What other State of Michigan employees belong to the UAW?
What can Business and Administrative employees accomplish together as members of the
UAW that we can't accomplish on our own?
What kind of professional employees belong to the UAW?
What have state employees accomplished as members of UAW Local 6000?
How can a union improve health and safety in the workplace?
How does the UAW work?
What kind of support is available for Local Unions?
Does the UAW have any special resources devoted to the needs of professional employees?
Will the UAW help if I have a problem at work?
How much are UAW dues?
How can I find out more about the UAW?
What happened with the last UAW organizing drive?
What other State of Michigan employees belong to the UAW?
The UAW is the largest union representing State of Michigan employees, with more than 17,000 members of UAW Local 6000 in the Human Services and Administrative Support bargaining units. Local 6000 members work in every department of State government, in every county of the state.
What can Business and Administrative employees accomplish together as members of the UAW that we can't accomplish on our own?
Some people don't see a need to join a union because they believe that NEREs get everything the union people get anyway, and we don't have to pay any dues. But that’s not true.
In the last round of negotiations, UAW members did better than many other unionized and non-union state employees like NEREs. On prescription drug coverage, no layoff guarantees, furlough days, banked leave time, and a number of other provisions UAW members came out ahead. That’s because when employees get a chance to sit down with their employer at the collective bargaining table they can come up with creative, win-win solutions.
For example, when the State proposed furlough days, the UAW Local 6000 bargaining team knew that some members might want to take some time off. To the extent that members volunteered to take time off, that reduced the overall number of furlough days that all the UAW Local 6000 members had to take. As a result the State got the cost savings it needed, UAW members only had to take one to three furlough days, and some members who volunteered were able to take time off with out losing benefits, retirement credit, or seniority.
Unionization isn’t about getting a few more pennies in your paycheck; it’s about having a real say in your work life. We all know that the State is in a fiscal crisis and is looking to save money every way it can.
The process of collective bargaining offers a democratic means for employee input. The contract that emerges from collective bargaining provides an enforceable agreement covering wages, benefits and working conditions which cannot be changed without a process that requires consultation, negotiation with elected union representatives, and membership vote
What kind of professional employees belong to the UAW?
Engineers, budget analysts, computer programmers, psychologists, social workers, attorneys and other professionals are all part of the UAW. Some are public employees; others work for private employers such as hospitals, museums, universities, and news organizations.
What have State employees accomplished as members of UAW Local 6000?
Steady wage increases: In 1985, thousands of state employees in Administrative Support and Human Services decided to become part of the UAW. Since that time, wages for a typical UAW-represented state of Michigan employee have increased by over 70%.
This steady increase is more than inflation over the same period. In addition to these wage increases, UAW-represented State workers have also received contractually-negotiated lump sum payments to enhance their compensation. Enhanced compensation has been good for state workers and their families, and for the citizens we serve. The competitive pay and benefit package now available for state employees helps state government attract educated and dedicated employees, who provide quality services to Michigan citizens.
- Pay equity: UAW members negotiated a $2 million pay equity fund from the state of Michigan, and a series of special pay increases to raise compensation for underpaid classifications. Additionally, the UAW negotiated forty cents increase for employees in female-dominated classifications.
- Health insurance: With the aid of health insurance experts from the UAW, members of Local 6000 have been very successful since 1985 in lowering the costs of premiums paid by their members, while expanding the services and benefits available to state employees and their families.
- Job training and development: UAW Local 6000 members have negotiated a job training and development fund to assist UAW members in keeping pace with new technologies. Local 6000 members can use these training funds to upgrade their skills to new and higher-paying assignments, and to qualify for new positions in the case of layoffs or other changes in work assignments.
- Protection against outsourcing: UAW Local 6000 members negotiated a full-time, three-member committee of Local 6000 members to work with state government to review outside contracts and identify potential savings for taxpayers. This means UAW members have a chance to review proposals to outsource their jobs to outside vendors, and prove that the work can be done more effectively by existing state employees. Without a union, we have no such opportunity.
- School and community participation leave: To help balance the competing demands of work and family, members of UAW Local 6000 negotiated eight hours of paid leave per year to allow employees to participate in local school activities, such as field trips and classroom visits. This time is also available to volunteer with community organizations like Habitat for Humanity and the Red Cross.
How can a union improve health and safety in the workplace?
There is much that can be done through collective bargaining regarding health and safety issues. For example, members of UAW Local 6000 have improved workplace conditions in a number of ways, including:
- Ergonomics: The UAW Local 6000 contract contains strong language on ergonomics, which allows union representatives to assess potential job hazards caused by repetitive motion. The contract also requires the employer to provide improved equipment to protect against carpal tunnel syndrome, wrist and back sprains and other workplace injuries.
- Sick buildings: Members of Local 6000 have pressured the state to investigate and clean up sick buildings, where mold and other environmental conditions were posing a hazard to state workers and the public. In some cases, the UAW has succeeded in convincing the state to relocate from facilities which were compromised beyond repair.
- Lisa's Law: Following the tragic death of Lisa Putman, a Child Protective Services worker who was killed while investigating a case of suspected child abuse, the UAW helped get Lisa's Law on the books. It provides increased training, protection and back-up for state workers who must interact with the public in potentially hazardous situations.
- Representation on the job: UAW Local 6000's contract provides for a full-time, employer-paid union health and safety representative, who is available 24 hours a day to investigate health and safety problems and advocate for solutions which protect state employees and the public. There are also eight part-time UAW Local 6000 health and safety representatives in individual state departments, who are available to address workplace issues on an as-needed basis.
UAW Local Union health and safety representatives have access to training and assistance from the UAW Health and Safety Department, which includes epidemiologists, experts in ergonomics, public health specialists, and other professionals who can help assess and prevent workplace hazards.
How does the UAW work?
The core activities of the UAW take place at the Local Union level. Each Local Union elects its own officers, including a bargaining committee to negotiate contracts for Local Union members. Local Unions also set their own bylaws and determine their own budgets.
If B&A employees choose to become part of the UAW, we will have the opportunity to elect representatives to take our concerns to the bargaining table with the state employer.
It’s the best of both worlds: B&A employees would have the support and assistance of more than 17,000 current members of UAW Local 6000. But B&A employees would also have the opportunity to elect representatives to advocate for the specific needs and interests of B&A employees.
What kind of support is available for Local Unions?
There are more than 900 Local Unions in the UAW. Together they make up the International Union, which offers some of the best resources available from any labor union in the world.
The International Union provides attorneys; economists; actuaries; research analysts; CPAs; health and safety specialists; experts in health care, pensions and retirement programs; legislative lobbyists, and other resources to assist Local Unions.
The quality of support available from the UAW in all areas of collective bargaining and related issues is one of the reasons UAW members have a track record of negotiating excellent labor agreements in both the private and public sectors.
Does the UAW have any special resources devoted to the needs of professional employees?
Yes. The Technical, Office and Professional (TOP) Department of the UAW is the largest-growing sector of the union, with more than 140,000 members working in public service, health care, higher education and other industries.
The TOP Department services and coordinates bargaining for UAW members working for the states of Michigan and Indiana, as well as engineers, hospital employees, insurance industry workers, Detroit casino employees and many other technical and office professions.
A TOP advisory council, which includes elected representatives from each region of the UAW and each of six different TOP sector councils, meets quarterly to review issues and priorities affecting TOP workers.
Will the UAW help if I have a problem at work?
If B&A employees become part of the UAW and negotiate a labor agreement, it will include a written grievance procedure that spells out how to handle disputes concerning job assignments and reassignments, wage rates, vacation entitlements and other workplace issues.
The employer will be required to follow this process whenever a disagreement occurs. And if you feel you have been treated unfairly, you won't have to make your case alone. You will have the support of your UAW steward and your bargaining committee to make sure you get a fair hearing to resolve your complaint.
How much are UAW dues?
For public employees (who don’t have the right to strike) dues are .805%. The dues rate with in the UAW is set by the membership.
In the UAW, unlike many other unions, a substantial portion of union dues remains with the Local Union. This money is spent according to priorities determined by Local Union members.
How can I find out more about the UAW?
You can speak to a UAW representative by calling 1-888-TOP-UAW-YES, or visit the UAW Web site at www.uaw.org.
