Shape a worker-led vision for American science

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 keep our economy strong. 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 the industries we depend on. 

UAW members from manufacturing to higher ed 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 from every sector 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 at this link.

Whether you’re a researcher in a lab sharing your experience, or a UAW member whose loved one 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.

In solidarity,

Mike Miller

Director, UAW Region 6