The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and

Agricultural Implement Workers of America

United Auto Workers Union(UAW)

AimsThis extract was taken from their self created Constitution.

“that all men and women are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men and women, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Within the orderly processes of such government lies the hope of the worker in advancing society toward the ultimate goal of social and economic justice.

History of the UAW• It was founded in May 1935• Its previous leaders name was Walter P. Reuther• The Current leader is a Man called Dennis Williams• Key events include; A 10-week strike at International Harvester (now

Navistar) leads to a national agreement on November, 1950, for 24,000 UAW members. Office and tool room workers at the McCormick Works plant in Chicago were given special recognition for helping to bring the company to the table because production workers who were part of a rival union continued to cross the picket line during the strike.

Details• The UAW is a Institutional Pressure group – A labour trade union

• It is an outsider group as most trade unions are

Membership details• The UAW has approximately 390 000 active members

Perks• Taken from website;• Health and safety experts to investigate accidents and train members to fix health and safety issues

in their workplaces• Legal staff to help locals win fights in court; for example, UAW attorneys have won major cases

preserving retiree health insurance• Health care and pension experts to take on the employer’s consultants• Website, magazine and other resources to keep members informed• Financial analysts to help local committees understand their employer’s finances and business

strategies, so that we can take them on and win• Auditors to help local unions keep their books in good order, so they can stay accountable to

members• Assistance for locals and members who are facing hard times or natural disasters• Organizers to build our density so we can win better agreements

How they get action• Their main philosophy of how they work is collective bargaining. • They go on strikes and use direct action in order to get noticed and for

the heads of the UAW to reach agreements with the government

Impacts and successes• Some key successes are; The Caterpillar strike of the 1990s was one of

the longest and most contentious labour fights in recent history which spread from the picket line to Caterpillar corporate offices. The dispute occurred on and off from 1991-1998 and included strikes, walkouts, informational leaflets and general acts of protests. The strikes were especially difficult because Caterpillar had no problem using replacement workers. The confrontation ended in 1998 with a 6 year contract after the union agreed to drop hundreds of charges in return for the company re-hiring workers who had been fired during the strikes and reinstating over 100 workers who were fired for strike activities.

Why they succeed• They succeed because of the intense strike action the put on the

company's, and as a result the government. Because the auto workers are such a vital part in the American economy, them striking loses the US a lot of money, therefore they are listened too.• They are listened to by the auto company's because it is a skilled field,

so each worker is an asset to the company, they are needed.

Fin.