Region 9A News

UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: October 10

Catherine Graugard
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LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES

 

Local 379 Ratifies Contract After Powerful Strike Forced Cummins Back to the Table

379 TA

Last Friday, the nearly 240 members of UAW Local 379 began an unfair labor practice strike at Cummins-Jacobs Vehicle Systems in Bloomfield, CT. Just hours into their powerful strike, Cummins management was reduced to begging at the bargaining table, and the committee reached a tentative agreement the same day.

On Sunday, Local 379 members voted to ratify the agreement, which includes:

  • 15% general wage increase
  • More holidays, sick days, and vacation
  • Increased profit sharing to 4% by 2028
  • Reduced progression to top pay by a year
  • $200 safety shoes allowance

Congratulations to the members of Local 379, who waged a powerful contract fight in the face of management’s delay tactics and unfair labor practices.

In the news:

  • Stamford Advocate: Workers at Bloomfield-based automotive manufacturer Cummins go on strike (Oct. 3)
  • Fox 61: Union workers walk off the job at Cummins' Bloomfield site (Oct. 3)
  • New Haven Register: Workers at Bloomfield-based automotive manufacturer Cummins go on strike (Oct. 3)
  • CT Insider: Bloomfield workers at automotive manufacturer Cummins end strike, return to work (Oct. 6)

CORE-UAW Holds Town Hall on Funding Cuts with Rep. Jim McGovern

CORE-UAW Town Hall

Hundreds of UMass Chan researchers showed up to CORE-UAW’s standing room only town hall last Friday, featuring Congressman Jim McGovern, State Rep. Jim O’Day, and State Sen. Robyn Kennedy.

With the research community under attack, it is important now more than ever for scientists to make their voices heard. After hearing from postdocs, graduate students, faculty, and university leadership about how Trump’s funding cuts have affected the important research happening at UMass, audience members had the chance to speak with elected representatives directly during this crucial time in politics and science.

Following the town hall, the postdoc and grad student bargaining committees met with the UMass Chan administration for their first bargaining session on Wednesday. In the session, members shared bargaining goals, passed three proposals, and made the union’s position clear that the university has an obligation to maintain status quo raises for grad students and postdocs. Follow CORE-UAW on Instagram for the latest updates.

Save the Date: HGSU Rally at Cambridge City Hall Against Harvard’s Union Busting
Monday, October 20 | 5 PM | Cambridge City Hall, Cambridge, MA

Join members of the Harvard Graduate Students Union and allies for a teach-in about Harvard’s union busting on the Cambridge City Hall steps prior to the City Council meeting. HGSU is asking Cambridge City Councilors to pass a solidarity resolution in support of our members

FROM THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT

 

UAW Leads the Fight Against Trump Admin’s Attacks on H1-B Visa Holders

Last Friday, UAW once again led the way in fighting against the Trump administration’s xenophobic policies. The International UAW and Local 4811, together with other organizations, are plaintiffs in a case against the illegal $100,000 employer fee for H1-B visas imposed on September 19.

The Trump administration’s announcements about this proclamation have been confusing and contradictory. The Higher Ed Department is working to get clarification on the impact on UAW members, such as whether it affects current H-1B holders and whether university employers are included. Expect updates on the lawsuit as it progresses and on additional lawsuits UAW is joining to protect our international members.

In the news:

  • New York Times: Groups File Suit Over Trump’s $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee (Oct. 3)
  • AP: Lawsuit seeks to stop Trump’s $100,000 fee for H-1B visas (Oct. 3)
  • Reuters: Trump's $100,000 fee for H-1B worker visas challenged in lawsuit (Oct. 3)

UAW Higher Ed Survey: Shape Our Collective Vision for the Future of Science

Help shape a collective vision for a future of science in the United States that’s by and for working people—take a few minutes to share your thoughts.

For decades, public investment in science and research has delivered major wins for working people. It’s helped save lives, power our homes, make our workplaces safer, and much more. We’ve seen a 70% drop in childhood cancer deaths, the development of nearly every new life-saving medication, and breakthroughs in clean energy, infrastructure, and advanced manufacturing. Public research supports over 400,000 jobs each year—not just in labs and universities, but in the plants and communities where those innovations are built.

But now, that progress is in danger. The Trump administration is slashing funding for research and putting the interests of billionaires ahead of working families. These cuts mean fewer good jobs, fewer options for family members struggling with heart disease or addiction, and less innovation in major industries.

UAW members have been pushing back because we all feel the impact of these cuts. Together we have organized, lobbied, and taken legal action to defend critical research and protect our jobs. But just fighting to keep what we have isn’t enough. More and more often the benefits of public research—everything from green tech to AI to new medicines—are scooped up by big corporations, who make record profits while working people struggle to get by. And UAW members in research and higher education who make these innovations possible have to fight in each contract for fair pay, stable careers, and respect on the job.

UAW members are fighting back against this broken system and coming together to shape a new, worker-led vision for American science. You can help shape the vision for the future of science and research by sharing your thoughts in this survey.

Whether you’re a researcher in a lab sharing your experience, or if you work in other fields but have a loved one who has needed cancer treatment, or the parent of a kid who dreams of a future in science, your input matters. This conversation will continue in our locals and ultimately guide our union’s political agenda in the coming years. By joining in, you can help build a future where public research works for the public good, and where our tax dollars lead to more union jobs, stronger communities, and a fairer economy for everyone.

FROM REGION 9A

 

Region 9A Joins Region 9 for Training at Local 677 Mack Trucks in Allentown, PA
Saturday, November 15 | 7 AM - 4 PM | New York, NY to Allentown, PA

mack trucks visit

UAW Local 677 (Mack Trucks) is inviting Region 9A members for a joint education session at their local in Allentown, Pennsylvania. UAW members at Mack trucks have been at the forefront of the free trade crisis in recent years, going on strike in their most recent contract negotiations in 2023 to defend their jobs.

Join the Local 677 Education Committee to share and build together as we discuss UAW 101 and the UAW's core values as well as our joint labor struggles as a working class. Transportation from NYC will leave at 7 AM and depart from Allentown at 4 PM.

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

UAW Veterans Logo

 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.

COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)

 

Labor for Democracy: No Kings Rally
Saturday, October 18 | Nationwide

No Kings 1018

Next Saturday, union members will join with Labor for Democracy and other allies to fight for freedom of speech, union rights, and the right to protest. At over 2,100 events in all 50 states, in DC and internationally, working people will gather together to demand #NoKings and #NoBillionaires making decisions for our workplaces, families and communities.

Find an action near you or sign up to host your own! Make sure to bring your union banners and wear your union gear to show that we stand with our communities in solidarity. If you’re interested in captaining a UAW contingent at the march in your city, reach out to Vail Kohnert-Yount at vkohnertyount@uaw.net.

Massachusetts: Testify in Support of PFML for Grad Workers
Tuesday, November 4 | Massachusetts State House, Boston, MA

Student workers in Massachusetts are currently denied access to the state’s unemployment and paid family and medical leave benefits. Our union is part of a statewide coalition to end this exclusion and win these benefits for our student workers across MA. On Tuesday, November 4, there will be a hearing on our bill at the Massachusetts State House in Boston. 

We need people who have personal experiences needing paid parental leave, medical leave, or unemployment to come out and testify! More affected people testifying means a higher chance we win these essential protections. Testifying is super easy—you spend a maximum of 3 minutes talking about your experience and why you support the bill. Although in-person testimony at the state house in Boston is the most effective, you can also testify on Zoom if you cannot make it in person. We can help you prep your testimony.

Unfortunately we won't know the exact hearing time until 10 days beforehand, but we want to get a jump on the organizing by putting together a list of everyone who would be interested. We will contact everyone on the list when the time is set with further instructions and logistics. Fill out this form if you are interested in testifying, even if you are unsure of whether you can definitely make it.

Massachusetts: Canvass for Endorsed Candidates in Salem & Cambridge

Join fellow UAW members in Massachusetts to canvass for three of our endorsed candidates, NOLSW Local 2320 member Emmylou Manwill for Salem City Council, Ayah Al-Zubi for Cambridge City Council, and Marcos Candido for Lowell City Council!

Labor for Zohran Virtual Meetup
Monday, October 13 | 8 PM | Online

Come meet fellow rank-and-file members from across NYC unions on October 13 at 8pm who are organizing for a Mamdani Mayoralty. LFZ’s second sponsored virtual meet-up is ON! We will break into groups to discuss challenges, experiences, and questions that have come up in our organizing. Meet a UFT member you don’t know, get to know that DC37er, learn from a TWU’er or a working Teamster, and share your vision for how we win an affordable NY together! And of course, bring a co-worker or friend.

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL UAW

 

UAW President Fain: Labor Needs an Independent Political Program

UAW President Shawn Fain recently laid out four priorities he says should form the nucleus of a workers’ political program. And he said that a broad strike in May 2028 is one way to fight for those priorities.

Fain spoke on September 30 at the release of a new report by the Center for Working Class Politics and allied groups. The report, titled “Democrats’ Rust Belt Struggles and the Promise of Independent Politics,” is based on a new survey showing that workers in four states battered by decades of mass layoffs—Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin—are eager to see their basic issues addressed in the political arena.

Fain said UAW polling has found that union auto workers have similar priorities. He named these four: wages, health care, retirement, and winning back control of time—no more 12-hour days, or working two jobs. Fain also suggested that more working-class people need to run for office, like independent U.S. Senate candidate Dan Osborn in Nebraska—a mechanic and leader in the 2021 Kellogg’s strike—and Democratic Senate candidate Graham Platner in Maine, an oyster farmer. Read more in Labor Notes.

UAW Training: Level Up Your Local’s Website Using SolidWeb’s Layout Builder
Tuesday, October 14 | 6:30 PM ET | Online

Want to level up your local’s website? Learn how to embed videos, social feeds, and more right into your SolidWeb pages. This session will walk you through the Page Layout Builder—so you can turn your site into a hub for action, updates, and member engagement. Register today and be ready to make your online presence as strong as your union voice.

SOLIDARITY REQUESTS

 

Join the Higher Ed Labor United Coalition’s Upcoming Meetings

The UAW is part of Higher Education Labor United, a national organization founded in 2021 to unite workers throughout U.S. higher education. HELU brings together unions that represent staff, student workers, adjunct, contingent, and tenured faculty, postdocs, university health system workers, and others to create and pursue a unified vision for higher education and to add our strength to a reinvigorated U.S. labor movement. Higher ed members are invited to join HELU’s upcoming meetings:

Massachusetts Protect Our Care Town Hall: Stop the Cuts with Corporate Fair Share
Tuesday, October 14 | 5:30 - 7 PM | Dewitt Center, Boston, MA

Join us for a community town hall on Corporate Fair Share and other options to protect our state programs. Massachusetts is facing the threat of deep federal budget cuts that will cost the state billions and hurt our healthcare, food assistance programs, education, infrastructure, and other public services. That’s why the Raise Up Massachusetts coalition of faith, labor, and community groups is calling for raising new progressive revenue as well as tapping into the rainy day fund to prevent harmful cuts. Key to that discussion is RUM's Corporate Fair Share proposal to combat offshore tax avoidance by asking the world’s most profitable mega-corporations to pay their fair share. It’s the fairest, simplest, and most popular way to defend public services like healthcare and education that we all rely upon!

Federal Unionists Network Forum
Thursday, October 16 | 5 PM | West End Library, Boston, MA

Calling federal workers: the F.U.N. (Federal Unionists Network) is holding their second forum for federal workers by federal workers. Meet cross-agency colleagues, discuss recent threats to federal employees and the services you provide. And eat snacks!

Union Hiring Hall

UPCOMING EVENTS

 

UAW Organizing Conference
October 12-17 | Onaway, MI

UAW Skilled Trades Conference
October 20-24 | Detroit, MI

Coalition of Labor Union Women Conference
November 9-11 | San Diego, CA

UAW 101 & Core Values Education Training
November 15 | Allentown, PA