our Vision 

Educate our Members,

Build Rank-and-File Power

Organize our Members to Take Action!

There has been a resurgence in the Labor movement across sectors and industries. Workers uniting to demand the respect, dignity, working conditions, work/life balance, pay, and benefits that reflect the value that our labor creates. 

This movement continues to win record contracts while simultaneously reforming the UAW back into the fighting, militant, empowered, and engaged membership not seen since Walter Reuther, and stands as proof that the membership is the highest authority in our UAW. This movement inspiring workers around the world started when we, workers at John Deere, held the line and fought for our worth in ‘Striketober’ 2021. 

What we set in motion, whether we knew it in that moment or not, was the start of something historic. It showed UAW members everywhere the power we hold as workers when we stand together. The power to make multi-billion dollar companies say yes, when they really want to say no. 

Some say our contract fight was 'lightning in a bottle' and the conditions following Covid won that fight. The fact is, we couldn't even take advantage of those conditions because we weren't even talking to each other. It was pure organic dissent that carried us through. 

As a group of Local 281 rank and file members, we are working to bridge those gaps in communication, engage members about important shop floor issues, and strengthen our membership. Empowering and educating our coworkers to realize the power we have and the authority we hold while identifying and prioritizing our demands for 2027 contract negotiations. Demands that include:

1. Eliminate CIPP: CIPP is an overcomplicated pay system. It puts the burden of the boss's mismanagement on us as workers to constantly correct and compensate for the company's failure. It pits workers against each other, when our fight should be against the boss for average earnings and straight pay. We all like bonuses, If the company wants to incentivize something, incentivize quality and safety. 

2. End NTA abuse: Setting parameters in the contract that implements checks and balances to non-traditional assignments (NTA's) that afford the company the ability to bypass seniority, influence our membership, and incentivize a company-union culture that undermines the fundamental principles of our union. 

3. Job Security: With a company as profitable as John Deere, building the tractors that make the brand with union labor in the U.S., is non-negotiable. We must safeguard our jobs and our communities. Plant closing moratoriums are vitally important, but that alone is not enough to stop the outsourcing of our livelihoods one piece at a time. 

These are just three examples of what members have shared among each other, and we want more members to join the conversation!