UAW Region 9A Weekly Newsletter: October 24
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LOCAL & ORGANIZING UPDATES
UAW President Shawn Fain Visits 9A Membership in Maine
This week, President Shawn Fain traveled to Maine to deliver the keynote address at the Maine AFL-CIO Convention, where he met members from Locals 2110 (Portland Museum of Art), 2320 (Pine Tree Legal Assistance, Food And Medicine), 3999 (Bath Iron Works), and the UMaine Grad Workers Union—who have been bargaining for a first contract for over 700 days. “I love being here in Maine with our members because they show the diversity of our union and what we're all about,” he said to the convention. “And not just our union, but of our movement and of the entire working class.”
Today, President Fain met with BMDA Local 3999 members at Bath Iron Works preparing for bargaining with their upcoming expiration in March 2026. After MDA Local 571’s inspiring contract campaign in Connecticut, BMDA members are getting ready to win the strongest contract possible for their membership in 2026. Follow the Bath Marine Draftsmen’s Association on Facebook for the latest updates.
Weill Cornell Postdocs Set Strike Deadline for Next Week
After winning their union election nearly two years ago, postdoctoral researchers at Weill Cornell Medical College have been in negotiations for more than a year and a half. WCM’s attempts to stall negotiations and engage in unfair labor practices have stymied progress towards a fair first contract.
In April, postdocs voted by an overwhelming 92% to authorize the bargaining committee to call a strike if circumstances justified. On October 30, UAW postdoctoral researchers at WCM will begin an unfair labor practice strike in response to management’s failure to rectify this unlawful conduct and reach an agreement that makes Weill Cornell Medicine more inclusive and stable for all postdoctoral researchers. Visit wcmpostdocunion.org for the latest updates as the strike deadline approaches.
Region 9A Locals in the News
“About 30 graduate workers represented by UConn GEU-UAW gathered on campus Friday to deliver a petition to the university president's office calling on the administration to agree to open and transparent contract negotiations. [...] ‘We think, as workers at a taxpayer-funded institution, we should be able to talk to the public about what's going on,’ said Grace Easterly, president of UConn GEU-UAW.”
- CT Insider: UConn grad workers demand transparency from administration during union contract negotiations (Oct. 17)
“The Cambridge City Council adopted a resolution on Monday condemning Harvard’s removal of roughly 900 workers from its graduate student union, calling on the University to address the demands of its unions during ongoing contract negotiations.”
- Harvard Crimson: Cambridge City Council Denounces Harvard’s Removal of 900 Grad Students From Union (Oct. 21)
“We think that people outside the negotiating room should be able to know what’s going on in negotiations,” said Alex Kueny, vice president of UConn GEU. “UConn is a public university. The work that graduate students do here, research and teaching, it affects everyone in the state of Connecticut, so we think that people have a right to know.”
- Daily Campus: GEU delivers letter to UConn Administration calling for transparent negotiations (Oct. 23)
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 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
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.
COMMUNITY ACTION PROGRAM (CAP)
NYC is Not for Sale Rally with Zohran Mamdani, Bernie Sanders, & AOC
Sunday, October 26 | 5 PM | Forest Hills Stadium, Queens, NY
Join fellow UAW members on Sunday for a rally with Zohran Mamdani, Senator Bernie Sanders, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and other special guests. In the last week before election day, we're coming together to say: New York is Not For Sale. Register here to ensure you receive a ticket.
Massachusetts DRIVE Advocacy Day
Thursday, October 30 | 12:30 – 4:00 PM | State House, Boston, MA
Join UAW Region 9A and the Massachusetts Teachers Association for an advocacy day in support of DRIVE (H.4375 An Act to preserve and advance Massachusetts’ competitiveness in discovery, research, and innovation for a vibrant economy).
DRIVE is a $400 million investment, which includes $200 million from Fair Share Amendment funds specifically earmarked to backfill federal cuts made to public colleges and universities. The UAW appreciates the DRIVE initiative as an investment in union jobs, innovative research, and our collective future.
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. If interested in getting more involved, join us at our next planning meeting on Monday, October 20, at 4 PM by emailing Dorothy Manevich at dorothy.manevich@gmail.com.
Region 9A CAP in the News
“Whether we rent or own, workers know that our communities are stronger when everyone can afford a roof over their heads. Unions built the middle class, and we know that it’s not possible without stable housing,” said Dan Rourke, chair of the UAW Region 9A MA CAP Council. “But for years, we’ve seen our friends, family members, and coworkers forced out of their homes by rents that go up faster than wages. Placing reasonable limits on rent increases will deliver the stability that workers across Massachusetts need to pay their bills, get ahead, and save up for a down payment on a home. Rent stabilization is an essential step towards a stronger economy that works for all, not just those at the very top.”
- Fall River Reporter: Massachusetts rent control initiative quickly gaining steam; here is what it would do (Oct. 22)
FROM THE HIGHER EDUCATION DEPARTMENT
UAW Survey: Shape Our Collective Vision for the Future of Science
All UAW members are invited to 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 THE INTERNATIONAL UAW
After Members Took Action, UAW Celebrates Tariffs on Heavy Trucks Saving Our Jobs
In a major win for UAW members who build heavy trucks at Mack, Daimler, Navistar, Volvo, and more, a massive grassroots lobbying campaign by UAW members and leaders has led to a 25% tariff on imported heavy trucks.
“For decades, heavy truck makers have rushed to kill good blue-collar jobs from Allentown, Pennsylvania, to Gastonia, North Carolina, in order to pay poverty wages abroad while Wall Street makes a killing. That ends November 1st,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “Our members lobbied and mobilized to save these communities, and made their voices heard in Washington, DC. We have pushed for action like this for decades, and we congratulate President Trump for delivering for heavy truck workers everywhere. Let’s keep going and rewrite our broken trade rules.”
A new video, Made In The Valley, tells the story of UAW Local 677 in the Lehigh Valley: how the USMCA gutted the communities that built the American heavy truck industry, and how workers fought back to save their jobs and community.
“Mack, Daimler, Navistar, Volvo—we built these companies,” said Dave Durgin, President of the UAW Bus, Engine, and Truck Council. “These executives have tried to run away from us and our families just to pay somebody $3-4 an hour to build six-figure trucks, and pocket the profits. We aren’t asking for the world. We’re saying if you want to sell your trucks in the U.S., you need to make your trucks in the U.S., at a good union wage like we’ve won at the UAW. We’re glad to see action being taken to support domestic manufacturing and good union jobs.”
The victory in the heavy truck industry is the latest blow to the so-called “free trade” system that has devastated blue collar America, from NAFTA to the USMCA. In 2026, the entire USMCA is up for review, and the UAW is pushing for a trade deal that puts the working class first.
Tell USTR: Put Workers First in the USMCA Review
The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) is asking for comments ahead of the 2026 review of the U.S.–Mexico–Canada Agreement (USMCA). Let’s flood them with comments and make it crystal clear: no more corporate giveaways, no more empty promises. It’s time for a trade deal that protects our jobs, our families, and our communities. And if USMCA isn’t negotiated into a trade deal that’s good for workers everywhere, then the U.S. should cancel the agreement.
Working-class people have paid the price for so-called “free trade” for 30 years. Now, we have a shot to say loud and clear to policymakers: we need a trade deal that works for working people, not for Wall Street and greedy CEOs. NAFTA—and the so-called “NAFTA 2.0,” the USMCA—sold us out. These trade deals shipped millions of good union jobs out of this country. They let corporations run to the lowest bidder, exploit workers abroad, and then turn around and sell the product back here while our plants closed and our towns were gutted.
Enough is enough. The UAW is demanding a new worker-first trade deal that:
- Prioritizes job security: companies need to make it here if they want to sell it here.
- Strengthens enforceable labor rights for all workers. We can’t let corporations pit us against each other.
- Guarantees equal pay for equal work across borders. Corporations should not be able to use trade to cause a race to the bottom.
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:
- October 29: Skeleton Crews at Academic Medical Centers: The Dangerous Results of Bare-Bones Funding
- November 5: Library Workers Organizing Meeting & Strategy Session
Free Screening of American Agitators
Monday, October 27 | 6:30 PM | Columbia University, New York, NY
The Columbia University Labor Lab and Columbia World Projects Center for Political Economy invites all to a screening of American Agitators, which captures the remarkable story of organizing for social change in the U.S. through the work Fred Ross Sr. and many others such as iconic organizers Dolores Huerta and Fred Ross Jr. as well as current ones, all of whom have devoted their lives to the pursuit of justice and equality.
Generations of organizers and activists, many of whom are featured in American Agitators, stand on the shoulders of Ross and his innovative organizing tactics. Evidence of Ross’ impact is illustrated in the case examples the film explores: in Atlanta, where Fight For 15 organizers demand an increased minimum wage and the unionization of workers across the Southern states; in Las Vegas where hotel workers organize for fair wages and to get out the vote; in Oakland, where teachers, families and community members forged a fair contract with the Oakland school district. The documentary demonstrates the efficacy of member-led movements built through patience and by listening.
Massachusetts Labor Guild Workshop: Unemployment Insurance (Ul) Benefits
Thursday, November 6 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Online
Unemployment insurance (Ul) is a critical safety net during periods of joblessness. This vital program allows workers and their families to meet their basic living expenses when they're out of work, while stabilizing the economy during recessions. This workshop provides you with the expertise you need to understand the Ul system and secure the Ul benefits to which you and members of your union are legally entitled. It will guide you through the Ul system from eligibility criteria to the appeals process. It will also discuss challenges with DUA's new online system, how union members should address new questions in the online benefit portal to remain exempt from the work search requirement, and how part-time work during a benefit claim may affect eligibility.
Massachusetts Labor Guild Workshop: Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML)
Thursday, November 13 | 6:00 - 8:00 PM | Online
As of 2021, Massachusetts has fully implemented its Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) program, providing workers wage replacement benefits when they have to remain out of work because of their own serious health condition, to care for a family member, or to bond with a newborn or newly-adopted child. By enabling workers to afford to take time away from work under these circumstances, these critical benefits improve health outcomes for workers and the public as a whole, while also improving early childhood development outcomes for children. This workshop will provide an overview of the benefits and protections available to workers under the PFML law, tips regarding the application and appeals process, and a discussion of unresolved barriers to accessing these benefits to look out for as you seek to access these benefits for yourself, your family, or other members of your union.
Call for Proposals for the 2026 Boston Labor Conference at UMass Boston
March 28, 2026 | Submit proposals by November 21
With an eye towards surviving and defeating Trumpism while forging a broad-based movement, the tenth annual Boston Labor Conference examines the array of attacks faced by working people since the start of 2025 while also exploring the various ways in which they have fought back. In addition to sweeping analyses that attempt to make sense of Trump’s second term on a broad level, we welcome proposals for papers/presentations that offer historical perspectives and critical analysis across a range of areas related to the ongoing attack and defense of: democracy and government, a more just economy, immigrants, labor unions, public education, healthcare, LBGTQ+ communities, the media, the legal system, the environment, basic personal freedoms, and so on.
To submit a proposal to give a presentation at the Boston Labor Conference on March 28, 2026, please send a (a) very short CV (or just tell us about yourself) and (b) one-page abstract of the proposed paper/presentation by November 21st to laborresourcecenter@umb.edu and steve.striffler@umb.edu.
Union Hiring Hall
- UAW International Union | Financial Researcher | Detroit, MI
- UAW International Union | Senior Organizer | Flexible, travel required
- New Yorkers United for Child Care | Organizer | Manhattan & Bronx, NY
- U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders | Paid Internship | Washington, DC
- Rutgers Adjunct Faculty Union | Organizer | Newark or New Brunswick, NJ
- MassCOSH | Deputy Director | Boston, MA
UPCOMING EVENTS
Coalition of Labor Union Women Conference
November 9-11 | San Diego, CA
UAW 101 & Core Values Education Training
November 15 | Allentown, PA