UAW Issues Strike Notice at Ford Plant - Teamsters Refuse to Release Methodology of Poll Backing Trump
Folks,
Greetings from the Burgh, where we have been out filming a documentary on the closure of the last Westinghouse plant in Pittsburgh, a founding shop of the UE. More on this later.
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UAW Issue Strike Notice at Ford Plant
Yesterday, UAW President Shawn Fain assured Stellantis union members that it was legal for them to strike mid-contract. Now, Ford workers may also strike mid-contract.
Earlier today, Ford workers at the Rouge Complex in Dearborn, Michigan, decided they wanted to strike.
“After Ford Motor Company has failed to reach a local agreement with the UAW Local 600, Tool & Die Unit at the Rouge Complex more than a year past the contract deadline, UAW Vice President Chuck Browning has received authorization from UAW President Shawn Fain to set a strike deadline for 11:59 p.m., Wednesday, Sept 25,” said the UAW in a statement.
If the UAW strikes mid-contract at both Ford & Stellantis, it could change the way that contracts are enforced in this country.
For more, check out the Detroit Free Press.
Teamsters Won’t Release Methodology on Poll Backing Trump
Today, Teamsters President Sean O’Brien, who praised Trump at the RNC, announced that his union would not support Kamala Harris. (See the full episode that we produced with NPR’s This American Life on O’Brien’s relationship with Trump)
At the time, O'Brien, as well as many other labor leaders, felt that Biden may lose, and he attempted to hedge his bets by speaking at the RNC in praise of Trump, calling him “one tough son-of-a-bitch.” However, Biden left the race shortly afterward, and O’Brien found himself in an awkward position.
O’Brien also wanted to speak at the Democratic National Convention. However, Harris and Biden Administration officials nixed him. Many members of the Democratic Party and organized labor felt that O’Brien had crossed a clear line by campaigning against Biden with Trump at the RNC.
Instead of inviting O’Brien, who desperately lobbied for a spot, the Harris-Walz team invited 25 retired rank-and-file Teamsters to appear on stage.
The rank-and-file Teamsters members included Kenneth Stirbling, a proud Black Teamsters retiree from Local 200, who had worked for 30 years as a local truck driver in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Surrounded by union members with shirts saying “Rank and File Teamsters,” Stirbling presented a definitive case for why his international union leadership is wrong.
The speech embarrassed O'Brien by presenting a rank-and-file perspective supporting Harris and Biden. (Black Teamsters Retiree Speaks as Harris Axes Teamster Prez at DNC)
In justifying his decision, O’Brien cited an internal poll claiming that his members had supported Biden by an 8% margin but that they now support Trump over Harris by a margin of 27%, without citing any methodology.
The Trump Campaign immediately picked up on the poll to release a statement claiming that the majority of Teamsters actually supported Trump.
“The rank-and-file of the Teamsters Union supports Donald Trump,” the campaign blasted out in an email to its supporters.
However, the Teamsters failed to provide any methodology or sample size to support their research.
News & Headlines
- Boeing starts furloughing tens of thousands of employees amid machinist strike
- Trump judge strikes blow against NLRB in troubling sign of what’s next
- U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops visits eastern NC to learn realities of migrant farm workers
- Georgia-Pacific union workers on strike for second day in California
- Arlington transit workers threaten strike, potentially disrupting ART bus service
- Finally, SF Symphony Chorus threatens to strike, opening night now in doubt
Alright folks, that’s all for today. Keep sending tips, story ideas, recipes, and baseball stories to melk@paydayreport.com
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Melk
