Organize the Unorganized

Organizing the unorganized is the strongest engine of worker power and democratic change in our union, workplaces, and society. We will engage in this fundamental activity to:

• Organize new workers in multiple industries: for example–aerospace, electric vehicles, higher education, logistics, biomedical, biotech, tech, non-profits. 
• Focus special effort on organizing in the Electrical Vehicle (EV) industry to bring about a socially just transition to EVs as part of a comprehensive approach to stopping climate change, building worker power, and fighting for environmental and racial justice.
• Develop specific short, medium and long term plans to build and coordinate organizing on a regional level: 
  • Better map out where existing members go as they progress through their careers, and use those connections to identify and build new organizing in other industries, institutions, and units. 
  • Increase union density in places where we already have locals. For example,  by organizing unorganized units/groups of workers, and/or by tracking movement of organized workers between organized institutions. 
  • Build cross-sector, cross-local organizing and actions to support each other’s campaigns, especially when in places where we have geographic density. 
• Invest resources in new organizing at a regional level, including organizer training and leadership development, research, analysis, etc. 
  • Transparently develop priorities for allocating resources to organizing that identify needs, possibilities, and plans to win. 
  • Grow the number of existing members who can take on higher level organizing and leadership in supporting new campaigns. 
  • Share resources, information, and organizing strategies across campaigns to make organizing more effective. 
• Involve UAW retired members in helping on organizing drives.

Win Strong Contracts 

As unionized workers, we know what a difference having a union makes for winning strong, enforceable rights and protections that improve both our working conditions and our broader communities. Contract campaigns that win pattern agreements, comparisons between same skills, occupations, and tenure of job markets can assist in building a winning case to inform, engage, and activate workers’ demands to improve working conditions and encourage them to join unions. Over the years, our Locals have consistently engaged in fighting, participatory contract campaigns to build power and win strong contracts, often building from each other’s wins. As a newly established Region 6, we will expand on that history by:  

• Building coalition and coordination across Locals and sectors within Region 6 to win standard-setting contracts and common good campaigns. As a Region, we will share information, develop coordinated strategies, plan patterned bargaining, and increase power to win new standards contracts. We will hold common-good campaigns on issues that affect members and our families across the Region — such as issues of affordable housing, climate justice, international worker protections, harassment and bullying, career development, etc. In winning transformative contracts, we not only build more power for currently organized workers in our Region, but will also inspire workers in non-unionized workplaces to organize.  
• Engaging in participatory bargaining strategies that increase member participation, transparency, and power. We know high levels of member participation in bargaining is the key to building the power we need to win strong contracts. We will continue and expand strategies to actively engage as many members as possible in our contract campaigns. We will ensure high levels of transparency and member decision-making at all stages of bargaining. 
• Developing organizing plans and strategies for building supermajority strike readiness across the region. We know power moves the process — particularly supermajority strikes and collective actions. However, that level of engagement doesn’t happen on its own, so we will engage in consistent, coordinated one-to-one organizing and membership engagement across the Region. We will develop plans to maintain high membership levels and strong leadership, especially in units with high turnover, and will foster solidarity between Locals in the Region through more consistent communication. 

Fight for Equity; Democracy; and Environmental, Racial, and Social Justice

Whether at the bargaining table, in the streets, or in public institutions such as Legislatures, we know that expanding equity, democracy, and justice are never-ending efforts. As Region 6, we will continue our, and our siblings throughout the UAW, historic struggles for a more just world by:

• Fighting for equity and environmental, racial, and social justice in our contract campaigns, social movements, electoral and legislative campaigns, and in our members’ communities.
• Increasing member participation in labor councils, political campaigns, legislative campaigns, a progressive national political agenda, and community organizations.
• Developing increased coordination across the Union to build massive mobilization around core issues like housing, immigrants rights, racial justice, environmental justice, Medicare for All, and the PRO act.
• Expanding coordination on international worker issues so we can more effectively fight xenophobia and pressure federal, state, and local officials on these issues. 
• Ensuring high standards of health and safety in our workplaces and communities.
• And building more accountability with elected officials by: 
  • Holding electeds accountable to support our campaigns and legislative issues. 
  • Developing endorsements lists and clear criteria for receiving endorsement. 
  • Focusing on legislative fights that members can speak to in broader communities. 
  • Putting pressure on companies/management as well as state, local, and federal governments to support worker-led change.
• Involve UAW retirees in all political action in the Region.

Member Participation and Democracy 

Member participation provides a significant source of creativity and power to our movement. Toward that end, we will:

• Increase regional meetings and organizing trainings with members and leaders:
  • Use low-cost options — e.g., make use of zoom for more regular meetings; hold in-person events at convenient, affordable, unionized locations; minimize barriers to ensure that everyone has the ability to participate in a way that works for them as much as possible. 
  • Develop ongoing regional training for leadership development, member engagement, participatory bargaining, contract enforcement, political action, issue-specific campaigns, and other political education. 
  • Establish code of conduct and community norms for member interactions to make sure all people feel included and safe.
• Make our unions a larger part of members’ social lives. 
• Increase member participation in the UAW at regional and international levels. 
  • Establish more ways for members to regularly communicate across the region. 
• Engage new leadership development of diverse members across identities and sectors
• Build a model of debate/discussion where disagreement moves us forward.
• Encourage retiree participation in Regional events, meetings, and activities.
• Create space/mechanisms to communicate supportively within and across locals.
  • Establish regional leaders and staff who reflect our diverse membership. 
  • Develop systematic leadership development programs to recruit & support diverse leadership at the Local, Regional, and International level.