From the president
Our unity is our power
On behalf of the UAW International Executive Board, we extend a warm welcome to our union’s new members.
The UAW is a democratic union, and that means the members don’t belong to the union, the union belongs to the members.
The cornerstone of our democracy is the UAW Constitution, which is the highest law of our union. It sets forth the rights, guarantees and responsibilities of UAW members. Every four years, elected delegates from our more than 800 local unions convene at the union’s Constitutional Convention where issues are democratically debated and decided.
The values and vision of the UAW for social and economic justice for all people have also defined who we are as a union.
We are committed to fighting for workers’ rights here at home as well as worldwide. That’s why we lobby to raise the minimum wage and living standards in the United States. We work to end child labor in underdeveloped countries. We continue to fight for fair trade agreements that will protect workers, consumers and the environment here and abroad.
Indeed, you are now part of a union with a rich and colorful history.
As you’ll read in these pages, the UAW was built by ordinary working people who accomplished the extraordinary because they believed deeply in the dignity of work and the dignity of workers. Collectively — as a union — we were able to achieve what none of us could do alone.
And just as it was true more than 70 years ago, it remains so today: Our unity is our power.
We encourage you to become an active and informed member in your local union and region. You can start by attending your local union’s membership meetings. You can also participate in the activities and programs of the local union’s standing committees, by volunteering to register voters or helping with a community service project.
As a new generation of UAW workers, it’s your turn to carry on our union’s legacy of democracy and solidarity. And as we move forward, remember it isn’t enough just to carry a union card in our wallet or purse – we must carry union in our hearts.
Solidarity forever,
Ron Gettelfinger
