September 2025

Happy fall, brothers and sisters. If you are like my wife and I, you are not ready for summer to be over but are looking forward to the MLB playoffs and watching some college football. Though I am a Detroit Lions fan, they hold a very distant third to watching the Detroit Tigers and Michigan Wolverines play. I especially enjoy gathering with family and sharing these events.

With all that to look forward to, I am sure that many of us overlooked the fact that our UAW just hit its 90th anniversary! August 26, 2025, marked the anniversary of our life-changing organization's launch. Back when the workers of the world united to have a single voice to fight the mistreatment of management, working conditions were such that you took your lives in your own hands to earn a living. The workers' uniting leveled the playing field and gave those who produced the profit greater protections and the ability to leave work in the same condition they arrived.

Now, after nearly a century of being united, our working conditions have improved to the point that we have allowed distractions to divide us. However, as long as we remember that an organization like the UAW is an extended family, we can bicker and argue, but when it's time to come together, nothing can stop us.

Locally, our UAW-CIO Local 652 received its charter from the International UAW in February of 1939. UAW Local 652 was not the first Union representing Lansing autoworkers, but it did survive as the sole representative of the assembling Autoworkers. Surviving Amalgamated Local 182 and Automotive Auto Workers Union Local 18737, neither of which still exists.

This Local walk through automotive history would not be complete without acknowledging UAW Local 602, who were chartered by the International UAW in January of 1939 and represented the Fisher body workers here in Lansing, MI.

Just like the family we are, UAW Local 602 and 652 have a long history marked by togetherness, anger, separation, and more. I am proud that, even though our two Locals were at odds in the not-too-distant past, we have been able to come together and acknowledge that we are far stronger together than we are apart.

The Automotive industry in Lansing is strong, and with the collaboration among all our Local Unions in the Lansing, MI automotive sector — UAW Locals 602, 652, 724, and 1753, respectively— it is safe to say that the future is very bright.

The UAW and Lansing have a long history and an exciting future. It is exciting because, unlike many towns in America, the UAW in Lansing doesn't just mean the auto industry. We here in the Capitol area are blessed to have multiple other UAW Locals, such as Local 2256, 4911 and 6000, who represent many of our fellow residents in a multitude of worksites.

We have office professionals, medical professionals, administrative professionals, municipal and State workers, and even zoo workers, in addition to the automotive workers. Our UAW representation in the Lansing area is so extensive that I am sure I have missed some who are represented by our storied organization.

Just as any family, our organization has many members we are proud of, like Walter Reuther, and others with whom we are disappointed to have any affiliation. Every family has a crazy old, drunken aunt or uncle to be disappointed by; we, too, have had a few embarrassments along the way. However, that doesn't change the fact that we are family and though we may disagree from time to time on what moving forward looks like, we must look to the bigger dream, which is protecting and gaining ground so that in another 90 years, someone can write an article about the footprint of the UAW in Lansing and speak to how proud they are to be related to the storied history we have in our little Capitol city.

In closing, as fall takes hold, let us come together as one to celebrate our UAW and speak with a united voice, saying "Go Blue!!" Just kidding, I hope you all have a great fall and we will see you soon.

Ben