Rank-and-file revolt: insurgency, power, and democracy in the UAW, 2019–25
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
2025
Abstract
This piece examines the capture of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union by a rank-and-file members’ caucus and details its efforts to reform the organization from below. Drawing on archival materials and reflections from caucus organizers, it shows how workers operating under the banner Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) transformed the UAW from a one-party state with a deep tradition of hierarchy and exclusionary practices into an activist union with social movement-like characteristics. Though its fate now hangs in balance, UAWD achieved remarkable success in its foundational goals, including spearheading the ‘One Member, One Vote’ campaign, which successfully amended the UAW’s constitution to allow rank-and-file members to directly elect their top officers, paving the way for the election of a UAWD-backed slate. Beyond electoral reform, UAWD played a critical role in mobilizing for and supporting the 2023 Stand-Up Strike against the Big Three automakers, yielding substantial gains for workers. Yet simultaneously, the UAWD has grappled with complex internal ideological divisions, culminating in an attempted dissolution and formal split in 2025. In the final analysis, its trajectory offers crucial insights into the complexities of union reform, highlighting the challenges of maintaining rank-and-file independence after achieving electoral victories. © 2025 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.
Recommended Citation
Walker, Abraham, "Rank-and-file revolt: insurgency, power, and democracy in the UAW, 2019–25" (2025). College of Humanities and Social Sciences. 453.
https://digitalcommons.uncfsu.edu/college_humanities_social_sciences/453