A Vision for UAWD’s Future after the Illegitimate Dissolution Attempt on April 27

DETROIT, MI. — On April 27th, 2025, at the Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) Spring Membership Meeting, a motion to dissolve the caucus was brought forward and illegitimately forced through by seven members of the Steering Committee. Despite declarations to the contrary, UAWD has not been dissolved and continues to exist as a democratic membership organization composed of rank-and-file UAW members.

Pro-dissolution Steering Committee members, led by Chairperson Scott Houldieson, as well as UAWD staff, employed myriad undemocratic tactics during the meeting, including:

  • Barring members in good standing from attending and, therefore, voting;
  • Muting all members present, in effect suspending Robert’s Rules;
  • Ignoring dozens of points of order made by members in attendance;
  • Ending the vote after just 90 seconds, depriving more than 50 members in attendance of a chance to vote.

To set the record straight, we have also published an anonymized transcript and an analysis of the meeting attendance and UAWD growth , showing how many anti-dissolution members were illegitimately blocked from entry and the number of pro-dissolution Administration Caucus allies who were present. The full May 6 statement from our remaining Steering Committee members summarizes the evidence or improprieties and the path forward for our organization.

We realize that this is a disorienting time for many, especially as the working class is facing a relentless attack by the Trump administration, to which the labor movement as a whole has as yet been unable to respond commensurately. Our answer to the assault on labor is working class solidarity across all sectors and beyond borders that prioritizes a class struggle approach to our shop floor organizing.

The only way to expand and build upon the energy of the 2023 “Stand Up Strike” is through class struggle unionism . There have been significant democratic reforms in the UAW in recent years, but structural change is not enough. We have to re-establish our union as a fighting force from the bottom up. That’s not a quick fix, but an ongoing process.

To make it successful, we need a rank-and-file caucus that maintains its independence from top leadership, fights for greater control on the shop floor, and represents the entire working class. We have to push our top leaders forward, not just take direction from them, especially when they put the brakes on our goals and our militancy. Not least in the event that members of our own caucus are elected to leadership roles, it is essential that the caucus be able to criticize and put forward alternatives to decisions taken by leadership with which the majority of rank-and-file caucus members disagree.

UAWD members will be discussing and deciding how to chart our next steps at our Summer Membership Meeting on June 29th.