United Auto Workers (UAW)
When did it start? : August 26, 1935
Where did it start? : Detroit, Michigan
What were the political and social circumstances that led to this union being formed?: In the 1920s industrial production had doubled much of which had been thanks to the automobile industry. For a decade, worker’s wages had only increased by eight percent. The Great Depression left many workers in the
automobile industry without a job leading to the formation of “unemployed councils.” These councils helped many families by reconnecting utilities, blocking evictions, and by distributing food through soup kitchens.“Hunger Marchers” marched outside of Ford’s Dearborn plant on March 1932, and in return
they received tear gas and gunshots from police authorities and Ford Department guards. The police and Ford were not charged with anything even though there was 5 deaths and a number of people injured. In January 1933, autoworkers struck Briggs manufacturing because of little pay and the poor working conditions. In 1935, the National Labor Relations Act(Wagner Act) was passed by congress. It guaranteed government to bargain and organize collectively and created a relationship between government and labor. This encouraged workers from different industries to create unions that addressed their concerns. Autoworkers soon formed the Automotive Industrial Workers Association. The American Federation of Labor chartered the UAW on August 26, 1935.
How many members are there in the union today? : more than 390,000 active members and over 600,000 retired members
What is the mission/purpose of this union and what does it do for its members? The purpose of the UAW is stated in the UAW Contracts in Article I Section 1: “It is the purpose of this Agreement to provide for the wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment of the employees covered by this Agreement, to recognize the continuing joint responsibility of the parties to provide efficient and uninterrupted services and satisfactory employee conduct to the public, and to provide an orderly, prompt, peaceful and equitable procedure for the resolution of differences between employees and the Employer.”
Current Leadership:
Where did it start? : Detroit, Michigan
What were the political and social circumstances that led to this union being formed?: In the 1920s industrial production had doubled much of which had been thanks to the automobile industry. For a decade, worker’s wages had only increased by eight percent. The Great Depression left many workers in the
automobile industry without a job leading to the formation of “unemployed councils.” These councils helped many families by reconnecting utilities, blocking evictions, and by distributing food through soup kitchens.“Hunger Marchers” marched outside of Ford’s Dearborn plant on March 1932, and in return
they received tear gas and gunshots from police authorities and Ford Department guards. The police and Ford were not charged with anything even though there was 5 deaths and a number of people injured. In January 1933, autoworkers struck Briggs manufacturing because of little pay and the poor working conditions. In 1935, the National Labor Relations Act(Wagner Act) was passed by congress. It guaranteed government to bargain and organize collectively and created a relationship between government and labor. This encouraged workers from different industries to create unions that addressed their concerns. Autoworkers soon formed the Automotive Industrial Workers Association. The American Federation of Labor chartered the UAW on August 26, 1935.
How many members are there in the union today? : more than 390,000 active members and over 600,000 retired members
What is the mission/purpose of this union and what does it do for its members? The purpose of the UAW is stated in the UAW Contracts in Article I Section 1: “It is the purpose of this Agreement to provide for the wages, hours and terms and conditions of employment of the employees covered by this Agreement, to recognize the continuing joint responsibility of the parties to provide efficient and uninterrupted services and satisfactory employee conduct to the public, and to provide an orderly, prompt, peaceful and equitable procedure for the resolution of differences between employees and the Employer.”
Current Leadership:
Current news/issues dealing with this union: A panel from the UAW will testify at the US Department of Labor supporting OSHA’s proposed standard of protecting workers from silica in the workplace which causes silicosis which suffocates workers to death, other respiratory diseases, and kidney disease. If the proposed standard is approved, over 2 million workers will be protected from silica exposure.
Sources: https://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/laborrel/contracts/uaw/contract/a01.html
http://www.uaw.org/page/uaw-history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Automobile_Workers
Sources: https://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/laborrel/contracts/uaw/contract/a01.html
http://www.uaw.org/page/uaw-history
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Automobile_Workers