Integrity As Our Gilding Light According to Mr. Webster, “Integrity is the firm, consistent adherence to a code of moral or ethical values.” Having held a leadership position in the UAW for the past four years, I can tell you without question a leader's first quality must include integrity. Bargaining is a process of agreeing on terms and then adhering to those terms.

There are a lot of misconceptions around bargaining. No one person does it, bargaining requires a team. Each department elects a top committee to conduct negotiations. Every contract year, local unions submit demands for bargaining. Those demands are assembled and the top committee draft a strategy that is used at the table.

Holding a position of leadership in the UAW is not about being a boss; it is about being a servant. The past four years, I have had the honor of serving as Vice President, with the assignments of the GM and Gaming Departments.

During the 2023 national contract talks, we were successful in securing commitment for new product allocation for many of our locations.

Recently there have been headlines about GM’s Factory Zero in Hamtramck, Michigan. These headlines tell of a 1000 people being laid off while the company adds “cobots.” This is a very concerning situation, but the layoffs at Factory Zero are largely due to customer demands, as EV sales are slowing. Factor Zero is going down to one shift to handle these shifts in volumes.

In 2023, our top bargaining team was able to secure great gains toward closing the wage gap of our members. Bargaining is a continuing process, so looking toward 2028, one of our top priorities has to be retirement security for our members.

Today (July 7, 2026) we were notified about a shooting that took place in the parking lot of Arlington Assembly, in Arlington, Texas. One person was listed in stable but critical condition at an area hospital and another was taken into custody after turning himself in.

In the 2007 Bargaining Agreements with GM, Ford and Chrysler, the VEBA (Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association) was negotiated. Under the agreement, responsibility for retiree health care was transferred to the trust.

In the UAW, it is our diversity that makes us strong. All sectors work together to truly make us a “Union (for) all workers.” Each member is important, each workplace and each local union. While major manufacturing garners more headlines, the members in all sectors are just as important.