Resolution: Resolution to Enforce the Guidelines for the UAWD General Chat

This resolution was passed at the 2026 Spring Membership Meeting via Zoom on May 3rd, 2026

WHEREAS, our shared communication spaces are major avenues for member-to-member political education, and enforcing basic guidelines for engagement for all participants ensures these spaces enable comradely conversation, political disagreement & development, and strategic analysis;

WHEREAS, UAWD’s current policy, based on the June 2024 resolution, Streamline the UAWD WhatsApp Delegate Chat, states that “The UAWD Steering Committee shall oversee the execution of this resolution and moderation of the chat, including the removal and addition of members, and may delegate portions of this responsibility to UAWD’s staff organizers.”

WHEREAS, UAWD’s current policy, based on the June 2024 resolution, Streamline the UAWD WhatsApp Delegate Chat, states that All members shall read and follow the guidelines for dialogue (available in the chat description) and maintain a productive dialogue that advances the mission of UAWD

WHEREAS, UAWD’s current policy, based on the June 2024 resolution, Streamline the UAWD WhatsApp Delegate Chat, states that  “As long as they follow the guidelines, all UAWD members shall have the right to express themselves freely and openly in the chat, including expressing disagreement with the actions of UAWD and UAW leadership.”

For Reference – Guidelines for the UAWD General Chat:

  1. The Chat is Private. Messages to the chat are for internal discussion only. Do not share or discuss the contents of the chat publicly.
  2. Make sure it’s the right place. If you have a personal ask for someone, do not message them in the chat. Send them a direct message instead. If your message is more appropriate to a smaller chat, don’t message in this large chat.
  3. Write something meaningful. It is okay to share articles and other media, but please include an observation or explain why the article is important—too many articles clog up the chat and make conversation harder. Let’s avoid short texts like “I agree,” and use an emoji instead.
  4. It better be really funny. Avoid memes, jokes, gossip. Unless the meme is truly great, it’s probably better to share elsewhere.
  5. Stay constructive. Making criticisms and talking about challenges is welcome. But please stay respectful and avoid trash-talking other members of the union, even if they are our political opponents. Sharing why you’re frustrated or unhappy is welcome, as is sharing how others can get involved or weigh in to work on a solution.

THEREFORE, be it resolved that:

1. The Steering Committee shall designate no fewer than 3 moderators for the UAWD General Chat who shall be responsible for enforcing compliance with the established guidelines for dialogue.

2. Designated UAWD General Chat moderators shall follow the procedure listed below to enforce guideline compliance:

a. If a chat participant is found to be in violation of the chat guidelines, they will receive an official warning via direct message from a moderator.

b. If a chat participant is found to be in violation of the chat guidelines a second time, they will be removed from the chat for a period of 24 hours.

c. If a chat participant is found to be in violation of the chat guidelines for a third time, they will be removed from the chat for a period of 7 days.

d. If a chat participant is found to be in violation of the chat guidelines for a fourth time, they will be removed from the chat pending permanent removal by a majority vote of the Steering Committee. 

3. If the Steering Committee votes to remove a participant from the UAWD General Chat, a brief explanation of the decision will be provided to both the removed participant and the UAWD membership within 7 days. 

4.The recording and minutes from any Steering Committee deliberation and/or vote taken on the permanent removal of a UAWD General Chat participant will be made available to the UAWD membership via the usual meeting recording and minute sharing channels.