Question and Answers

[Shawn Fain]  I would have to understand the issue more in depth but seniority is sacred within our union and we have to take care of members who spent years sacrificing themselves to make a living. There are so many abuses of temps over the years because our top leadership hasn’t reigned in the corporations and their schemes. Temps working 7 days a week, temps working for years, temps not getting protection from the union, are just a few issues that don’t work for our members, we have to get back to a standard of temps only needing 90 days to get to full time, there are plants literally working shifts of temps. The companies want workers to come to work and care about quality, why the hell would anyone care about any of that when there’s nothing in it for their long term well being. When employees have full time work and seniority, when they have pensions and post retirement healthcare, they’ll be a hell of a lot more willing to come to work and care about the product they make.

[Shawn Fain] not at all, I’ve never been afraid of losing my position and I was given the “who do you work for” speech by Norwood Jewell on more than one occasion. Anyone who knows Norwood and my relationship knows we weren’t “buddies” as Brian falsely claims. When Norwood came to our department we all had high hopes he would be different and upfront he talked a great game but we all know what the end result was. Going on FB live to bitch as Brian has been doing for years does nothing. Unlike him, I didn’t like how things were years ago so I ran for office in my plant, I was elected to 5 terms, I was elected by my peers as a national negotiator during our generations toughest times, and I’ve been on international staff fighting the good fight. I’ve never been afraid of losing my position and I sure as hell wouldn’t be running for President if I was. As far as Norwoods kids go, get in line there’s a long list of International Presidents and VP’s who’s kids got staff jobs, that’s on them.

[Shawn Fain] As I said, retirees are why we’re all here today. We have successfully negotiated in the past for increases and bonuses for retirees and given the fact that the corporations were flush with profits the past 10 years there’s no reason something shouldn’t have been done for them in 2015 or 2019. 3 of my 4 grandparents were UAW retirees and I don’t forget where I come from, and I won’t forget our retirees.

[Scott Shuler Sr.] awesome gm gypsies saginaw steering gear sold lake orion shut down for year when pontiac went out went to lansiing finally got to retire we need support

[Shawn Fain] for sure, this is new to me, but so far it seems the best means to communicate with our members given the broad spectrum of workers and area we cover.

[Jamie Delong] absolutely nothing like hearing it straight from the horses mouth!! Appreciate you commenting back.

[Shawn Fain] anyone who knows how negotiations work at the big 3 knows that we have several committees that meet over different issues, Health & Safety, Skilled Trades, Sourcing, etc… the Economic Demands, such as Tiers, COLA, Retirees, etc.. are typically negotiated by the President and VP’s with the top corporate leaders. When the contracts are rolled out wages, cola and tiers aren’t kept in secret. In my opinion that’s why the signing bonuses get bigger, in hopes members will vote for it.

[Shawn Fain] the IEB can actually lead the fight for work versus assisting the company in facilitating lesser agreements under the guise of competition. I’ve seen it throughout my career as a local and National rep, I remember the International telling a couple of our engine plants they have a gun and they can choose if they want to shoot themselves in the head or the foot!! So these locals accepted crap agreements because they had no support from the top!

[Shawn Fain] for sure, I have been working at the training center with our leadership team there and the Monitor and legal teams. we are on our way, the Monitor being in place will help ensure that.

[Shawn Fain] yes and because I wouldn’t kiss the companies ass I was moved back over the training center from servicing.

[Shawn Fain] to be fair since Cindy came to our department there was years of crap to clean up from past leaders and there are good things that were accomplished under her direction, for instance, sadly  our department hadn’t arbitrated a grievance in 5-6 years and we have won arbitrations for our members since she came, also, I had been begging for equipment through 3 previous VP’s for our skilled trades training programs and also to increase the Dependent scholarship money to the full payout for all members who applied, when Cindy came it was done in a few weeks. We are also on track to add the most apprentices in my entire career at Chrysler over this agreement. So although I was disappointed with being moved out of servicing, everything hasn’t been negative. My biggest disappointments are just that fact that I don’t feel our top leadership fights to protect our jobs, we have proven methods that work to ensure our plants are loaded with product and we’ve had success years ago, also we can’t continue as a union with all the different subclasses of workers, Temps, Tiers and Traditionals. We have to get back to the standard of equal pay for equal work!

[Shawn Fain] we can’t survive as a union with all these different classes of workers, temps, Tiers, and Traditionals. We have to get back to where we set the standard for the working class and we will not have success when the non union companies offer the same or, in some instances, better than what we bargain for. Temps should be just that, temporary and after 90 days full time, we have thousands of temps working full time and as far as pensions go, if we don’t bring the standard up for the majority of our members who don’t have pensions then those of us traditional workers who do will pay the price down the road! We have to be United as one, that’s what our slate is all about.

[Shawn Fain] agreed!

[Erik Grouch Weizel] then let's do it strong organizing let's bring being UAW back where it belongs the men and women who are the backbone of this union.we are still here

[Shawn Fain] coming from the Kokomo Casting Plant, which is a foundry, and knowing what our workers deal with everyday in that heat, dealing with burns etc.. has always given me an understanding of what our production workers go through and endure. I’ve witnessed the lines that used to have 10 people or more and now are run with 2. I have a very good understanding and great respect of what our workers go through. These corporations expect every aspect of our members lives to revolve around the companies and that is unacceptable. Skilled trades, production, salary bargaining unit, it doesn’t matter, we all sink or swim together.

[Jeffrey Polut] very true, and thanks for the reply. I know we are all in this together, no matter our job classification. I definitely will keep watching you and the other candidates and keep you in mind for my vote.

[Shawn Fain] thanks for your consideration.

[Shawn Fain] Thank you for your question Sam. It must be a top priority to make sure that all new hires have the same rights and benefits as us legacy workers. Tiers, including abuse of temps, has weakened us as a union and hurt the solidarity that is the source of our power. I would approach the table by making ending the tier system a top priority. In the past, leadership has not been willing to fight on this issue. I will--I opposed tiers publicly at Chrysler in 2007 when they were introduced. Equal work for equal pay used to be our standard and we need to return to it! But it's not just about the leadership at the table. Our strength at the table depends on the strength of the membership. That's why I'll instruct the staff and local union leaders to educate and prepare the membership for a potential strike in advance, with a real plan of attack. We need to line up community support in advance, find out where the company is vulnerable, and make sure that members are getting more and more involved as we build towards a possible fight. We don't strike over every issue, but this is one where we must prepare to fight!

[Sam Saleh] Mr. Fain well said. I look forward to hearing more from you as I follow your page. We have a ways to go and a lot to be heard. Thank you for your kindness in replying to us member’s.

• [Shawn Fain] Members submitted demands in 2015 and 2019 to bring back COLA, to eliminate Tiers, etc… the economic demands come from the President and are bargained in Big 3 between the President, VP and the corporate higher ups. Then they push it as the best they can get. After the bankruptcy bargaining in 2009 and the 2011 agreement where we had no strike authorization per the government, 2015 and 2019 was our golden opportunity to bring back much of what was sacrificed or lost during bankruptcy, the corporations were making record profits. Instead our top leaders were too busy trying to cover their corrupt actions and infighting and the membership continued to suffer. To bring an inferior agreement to the membership and push it as the best option and then in turn blame the membership for taking the top leadership at their word and not voting it down, is exactly the reason we need to elect new leadership. New leadership will put the memberships priorities/needs first, they will negotiate better agreements and in turn there will be no need for the members to “force it” because for once the members priorities will be first!

• [Shawn Fain] I understand your concern and agree with you. I intend to get us back to a standard of temporary workers being temporary for 90 days, then full time. A temporary employee should be just that, temporary. There is no excuse for the abuse of our temporary workers. It’s sad that our langauge at Chrysler/Stellantis in M-16 states, “Supplemental employees are not to be employed to avoid hiring to fill permanent positions”! Yet we find ourselves with thousands of temps working full time schedules. On top of that, with thousands of temps working full time, the company is able to avoid the same contractual standards of full time employees, such as discipline and discharge! If we’re going to take union dues from employees then they should be afforded the same protection, especially due process in the event of discipline or termination, at a minimum. 
• Over my work life at Chrysler, we’ve witnessed the migration from temps that could only work Summer Vacation replacement, and in the event they stayed longer than 90-120 days, there were switched to full time.. Then, We had temps that could work Friday- Monday, and now we have temps that can be used 7 days a week with long hours to boot. This is just another example of why we struggle to organize the non-union south, because they already have the same conditions as  us.
• Our plants used to carry extra full time employees to fill in for unplanned absences!

• [Shawn Fain] I came from the IBEW back in 1994, and their wages have way surpassed us. In 2015 at Chrysler we negotiated for one standard rate of pay for all trades but when the first Tentative Agreement was voted down by the membership, our upper leaders took it back off the table saying it was too confusing for our trades!!

• [Shawn Fain] I’m not part of Curry’s staff at Solidarity House, I’ve been overseeing and working with the government to clean up the mess left by the sellouts at the Chrysler national training center. I didn’t take a 31% raise, that was the Presidents position, and I had nothing to do with pay increases for International leaders, and the recent pension increases for staff were reported by me. I am running because our top leaders have the wrong priorities, the membership should come first and time and again our top leaders put themselves before the members. Until we get COLA and address the tiers and job security for our members and until our top leaders decide to take action to stop plant closings or spin offs, and get results for our members, there shouldn’t be pay increases etc.. quitting would do no good as the leadership would replace me with another follower. There are some reps on staff who work very hard, unfortunately when it comes to these type decisions, the IEB takes matters in their own hands, they control the convention and that’s how they get things done that they want. That’s why the One Member One Vote initiative is so important, the Membership has control to elect new leaders and that’s why Ive stepped up and ran.