Convention Reconvenes

at 9:00am EST

Day 4 Rundown 7/28/22

• 9:10am and the gavel drops to start the fourth day of the 38th Constitutional Convention. UAW President Ray Curry introduces Herb Taylor from Local 31. He is an elder on the UAW Chaplaincy Committee.
• He gives a 15 minute speech prior to his invocation. The speech revolves around him having a stroke in the spring of this year and he was able to walk and talk at the convention. He talks about his addiction in the past how the UAW helped him with a recovery program “They helped a crackhead like me, they can help anyone of our members” Taylor stated. He continued with an excerpt from our Constitution about how we must render aid to a sister or brother in need per Article 41 section 2 of this Constitution. “No weapon formed against us shall prosper” he stated over and over to rousing applause as he completed the invocation.
• Terry Ditties takes the chair position to administrate the second Trustee position for election at the convention. The term is 2022 – 2034. Nominated are Dana Davidson, Scott Houldison, Bill Bagwell and John Santoro. Bill Bagwell declines. The rest accept the nomination. So three run for the single seat. Ask your delegate what happens next, for the next hour. In the end, now an hour later, when voting finally begins, Dana Davidson is declared the winner. Next President Curry swears in Emilio Ramirez Local 5242 Region 2b to his trustee position ending in 2030, as well as Dana Davidson Local 249, Region 4 who is a Trustee until 2034.
• Regional Directors Nominations – We next adjourn from the main hall to smaller rooms for Regions to go through their respective nominations for Regional Director. I can only report on the single meeting I attended for the Region 2B seat. It is currently held by Wayne L Blanchard. Terry Dittes chaired the meeting in which all delegates present had their name in a bucket and one was drawn for a seat on the Constitution Appeals Committee. First name chosen was UAW Local 1112 retiree and elected delegate Michael Arullio the Region 2B alternate chosen was delegate Steve Turner from local 2209. For Director Wayne Blanchard was nominated and he accepted. Next David Green nominated himself and stated he did not want Wayne to run unopposed. So the Regional Director race this fall for 2B is Wayne L Blanchard vs. David Green.
• Back in the main hall we hear a report from the newly formed UAW Ethics Committee. The report is given by Ethics Officer Wilma Liebman. Next the delegates approve a recommendation to extend the unions ethics committee until next convention in 2026. Delegates also strengthened the Ethical Practices code.
  Delegates then support using gender neutral language and strengthening language on the duties of local union members. Another passed resolution adds an Organizing Committee to the unions list of Standing Committees.
• Delegates unanimously approve a resolution to authorize the IEB to use legal resources to recoup from the UAW officials convicted of felonies the estimated $12.9 million costs related to the court appointed monitor. This is in addition to the $1.1 million still owed in restitution for monies fraudulently taken from our UAW members.
• One of the last acts late in the day is a motion to reconsider. What? Yes, they brought up the Strike pay at $500 a week and reduced it back to $400 a week with nearly the same number that passed it the day before. The motion to reconsider was supported and the change was based on being more “fiscally responsible” among other arguments. Ask your delegate for the details of that vote. So now Strike pay is $400 a week and payable on day one of any strike.
• Convention adjourned at 4:40pm EST 7/28/22.