Rep. Brown Stands with United Auto Workers

COLUMBUS - State Rep. Richard Brown (D-Canal Winchester) today announced that he is in support of the Stand Up Strike and all United Auto Workers (UAW) union members.

“I stand with United Auto Workers across the country and in Ohio as they continue their strike,” said Rep. Brown. “Automobile workers are the backbone of  America’s thriving auto industry. Our workers deserve job security, livable wages, and above all else, respect.”  

UAW members are currently striking and picketing at three locations across the nation, including the Stellantis’ Toledo Assembly Complex, a GM site in Wentzville, Missouri, and a Ford assembly location in Wayne, Michigan.

General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis have authorized $5 billion dollars in stock buybacks with their CEOs having received a 40% salary increase. The companies have earned $24 billion dollars in profits in the first half of 2023, indicating the success of the auto industry for the last few years. However, workers have been asking for wage increases, new working conditions, and to restore benefits that were cut while companies were struggling in the 2008 Financial Crisis, and these requests have not been met.

Rep. Brown is fully supportive of federal legislation like the ProAct and Senator Sherrod Brown’s Workers Healthcare Protection Act. He believes that we need to update our labor laws and strengthen our workforce. Strikes have been happening across the country, from actors to autoworkers. It’s imperative that now, more than ever, we support everyone’s right to a living wage, and a good job.