March 29, 2023
Day Three Report from the 2023 Special Bargaining Convention
By UAW Region 8 Webmaster John Davis
Photos by John Davis
Michigan Congressional Representative Debbie Dingell was the first speaker of the morning. “I want to thank you for inviting me her on Solidarity Day and I am wearing red,” Represented Dingell said. “Michigan just repealed Right to Work- the first state in the country to do that. Republicans are saying the want to  pass National Right To Work. We must stop them.
We are currently seeing the transition to electronic vehicles and we must protect America’s workers. When it comes to product allocation, we are going to be fighting to see that union members are protected in those product placements. During the pandemic, we couldn’t get gloves and masks because too many of them are made in China. The United States shouldn’t be dependent on any country. Our supply chain HAS to be based in America. Batteries and chips for these EV’s have to be made here with union workers. I will continue to fight to make sure that happens.
Unions have led the way on so many things in America. You have led the fight against voter suppression, health care and worker’s rights and I thank you for that. I have a challenge for you today- too many Americans don’t understand what Right to Work really is. We have to educate Americans on the prevailing wage. Labor is the backbone of the fight for America’s working class. I love you, appreciate it and will always support you.” (paraphrased remarks)
UAW Vice President Chuck Browning gave a report from Ag Imp, Ford and Chaplaincy. First Vice-President Browning recognized the bargaining committee for last year’s John Deere contract. “This group worked tirelessly to win a contract that not only protected our past gains but build on what our members had. During the negotiations the Committee was ravaged with COVID. Bargaining Committee member Curtis Templeman of UAW Local 450 Region 4 passed away the day before the contract was ratified. He worked to the end to make sure the John Deere members had a contract that was worthy of their sacrifice during this strike. “Vice President Browning recognized Curtis’s Templeman’s wife Denise and daughters from the  stage.
Vice President Browning then recognized the bargaining team at Case New Holland. At John Deere we represent 96% of their United States workforce. That gives us the ability to shut most of the company down, forcing them to the table. At Case New Holland, our density is much smaller making it harder to negotiate. Our members at Case New Holland were on strike for nine months. They stood together, finally forcing the company to the table. The bargaining team and membership stood strong and won a contract that few felt they could win. We held the picket line at Case New Holland, leaving them no option but to bargain. US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh walked the picket line with our members there.
Next Vice President Browning recognized the Bargaining Committee at Caterpillar. Historically, Caterpillar has been a difficult company to bargain with. Through the years difficult negotiations have become the norm. This set of negotiations proved to be just as contentious but our team prevailed and the company blinked. Not only did the team win five times the monitory compensation but also a moratorium on plant  closings.
Lastly Vice President Browning recognized the Chaplaincy Committees across the union and the top negotiating team at Ford for the upcoming negotiations. The team at Ford will be working this fall to build an agreement that protects our members as we move forward into the transition to electronic vehicles. Region 8 has two members on the Ford Top Committee for this round of negotiations. These members are Jon Jaggers of Local 862 and Brandon Reisinger of Local 862.
Resolutions concerning the length of contracts and labor and the community were debated and included into the group of resolutions. A resolution was pulled and debated to honor all picket lines involving locations we supply. The motion was amended to state when the law allows. The resolution was debated and passed as amended.
The entire group of resolutions were finally voted on and accepted, ending the 2023 Special Bargaining Convention.
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