June Newsletter: UAW Constitutional Convention, Science Bond, and more
Dear UAW Sibling,
UAW members across Region 6 have spent the past month organizing to build a working class moment to beat the billionaires and advance workers’ needs. Keep reading to learn more about historic updates from the UAW Constitutional Convention, progress in organizing and bargaining, and next steps in the movement to defend research funding and ensure science serves working people.
Constitutional Convention Recap
In June, UAW delegates from across the country met in Detroit for the 39th UAW Constitutional Convention. Themed “Our Generation’s Defining Moment,” this year’s convention spoke to the importance of the work elected delegates were convened to do and the challenges to take on as a union. For years billionaires have been rigging the economic and political systems to their benefit. At the Constitutional Convention, members voted to make some crucial changes that will help workers fight back, including by voting to build the resources workers need to take on the billionaires – and win.
Members voted to:
Increase strike pay to $550 per week so that workers can better hold the line in bargaining
Expand the strike fund to $1.3 billion to prepare for May Day 2028 and beyond
Allocate $100 million to organize tens of thousands of workers.
Other noteworthy actions delegates took include:
Divesting UAW funds from Israel bonds, becoming the first major union in the U.S. to do so
Requiring the UAW Constitution to be translated into Spanish
Establishing Veteran Affairs, Health and Safety, and Local Union Communication Association (LUCA) as standing committees
Establishing a member-led oversight committee for International Executive Board elections
Expanding the definition of a UAW retiree
Increasing dedicated funding for the Civil and Human Rights and Women’s Department
Delegates also nominated candidates for International Executive Board elections. In our Region 6 breakout, Mike Miller was re-nominated as the sole candidate for Region 6 Director. Delegates also nominated candidates for UAW International President, Secretary Treasurer, and three Vice Presidents. Ballots will begin to be mailed to all members in late August – check out the monitor’s website for more election details, and make sure your contact information is up to date!
Check out more footage and member perspectives in the videos below – all produced by the Region 6 ConCon LUCA Team: Joel Benefield (Local 230), Brigid Boll (Local 4811), Willow Heidt (Local 4929), Griffin Johnson (Local 4811), Finnegan Lamay (Local 8121), Adrianna Mirabal (Local 872), Sarah Smith (Local 492), and Pedro Uribe (Local 6645).
California Science Bond Update—and the Fight Ahead
This week, the California state legislature was unable to reach an agreement in time to advance the California Science and Health Research Bond Act. As things stand, the Science Bond is now very unlikely to appear on the November ballot.
But while the Science Bond will likely not be on the ballot this year, the power union members, scientists, educators, clinicians, students, and patients have built through this campaign has only grown. Thousands of UAW members have gotten involved, devoting thousands of collective hours to building support for public research – mobilizing petition signatures, contacting elected officials, attending events, and building support for public investment in research. Unions, scientists, clinicians, patients, universities, students, and community organizations are coming together in greater and greater numbers around the urgent task of saving public research.
As Trump continues his attacks on public research, we must continue to fight using the power we have built over the past year. There are different potential paths forward in this fight: future bond efforts, pushing for more research funding in state budgets, etc. And beyond this, we must continue to advance a new vision for scientific research in America that puts the public, and the workers doing research, first.
Ultimately, this campaign has always been bigger than one ballot measure. It is just the beginning of a powerful movement to defend science, expand public investment in research and higher education, and ensure that scientific progress serves working people. At Region 6 Summer School in July, members will come together to discuss the fight ahead and make plans for continuing to build this movement into the future – all members are encouraged to join.
Updates from Around the Region
USC Faculty Win Union Election: Workers in Region 6 scored another major victory this spring. On June 2nd, non-tenure-track faculty at USC voted overwhelmingly (1272 to 549) to unionize as part of UAW. Instead of accepting the democratic will of the workers, USC administration despicably filed a formal request with Trump’s NLRB the night before the vote count in order to overturn their right to a union. However, as faculty were not deterred by USC’s initial attempt to block their election in the first place, they will not be deterred now. Now, faculty and their allies are engaged in a campaign to urge USC to respect the results of their vote, withdraw their appeal, and bargain.
WWU Student Workers Win Historic Contract: This month, Student Workers at Western Washington University (WAWU-Local 4929) voted 99% YES to ratify a strong new contract. The contract includes new protections for members who experience traumatic events while working, protections for international student workers, wage increases, guaranteed transit passes, and more. And for the first time, the contract now covers ALL student workers at WWU. Onward!
Workers at Volvo Win Big: UAW members in Local 2162 voted unanimously to ratify a contract at Volvo. The new agreement removes tiers, includes a record maximum wage increase and entry level wage increase, expands holidays, doubles union education training for new hires, increases the shoe allowance, and strengthens language with regard to temps, call in, and overtime mandatory.
CAPS-1115 Fights RTO Mandate: After delivering their demands on May 4, state scientists are at the table with CalHR to bargain over the state’s Return-to-Office four-day mandate. State scientists are being asked to return to dysfunctional, unsafe, and unsanitary worksites that interfere with their ability to do their jobs. There are numerous health and safety issues such as pests, mold, broken facilities, and ergonomically unsafe workstations. As CAPS member and Senior Environmental Scientist Supervisor Cory Copeland says, “because of RTO, we’re going to lose a lot of people who do vital services to serve the people of California, especially in high-cost-of-living areas where people already have to live very far away from their office in order to afford to live in those places.”
Contract Campaign Escalates at Disability Rights Oregon: As part of their fight for a fair contract, staff at Disability Rights Oregon (NOLSW Local 2320) held a picket on June 17. DRO staff fight every day for Oregonians with disabilities, and find themselves without the very basic dignities they advocate for on behalf of their clients – sustainable workloads, fair wages, and a say in their work. Sign WUDRO’s petition today to show your support!
Postdocs and Research Staff Rally at UW: Hundreds of UAW 4121 Postdocs and Research Staff rallied on June 26, turning up the heat in their contract campaign. At a time when federal research funding is under attack right now, UW Admin is making the wrong choices: trying to cut discrimination protections, failing to support international workers, and refusing to pay fair wages. UAW members are fighting back, organizing to win contracts that will support workers and strengthen research for the public good.
Message from Region 6 Director Mike Miller
Today in the U.S. only 10% of workers are members of a union. Meanwhile the billionaire class continues increasing its share of income at our expense, padding their wealth to extreme levels.
Recent research from the Federal Reserve shows the labor share of income cratering to historic lows, from a postwar average of around 63% to 54% today – with real declines mounting in the early 2000s as neoliberal policies of the 1980s and ’90s began to fully manifest their damage.
But history shows workers can take a different path forward. Between 1936 and 1979, the UAW grew from 27,000 members to over 1.5 million. Mass strike action and ambitious new organizing won us the strongest contracts in our union’s history, helping to grow workers’ share of wealth to its highest level in U.S. history. These gains were accomplished through organizing, building union density, and exercising the power that comes with it. The time to go back on the offensive is now!
At the UAW’s Constitutional Convention in June, Region 6 members pushed reforms to usher in a new era of labor militancy. Our battle plan to take on the billionaires includes at least three important elements – chief among them is to organize more workers. In the previous two decades, low mobilization and intermittent organizing had a number of deleterious effects, most notably the fact that real wages in auto declined by 20%. Low union density hurts our ability to win better contracts. When union membership wanes, non-union employers are able to set the low standard for wages and working conditions. Corporate bosses have more power to force concessions from workers and move work where they can get away with abysmal compensation and labor standards. This race to the bottom hurts workers everywhere.
By contrast, in 2023–24, thanks to mobilizing, the Stand Up contract campaign, and the biggest organizing win since the 1950s, we won the largest wage increases in auto, raising pay at least 20% across the industry. Understanding that union density is power, and having the example of historical and recent successes where union density has proven key, we argued at the UAW’s Constitutional Convention for – and won! – a commitment to allocate $100 million to organize tens of thousands of workers. But this is not all.
To hold the line against corporate bosses and billionaires, we have to be able to mount credible strike threats – and withstand them when workers take to the picket line. At the Convention, we voted to increase strike pay to $550 per week – an important adjustment, given that the cost of living has risen by over 12% since our strike pay was last set at the previous UAW Constitutional Convention. Workers need the resources to support themselves and their families while holding the line for better contracts.
In this regard, a bigger strike fund will be necessary to sustain workers during a strike and to signal to employers that we can mount a credible strike threat. At this year’s Convention, we voted to maintain dues at their current level to build a $1.3 billion Strike Fund. This money will help us strike at the scale we need for May Day 2028 and beyond. With a more robust strike fund, employers will take us more seriously at the bargaining table, even before the strike begins. And corporate bosses will be on notice that we can walk out at any time – and for however long it takes to win. Billionaires beware!
Finally, this week, the California State Legislature did not pass SB 895, which means the Science Bond in all likelihood will not appear on the November 2026 ballot. This is deeply disappointing – the Trump administration’s cuts to research and higher education are very real, they are happening now, and they threaten scientists, patients, and communities in California and beyond. However, this campaign is far from over. Over the past year, it has been inspiring to see so many members getting involved in building the movement for scientific research that benefits working people, and through all that action, we’ve built significantly more power in the state. I hope to see you at Summer School later in July, where we’ll come together to discuss future directions for continuing to grow this movement going forward.
Upcoming Events
Region 6 Summer School, July 23-26, Cal State Los Angeles. All members are encouraged to join – contact your Local for more info!
Washington Primary Elections, August 4
Arizona Primary Elections, August 4
Alaska Primary Elections, August 18
Labor conferences around the country: Contact your Local for more info!
UAW Family Scholarship Program, July 12-17, Onaway, MI.
NAACP National Convention, July 18-22, Chicago, IL.
A. Philip Randolph Institute’s National Education Conference, July 22-26, New Orleans, LA.
UAW Veteran’s Conference, August 9-14, Onaway, MI.
UAW TOP and Women's Conference, August 9-14, Houston, TX.
Union Hall Arts Residency, August 10-September 7, Detroit, MI. UAW members who are selected to participate will be sponsored by the UAW Education Department.
UAW Civil and Human Rights Conference, August 23-28, Onaway, MI.
UAW Bargaining and Contract Enforcement Bootcamp, September 20-25, Onaway, MI.
UAW Member Mobilization, September 27-October 2, Onaway, MI.
UAW Standing Committees & EAP Conference, October 4-9, Onaway, MI.