By: Jeff Wesley

Greetings Brothers and Sisters,

I hope all is well and everyone is in good health. We’ve made it through another year and now here we are at the finish line for this month of December. Many of us are excited and looking forward to the shut-down period and celebrating Christmas and New Years. Myself, I will be celebrating a birthday this month.

Looking back throughout the year and recapping it all, we’ve done a lot, we’ve been through a lot, and we’ve seen a lot- from contract negotiations, Presidential debates, campaigning, supporting fundraising, physically hitting the pavement, reaching out to our communities and the importance of getting out to cast their vote. And last, but not least, the labor we give in the pursuit of simply maintaining our livelihood while working five to six days a week, which is a blessing for all of us to have our jobs that we can be thankful for, plus so much more that we have in our every day lives to take on day to day.

I would like to personally thank everyone for their hard work. I hope everyone knows that our dedication and hard work is not unnoticed and is very much appreciated.

I also want to thank my Brothers and Sisters from my LIC Unit for their dedication and hard work. We’ve accomplished a lot and gained a lot through this year, especially with the success of the Tentative Agreement. With our 2024-2028 Collective Bargaining Agreement, we’ve made progress on our aggressive push for better- maintained equipment and making sure we are holding the company accountable for the health and safety of our members in our facility

I want to say thanks to Region 1-D Director Steve Dawes, Assistant Director Scott Zuckschwerdt, and all the senior reps for their time and support. Special thanks goes out to our Servicing Rep, Jeff Brown, for his time, knowledge, and leadership in helping us through in achieving a successful contract this year.

Special thanks also to our UAW Local 659 Executive Board and their team for all the support and help they give us- President Alex Ortiz, Vice President Anthony Davis, Financial Secretary Duane Ballard and Recording Secretary Kim Jones.

I have also had the pleasure and learned a lot on the golf course, while participating in fundraisers and having a fun time with my Executive Board Brothers and Sisters. So, we thank our Union Leadership for everything they do on the membership’s behalf.

Within our LIC Unit, we’ve seen job growth at a fast pace, and a lot is changing fast within the facility. We are looking forward to 2025 and having a successful, prosperous year.

Please remember to stay focused and attentive in what’s going on within the UAW and within you workplace. Pay attention to your UAW information billboards, websites, and the UAW Local 659’s Searchlight. In addition, take some time to attend the monthly Joint Council and Unit meetings.

Thanks to all my UAW Brothers and Sisters and I hope you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. See you in 2025.