April 2025

With Spring finally beginning to show up in Michigan, I hope you all are doing well and that we don’t have to use a windshield scraper again until November.

I have had more phone calls from retirees over the last couple of months than I can ever remember getting; nearly all of them are about Social Security and Medicare. Our retirees are worried and mad about anyone messing with the EARNED benefits that they are receiving from Social Security and Medicare. I understand and if you want to add your voice to the Millions of people that are speaking out to defend Social Security and Medicare please look for the UAW Action Guide that is in this month’s Lansing Labor News or you can call (202) 224-3121 for the U.S. House of Representatives switchboard operator directly. Members of Congress need to hear from us directly on how much these programs mean to us and that we are demanding that they defend them. With all of the chaos coming from the White House sometimes, it can be hard to keep up with everything. But our message is clear – HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY AND MEDICARE!!!!

I have been getting a lot of questions from our active folks too, about the tariffs and how they will affect LDT. My answer has been that part of the problem with the inconsistency and on again off again behavior of this administration is that it creates instability. When U.S. policy may change from hour to hour or day to day it is unlikely that Corporations will make billions of dollars worth of investments that could take a long time to ramp up. I also tell members that we do not build cars in a bubble, if the U.S. economy is not doing well people may hold off on buying a sixty thousand dollar vehicle. In other words if our country isn’t doing well, we don’t do well. I think that if this administration actually wanted to help autoworkers they should NOT have picked a tariff fight with the world, they should have re-negotiated all free trade agreements that are in effect.

I know many of us are stressed out over the turmoil coming from Washington but please take time each day to get away from the headlines. Please don’t ignore what is happening but also don’t let it consume you. We need each other now more than ever, please take care of yourselves and check in your union Family when you can.

In Solidarity,

Mike