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UAW veterans get organized
Region 8 forms new council, elects new officers

In May, UAW veterans from across the Southeast came to Lebanon, Tenn., to set up a new Region 8 veterans’ council and area veterans councils, develop new bylaws, and elect new officers.

Region 8 Director Gary Casteel opened the meeting and reported on the various areas that the UAW is working diligently around. “With the millions of jobs lost for American’s during this current presidential administration and the constant threat of more jobs going abroad, organizing and job growth are top priorities, on a long list of hot topics for the UAW.

Region 8 has had the greatest growth and targets for new UAW membership” he said. Art Reyes, our International Union Veterans Department Representative, gave a rousing account of how the UAW has reached out to not only veterans who are union members but veterans in our respective communities.

“Our UAW veterans are the most diverse group we have in the UAW. UAW members have served our great country in many capacities with the armed services, from WWII through the current wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. “Our UAW veterans have a unique way of reaching out not only to veterans but all working class people. They are quick to mobilize and have an impact with whatever they are involved in. UAW veterans have and will continue to provide the outstanding leadership needed inside the UAW ranks,”
Reyes said.

Joe Rypkowski, Region 8’s education representative, reported the following results of the Region 8 Veterans Council elections:
Chairman - Mark Peterson, of Local 2069 from Dublin, Va.
Vice chairman - Joe Kitchen, of Local 919 from Norfolk, Va.
Recording Secretary - Angel Cooper- Morales, of Local 788 from Davenport, Fla.
Sgt, at Arms - Paul Hagert, of Local 329 from Baltimore, Md.