Report on Day 3 of the Constitutional Convention

On the third day of the 39th UAW Constitutional Convention, delegates decided which members will be considered retirees in the future, nominated International Executive Board Members, and more. Here’s what happened during proceedings and what’s coming up on Day 4.

Amendments and Resolutions

Delegates passed a resolution to support campaign finance reform in U.S. elections, in order to fix the political system rigged to benefit corporations and the wealthy. During the Resolutions Committee report, three resolutions and two amendments were also pulled out of the book for the last day of the convention.

• Resolution #0160: Allow local unions to make payments using direct deposit

• Resolution #0137: Affirm the principle of One Member, One Vote in applicable election and decision-making processes (separate from the amendment that would prevent delegates from overturning One Member, One Vote elections for IEB)

• Resolution #0236: Divest from Israel bonds

• Amendment #0103: Fund the International Women’s Department with $0.03 from General Fund dues

• Amendment #0306: Establish a required LGBTQIA+ local union standing committee

At the start of the Constitution Committee Report, a motion was made to suspend Rule 7, which binds the convention committees to raise, as the first order of business in their next report, any resolutions or amendments pulled out of the book by delegates. As long as this suspension remains in effect, delegates cannot force onto the floor any resolutions or amendments that aren’t recommended by the committees.

The Constitution Committee encouraged this suspension of the rules to ensure that delegates could discuss the important issue of the retired member definition during today’s session. The recommended language from the committee adopted criteria from the Expand Retired Membership amendment that UAW Member Action authored and passed in over 15 locals. Members will qualify for retired membership status if they:

1. Qualify for a defined-benefit pension;

2. Serve 10 years as a member of a single UAW bargaining unit and are age 55 or older; or

3. Serve 30 years as a member of UAW bargaining units.

Because the Monitor has alreadyissued rules for the 2026 International Executive Board elections, this definition was written to go into effect following the conclusion of the 2026 elections and any runoffs that follow.

Then, delegates began on the amendments brought out of the book on Tuesday.

An amendment was shot down that would have required the International Union to grant rebates to locals that independently provide the vast majority of their own bargaining, servicing, and organizing. During the debate, delegates from Local 2320 (a national local of legal services workers) shared that, without the servicing credit, they will need to lay off organizing and servicing staff soon. Delegates opposed to the amendment argued that sharing resources across locals is central to how a large international union should function.

An amendment to add Local Union Communications (LUCA) to the list of mandatory local standing committees passed.

International Trustee Elections and Board Nominations

Delegates nominated International Trustee candidates Stacy Loveless (Local 838), Pat Radtke (Local 897), and Frank Goeddeke (Local 653). Loveless was elected by a wide margin.

Then delegates made nominations for the International Executive Board.Here is the full list of nominees. Those will be vetted by the federal Monitor. Eligible candidates will appear on the ballots scheduled to go out on or about August 21, 2026, and due to be received by October 5, 2026. In order to win, a candidate must secure a simple majority in the first round or runoff election.

What’s coming up?

The Constitution Committee is expected to raise a package of “house-keeping” amendments today, along with the following amendments pulled out of the book by delegates on Tuesday:

• Amendment #0734: Prevent future conventions from deciding to return to the delegate election system that bred corruption and concessions in our union. Currently, it does not require a vote of the membership for delegates to eliminate direct elections. The amendment would change that.Read more about this UAW Member Action priority.

• Amendment #0280: Deem political retaliation “conduct unbecoming” of a UAW member, therefore enabling Article 31 trials of member for such behavior

• Amendment #0070: Prevent the UAW from endorsement or “complicity with” elected officials who don’t support abolishing the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE). Additionally, if an ICE attack occurs nearby a UAW local, this amendment requires the local to hold a membership meeting that, by simple majority of those in attendance, may call for strike authorization vote over this issue — regardless of contract language such as a no strike clause.

Finally, the Ethics Committee Report is also scheduled to take place today.