SCOPE:

ENGAGE, EDUCATE,EMPOWER ALL UNION BROTHERS AND SISTERS!!!

MISSION STATEMENT:

You are the union. Everything you want the union to be, begins and ends with you.  Together we will explore the opportunities to create incredible dialogue that strive towards solutions to our most pressing issues as union members and community leaders.   We must identify how to use the tools within the system, and expound on the preamble of or great union. There are many ways to get involved, together let's learn how our union works.

36TH CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION EDUCATION RESOLUTION

EDUCATION FOR A STRONG UNION: 

The importance of education for a strong union is enshrined in the UAW Constitution, which establishes an Education Department and charges it with developing educational programs to build understanding of “labor history, labor problems, the objectives of the International Union and the problems of the International Union, its members and their families.” The Education and Mobilization Department, as the Education Department is now known, takes this charge seriously. Education puts our challenges in perspective, gives us insight into ways we can build our power to fight back and win, and – most important of all – prepares us to take action. Escalating attacks on the middle class, unions, women, minorities and immigrants – indeed, everyone but the wealthiest one percent – make education more important than ever. Never before have we faced such a persistent, aggressive and deep-pocketed effort to take away our collective bargaining rights, depress our wages and destroy our union. As always, our greatest resource is our educated and mobilized membership. While the need for education and engagement is constant, the changing political and economic landscape requires us to use different approaches as we relate to each other, our allies and our communities. In the 21st century, education for a strong union means committing ourselves to:

• Developing a sense of personal responsibility in each and every member. Winning justice in our worksites, building our local unions, and advancing our communities is a job for all of us. Education that engages, informs, challenges and inspires is crucial to this effort.

• Developing a deeper understanding of our common struggles. It is not only the labor movement that is under attack. By understanding the issues and challenges our community allies are facing, we can strengthen our coalition work in support of social and economic justice for everyone in society.

• Making effective use of new technologies. Social media, webinars and other on-line tools can maximize our resources and extend educational opportunities to more of our members.

• Developing tools and skills to strengthen representation and communication in the workplace. Our goal is to create a culture in which every member is engaged in their union, and leaders at every level are continuously giving and receiving feedback. Just as we build power in our industries by organizing the unorganized, we build power in our workplaces by organizing our own.

UAW Mission and Structure:

Under the International Union, UAW Constitution, our union is required to provide a strong and relevant member education program. Member education is so important to the UAW that a portion of every member’s dues dollar is allocated to education to grow member knowledge, understanding and strength.

The UAW Constitution also requires that we focus on “education in labor history, labor programs, the objective of the International Union and the problems of the International Union, its members and their families.”

Every local union is required to have a standing education committee devoted to “all branches of education affecting the welfare of the individual members, the Local Union, the International Union, and the labor movement.”

Your national education program is designed and delivered by the UAW Education Department. Because our education program’s mission is to build member and organizational power, we train UAW local union education committees and local union discussion leaders to deliver member education through a strong, member-driven process.

Members are essential to having a relevant educational program and we hope you have a chance to attend UAW local union, regional, and national educational offerings to access new information and share your life experiences in a rewarding learning environment.