June 2025

Hello brothers and sisters. We have finally arrived at the good summer weather, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

I recently attended both the Region 1D Leadership Conference and the Competitive Shops and Independents, Parts and Suppliers (CS/IPS) Conference with our respective leadership from our amalgamated Units. Attending both conferences was new to me and something I won't soon forget. General Motors hired me in July 2002. I became a member of UAW Local 652 that same day, and for the most part, General Motors was the UAW to me until 2017. I never really noticed or paid attention to the wildly diverse spectrum that our union represents. Since becoming an Officer of this great Local in May 2017, I have spent a considerable amount of time learning the agreements and operating styles of our non-GM Units. To say that an IPS operation runs differently than what I knew at GM is an understatement; there are very few similarities other than the fact that great men and women assemble, sequence, and transport products.

Both of these conferences have gotten me fired up about the numerous industries we cover within the UAW, and I am amazed and, more importantly, impressed with our Region. Region 1D has so many covered sectors that it is almost unimaginable; it makes me even prouder to be a UAW member.

While attending these conferences, my eyes were opened to an entirely new world in relation to the GM community. As I spoke to various training staff and other leaders from all over the State and Country, I had a bit of a revelation. These conferences are a microcosm of our Country. We were able to have deep conversations and discuss complex topics. But, unlike our Country currently, we were able to agree to disagree on certain issues and still understand that, as brothers and sisters of the UAW, we are all in this fight together for a better tomorrow for our Members and the United States. I have said it before and I will say it now; we have far more in common than we don't. We can't let ourselves be divided. We must look past the distractions thrown at us and unite for a better tomorrow. I will agree that there are extremists to the left and right on almost any topic. Our job is not to fixate on the extremes but rather to realize that we are, for the most part, more in line with the middle than with the extreme points of view.

This most recent training opened my eyes to just how much more the UAW is than what I thought or believed it was. The CS/IPS conference's motto was "You can't roll without us," and in many ways, that is true; however, there is a flaw in it, just as there is in our society. The CS/IPS world is not yet sufficiently organized in many sectors to possess the force and might it ought to have. They have not yet conquered the divisive tactics of corporations, just as we have not conquered the divisive tactics of politicians. Mother Jones stated it beautifully: "My friends it is solidarity we want. We do not want to find fault with each other, but to solidify our forces and say to each other: We must be together; our masters are joined together and we must do the same thing. "I firmly believe we are living in a time where future history books will have chapters and chapters covering how we acted and reacted during this era. As UAW members and citizens, we need to act in accordance with our Constitutions, not only on a personal and professional level but also on a National level, and we don't want to fall on the wrong side of history. I hope you all enjoy the summer and remember solidarity forever.

Ben