I just wanted to say how proud I am of being a UAW Local 6000 member as a
State of Michigan DHS employee.

I grew up in a home where my Father was a UAW member working for General
Motors - UAW Local 598. Throughout the years, growing up, he always talked
about how important it was to be a part of the union. He taught me about all the
things that were important to employees that were part of a union.

Back then, I was just a kid and didn't realize the impacts of union vs non-union
until I started working at 18 years of age and learned things throughout my
working career. I always thought to myself, as I got older, how much I wanted to
be a part of something as awesome as this. I worked for 38 years, in non-union
jobs, before I was able to apply for a union job. It took me 4 years to get in but
I finally got in. I am hoping that I can keep my job for many years but with all
the union busting going on, I am not sure this will happen. While there are pros
and cons to everything, overall I am proud to be a member of UAW Local 6000.
I will keep paying union dues until they tell me I can't anymore, which will be a
very sad day.

I just wanted to share this with you and to let you know that I am a strong
supporter of the union.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Thomas

Although it was cold the skies were blue and our voices were loud.
The Coalition of State Employee Unions lead by our own Cindy
Estrada, International UAW Vice President, showed determination
not to let our members get steamrolled.

From the top of our lungs we yelled "What’s on our agenda" the
answer "A fair contract".

Behind every good event there's always people working around
the clock. I want to take this opportunity to thank the ‘Can We Talk'
team and UAW Rep. Jim Walkowicz for a very good turnout. Because
they took the time to individually meet with our members and made
arrangements to insure our voices were heard.
Ray Holman UAW Local 6000 Legislative Liaison

11/05/13
An email was sent today to members who have register for the
Local 6000 website but unfortunately a great deal of these emails
could not be delivered. If you have register for the website and are
not getting emails you should login and go to Your Details to make
sure you have a valid email address on files. Also if you are using a
work email address it is recommended that you change to a
non-work email address.

Happy holidays everyone!!! The
United States Marine Corps is asking
for our support once again this year
providing a new unwrapped toy to be
donated for the Toys for Tots this holiday.
Our Veteran’s Committee is asking for
your support for this worthy cause. At the
last membership meeting both the Veterans
and Woman’s Committee had a
silent auction to raise money for the Toys
for Tots which was very successful. Our
members have been so generous when it
comes to sharing and giving to families who
are in need. Last year our members had Toys for Tots boxes in
the workplace along with making donations of course with great
results. We are asking for you to purchase American and Union
made toys this season. To find where you can purchase Union made
toys. Also, did you know that all “HASBRO” branded games and
toys are all union made. You can drop off a new toy at your
District meeting or here at the Local. To
find out more about the Toys for Tots you can go to
www.toysfortots.org.

Recently long time direct care workers at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home were replaced by a private contractor. The state employees who in many cases were actually like family to our veterans were laid off only to be replaced by workers paid lower wages and benefits. In the last seven months there has been numerous complaints regarding the quality of care our nation's heroes receive.

Testimony today October, 3rd 2013 at the Veterans, Military Affairs Senate Committee showed that the complaint process at the Veterans Home is lacking. Most of the documented problems made by state lawmakers in June of this year have not been answered or satisfactorily addressed.

It should be remembered that state lawmakers showed up unannounced at the Veterans Home to inspect the facility last spring.

The UAW Local 6000 Veterans Committee just like previous demonstrations at the Veterans Home in July of this year showed up to demand great care for our veterans. The UAW Local 6000 represents about 40 professionals still at the Grand Rapids Veterans Home. We are concerned about our fellow state workers that were privatized and the impact this has regarding the operations at the Veterans Home.

The UAW Local 6000 would like to thank State Rep. Brandon Dillon, Rep. Winnie Brinks, and House Minority Leader Rep. Tim Greimel. The three lawmakers showed diligence and bravery in demanding quality care for our veterans.

The Local 6000 has been keeping a close eye on the Grand Rapids Veteran's Home lately. We all know we have some fantastic professionals that provide excellent service at the facility.

Monday, September 23, 2013 the UAW Local 6000 Veterans Committee provided over 3000 articles of brand new clothing for our brave Vets.

In the picture you see a beautiful American flag as we're unloading the clothing.

A Great Job as always by our UAW Local 6000 Veteran's Committee.