This resolution was passed at the October 2024 Annual Membership Meeting via Zoom on October 13, 2024.
Contract Enforcement Campaign Resolution
Authors: Scott Houldieson, Chris Budnick, Ben Hinsey, Nick Livick, Alex Bruns-Smith, Derryl Woodburry
Whereas; Stellantis continues to play games with our lives and livelihoods. Stellantis refuses to honor contractual product placement. Jobs have become so overloaded and safety so lax that roofs are leaking and union comrades are dying on the job.
Whereas; General Motors continues to work plants 6 or 7 days a week 9-12 hours a day on mandatory status. General Motors hasn’t complied with the strike settlement letter. General Motors had to be pressured into complying with negotiated SAP.
Whereas; Ford has lost the knowledge and skills of thousands of retirees who took the Retirement Incentive Bonuses. Those workers have not been replaced leaving the remaining workforce to be overworked and stressed.
Whereas; the elimination of the National Organization of Legal Services Workers (NOLSW) UAW Local 2320 servicing credit has put strain on staff who must service a large number of units with very few resources. NOLSW members require training and resources necessary to enforce their contracts, and UAWD can play a role in filling resource gaps to this end.
Whereas; members continue to look for guidance and express frustrations with contract enforcement.
Whereas; UAWD believes that true change must come from the bottom-up and contract enforcement must be rank-and-file led
Therefore be it resolved; UAWD shall carry out a contract enforcement campaign that includes, but not limited to, teaching members: their contracts and enforcement as well as how to run for shop positions and be effective in them through online and/or in person trainings.
Therefore be it resolved; UAWD shall provide trainings and educational resources to UAW legal aid workers in order to help them enforce their contracts and learn the principles and strategies of an effective contract enforcement campaign. We recognize that such trainings do not make up for the staff that the elimination of the servicing credit cost us. However, UAWD can assist NOLSW members since many units are not able to receive the support and training necessary to enforce their contracts – an issue that is due to lack of necessary resources, not due to any fault on the part of the NOLSW staff.
Be it further resolved; Members and supporters meetings will be utilized to allow UAW members to learn from one another about their shop floor organizing successes.