent (.01%) of this money! Meanwhile management has demanded increased workloads and responsibilities that will detract from the vital work we do for our students.”
Sign the petition to support our members’ ongoing fight!
Wellesley Organized Academic Workers Ratify Contract After Groundbreaking Strike
After fifteen months of bargaining, the Wellesley Organized Academic Workers (WOAW-UAW) reached a tentative agreement with Wellesley College on Friday, which members voted to ratify today with 89% participation and 98.8% of the vote. Workers' courage, hard work, and solidarity, including a 29-day supermajority strike in the spring, resulted in substantive gains for members with workplace protections that set the standard for faculty in higher ed.
The agreement includes new titles, the first-ever dependent care benefit at the College, critical and new job security protections, paid time for union work, and more. The agreement also raises the starting salary for faculty by nearly 15% and addresses wage compression that resulted from a salary freeze instituted from 2008 until 2020. Overall, the contract provides a 10.6% salary increase for bargaining unit employees in the first year.
Congratulations to WOAW-UAW, soon to be UAW Local 3270!
GRLPU Honors Labor Day by Striking, Following CAMBA’s Victory
ALAA Local 2325 members at the Goddard Riverside Law Project are entering their eighth week on strike fighting for a fair contract, as part of ALAA’s historic sectoral bargaining campaign. Workers at CAMBA Legal Services were on strike for six weeks, and recently won a contract that raised the paralegal salary floor from $53,639 to $62,000, a minimum 10% salary increase for all members, a minimum of 19% across the life of the contract, gradual increase from two weeks fully paid parental leave to six weeks, stronger caseload protections, and more. All of these gains were won because workers were united in their fight for economic justice.
While the decision to strike was difficult and maintaining the strike equally so, GRLPU workers continue to stand together in solidarity and will continue to do so until key demands are met. ALAA calls on community members to contact their local elected officials and Goddard Riverside offices where you reside and encourage them to meet GRLPU’s demands so our members can get back to fighting for our most vulnerable neighbors. Follow GRLPU and ALAA on Instagram to join them on the picket line this coming week.
FROM REGION 9A
Join the Region 9A Veterans Council at the Annual Dinner Dance
Saturday, November 8 | 6 PM | Doubletree by Hilton, Bristol, CT
Join the UAW Region 9A Veterans Council at the 27th Annual Dinner Dance! The 2025 Dinner Dance will be held on Saturday, November 8, at the Doubletree by Hilton in Bristol, Connecticut.
The reception will begin at 6 PM, and dinner will begin at 7 PM. Tickets are $65 per person, and tables are $650 for 10 seats. Please contact Tina Ross at trodriguez@uaw.net to purchase tickets.
Region 9A Veterans Council Monthly Meeting
Thursday, September 11 | 10 AM | Local 571, Groton, CT
All members are welcome to join monthly meetings of the Region 9A Veterans Council. For more information, contact Mike Holmes at mholmes@uaw.net.
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)
Boston Labor-to-Labor Canvass to Reelect Mayor Michelle Wu
Saturday, September 6 | 9:30 AM | IBEW Local 103, Boston, MA
Tomorrow at IBEW Local 103, the Greater Boston Labor Council will launch a labor-to-labor canvass for our Boston endorsed candidates ahead of Tuesday's preliminary! We'll be joined by Mayor Wu and many endorsed city councilors. Boston's preliminary election is Tuesday, September 9.
Boston Election Eve Rally to Reelect Mayor Michelle Wu
Monday, September 8 | 6 - 7:30 PM | Mozart Park, Boston, MA
UAW members are invited to join Mayor Wu on the evening before the preliminary election day to keep building the momentum behind this campaign, and make sure everyone is ready to get out the vote on Tuesday!
NYC Central Labor Council Phone Banks for Zohran Mamdani
Wednesday, September 10 | 6 - 8 PM | PSC-CUNY, 25 Broadway, New York, NY
Help us reach out to fellow union members to get out the union strong support for Zohran Mamdani for Mayor of NYC! Follow @labor4zohran on Instagram and Twitter for more upcoming volunteer opportunities.
Massachusetts: Testify in Support of Paid Family Leave for Grad Workers
Graduate workers from across Massachusetts are coming together in the state legislature to testify for our rights to paid family and medical leave and unemployment protections. All the other workers on campus have access to these essential programs while student workers are left behind. We have a bill to change that (S.747 / H.1336).
We need you to come out and testify at the hearing to tell legislators why we need paid leave and unemployment protections! Sign up here to show interest in testifying at the hearing, aka telling your story of why you and your coworkers need these protections. You do not need to be a union member or graduate worker to participate—anyone who wants us to have these protections is welcome.
Region 9A CAP in the News
The coalition of labor groups in Massachusetts advocating for workers at the state level combines long-standing unions’ experience and knowledge with the “new energy” that young organizers have injected into the movement in the years following the Columbia decision enabling grad students to unionize again, said Dorothy Manevich, a member of HGSU serving on the executive board of UAW’s political action committee for Massachusetts.
- American Prospect: Organized Labor Pushes Blue States to Protect Private University Student Workers (Sept. 1)
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW
Register Now for the UAW Organizing Conference
October 12-17 | Register by September 15 | Onaway, MI
Fewer than 10% of U.S. workers are union members, meaning millions do not have the power of a union contract or a voice in their workplaces. Low union density also weakens the negotiating power of current union members because bosses often leverage the wages and conditions at non-union workplaces against us. In recent years, there has been a significant surge in organizing to change this dynamic. People are standing up—workers at Volkswagen in Tennessee, colleges and universities across the country, and many other industries and workplaces—and forming unions with the UAW.
Recognizing the need to increase worker power through union density, delegates at the 2022 UAW Constitutional Convention voted to require every local union to establish an organizing standing committee. The Organizing Conference aims to unite UAW members and empower them with the knowledge and resources to start and/or strengthen their local organizing committees. Through interactive workshops and collaborative sessions, delegates will gain actionable strategies and practical tools to build union power through organizing.
International UAW Social Media Office Hours
Wednesday, September 10 | 4 PM ET | Register on Zoom
Social media is the digital picket line. It’s a place where we can agitate, educate, and build support and power for the organizing and contract fights ahead.
Join IUAW social media managers for a monthly office hour session on the second Wednesday of the month at 4 PM ET. This Zoom session will combine training, Q&A, and hands-on coaching to address your specific questions.
Learn how to strengthen your social media local union or unit’s presence by utilizing best practices and a consistent posting cadence. Which topics would you like to see covered? What questions do you have? Share your thoughts in this form.
Sign Up for LUCA’s Monthly Online Newsletter
LUCA in the Loop is UAW’s monthly online newsletter dedicated to LUCA members. Sign up now and stay informed with the latest UAW news, training tips, and communications trends to strengthen your messaging and outreach. Each issue delivers insightful articles, best practices, and updates to keep you ahead in the ever-evolving world of labor communications. Stay in the loop—because strong communication builds a stronger union!
Sign the Petition to Keep Mack Trucks UAW-Made in Pennsylvania
Our UAW Region 9 siblings in Pennsylvania have built their communities for generations because of proud union jobs at Mack Trucks. Now, the company wants to sacrifice working families in the state to squeeze as much as they can out of exploited Mexican workers doing the same work for less. The UAW is fighting to end this race to the bottom that pits workers in the U.S. against workers in Mexico. We’re both getting screwed by corporate greed—and the only people who win are CEOs and Wall Street. Please sign the petition and stand with UAW Local 677!
SOLIDARITY REQUESTS
Visit Tabitha Arnold’s Gospel of the Working Class Exhibit in NYC
September 4 - October 4 | Opening reception on Sept. 4 at 6 PM | New York, NY
Join Dissent at Field Projects for the opening night of Gospel of the Working Class, a new exhibition by Tabitha Arnold, Dissent’s cover artist. Gospel of the Working Class illuminates a hundred years of labor struggle in the South through a series of narrative tapestry banners. Inspired by a historic union victory by the United Auto Workers at Volkswagen Chattanooga in 2024, the show emphasizes the reactionary South as a site of revolutionary struggle, profoundly shaped by its history of labor militancy and working-class revolt.
Massachusetts AFL-CIO Racial Justice Committee First Friday Meet-Up
Friday, September 5 | 4 - 8 PM | District 7 Tavern, Roxbury, MA
First Friday is a new monthly event hosted by the Massachusetts AFL-CIO Racial Justice Committee. This gathering is designed as a social approach to organizing—a relaxed environment where union members can connect, build relationships, and learn more about the powerful work happening across our movement.
Our goal is to create a welcoming space where members can:
- Meet and connect with the labor constituency groups
- Learn about upcoming union activities and campaigns across Massachusetts.
- Get involved—with opportunities to join constituency groups, participate in labor events, and strengthen our collective impact.
Rather than a formal agenda, the evening will center on connection, conversation, and building solidarity in a relaxed and engaging way. Please RSVP! Food and a cash bar will be available. Together, we can build power, strengthen our community, and create new pathways for leadership and action.
Remembering the 1975 New Haven Teachers Strike
Sunday, September 7 | 3 - 5 PM | New Haven Labor Center, New Haven, CT
Fifty years ago, teachers in New Haven went on strike for better pay, smaller class sizes and improved working conditions. 12 members of the union’s negotiating team were jailed for defying a judge’s back-to-work order. Then 78 additional teachers were jailed for refusing to break and end the strike.
Because of those 90 teachers who went on strike and their refusal to yield, they secured a union contract that achieved several key goals, including a reduction in class sizes, due process protections, and a salary increase. Hear from the teachers that went out on that historic strike this Sunday in New Haven and learn what lessons we can draw from it for today.
Connecticut: Tell Electeds to Protect Immigrants in Upcoming Special Session
With a special legislative session approaching, we must act now. Gov. Lamont, House Leadership, and Senate Leadership need to hear loud and clear: Immigrants deserve safety and dignity in the place they call home. In the past two months, ICE has ramped up operations in Connecticut. Armed, masked agents are targeting workers, abducting parents, and detaining students—inflicting fear and trauma on entire communities. These actions violate basic rights and safety. Fear has no place in our state. Connecticut for All is asking residents to call elected leadership now using this script to demand urgent protections in the special session.
Massachusetts: Contact Your Legislators to Support the FAIR Act
Employers are increasingly using new technologies that rely on AI and machine learning to hire, discipline, monitor, promote, and fire workers. At the same time, employers have started incorporating these technologies into the regular job responsibilities and expectations of their employees.
The Massachusetts AFL-CIO has endorsed a solution to ensure working class people have strong safeguards to protect from the harmful effects of artificial intelligence and other algorithmic tools. The FAIR Act creates commonsense guardrails on artificial intelligence to protect workers while supporting the benefits of innovative technology. Contact your legislators to cosponsor the FAIR Act today!
WILL Empower 2025 Edna Berger Award Nomination
WILL Empower is awarding the 2025 Edna Berger Young Courageous Leader Award ($15,000) to a leader who is leading for transformation. WILL Empower celebrates cisgender and transgender women, gender expansive and gender non-conforming leaders who reside and work in North America and who are actively involved in worker justice movements. Learn more about Edna Berger and the Berger-Marks Legacy.
Do you know a young (age 30 and under) courageous leader who demonstrates a commitment to worker, racial, and gender justice? Tell us about them. They should be affiliated with unions, worker centers, community-based organizations, or other justice-seeking organizations where worker well-being is central. Their work and accomplishments must demonstrate a willingness to confront power and exclusive institutional practices for greater equity. Nominate a leader who inspires you using this form!
Union Hiring Hall
- Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union | Director of Organizing | New Brunswick, NJ
- Maine AFL-CIO | Campaigns Director | Augusta, ME
UPCOMING EVENTS
2025 UAW Contract Enforcement Boot Camp
September 7-12 | Onaway, MI
UAW Aerospace & General Dynamics Council Meeting
September 15-18 | New Orleans, LA
UAW National Ford Council Meeting
September 22-26 | San Diego, CA
2025 UAW Membership Mobilization Institute
September 28 - October 3 | Onaway, MI
2025 UAW Local Union Officers Institute
October 5 - 10 | Onaway, MI
UAW Organizing Conference
October 12-17 | Onaway, MI
UAW Skilled Trades Conference
October 20-24 | Detroit, MI