Fain addresses UAW members ahead of vote on contract

United Auto Workers leader Shawn Fain talked about the benefits of the tentative agreement, including other acts gained including the reopening of the Belvidere, Illinois plant, which Stellantis idled the location in February during the UAW live feed on its social media platforms Wednesday.
Fain talked about the membership, stating he and the UAW negotiating team worked out what he believed was the best deal they could get, speaking ahead of the vote for the tentative agreements scheduled to be voted in the coming days by the GM, Ford, and Stellantis membership.
During his live feed, Fain talked about how he and the UAW negotiated the deal that gained approximately 25 percent wage increases over the four-and-a-half-year contract and said the UAW won a new understanding of its power in his pitch to the UAW membership, explaining the multiple gains in the ahead of the vote on the temporary agreement.
The feed had approximately 8,400 viewers on the UAW Facebook Live feed, with viewers' reaction with emoji icons that included as many 'angry faces' as it did 'thumbs up' and 'love' icons.
Fain replied to some of the comments being posted by workers about issues discussed as important to the UAW but not part of the final offer.
Fain said that the newest step isn't up to the UAW leadership, but up to the voting members to decide.
The UAw leader said the members also shouldn't have to choose between good jobs and green jobs, in reference to the current push to switch to an electric vehicle fleet.
Fain talked about the EV battery facilities, including what was won for the battery workers like in her Lordstown, giving union members the ability to transfer between the EV and tradition auto work.
Fain also said that it is time for Lordstown workers to go home if they choose.