March 2024

I hope this finds you all healthy and well. It feels like spring is here and we can all be thankful for a pretty mild winter. For all of you snowmobilers and those that enjoy ice fishing…maybe next year.

I want to acknowledge our UAW Local 602 Women’s committee – I have been hearing non-stop praise for the highlights of Local 602 Women that they have been putting out on social media. It is so refreshing to see the buzz on the floor be about something positive and to see our hard working members get the spotlight they so justly deserve. Great job Sisters!!

I was able to attend the UAW National CAP conference in Washington DC in January. It was great being able to meet with Senators Debbie Stabenow and Gary Peters with the entire Michigan group of delegates. It was likely the last time we would be able to meet with Senator Stabenow as she will be retiring in November. I took the opportunity to thank her for visiting our picket sites during the 2023 strike and the 2019 strike, as well as always being an advocate for working families during her 24 years in the Senate.  Rep. Elissa Slotkin flew back from Michigan to meet with her constituents at the conference. I took the opportunity to thank her as well for supporting us during the strike with visits from her, her staff and the multiple times they brought food and water for us. Jason Peek and I were asked to do some interviews with the UAW communications team and I was proud of Jason for agreeing to do it. He is always fantastic when he represents us! The last day of the conference UAW President Shawn Fain gave an incredible speech as he announced the UAW endorsement of President Joe Biden. If you have not heard the speech I would urge you to seek it out and listen to President Fain speak on the stark differences of our two choices. President Fain spoke five words towards the end of his speech and I truly thought the roof was about to cave in. The 5 words were – “Donald Trump is a SCAB!!”  President Biden’s speech was great too and the room full of UAW members were incredibly receptive. It was an amazing way to end the conference, and even though I contracted COVID I am grateful that I was able to attend.

In Solidarity, Mike