SDU Resolutions Scorecard for April 2026 Statewide Membership Meeting

This Scientists for a Democratic Union (SDU) resolution scorecard is designed to break down key points on each CAPS-UAW member-submitted resolution and amendment, to support members making informed decisions at the Statewide Membership Meeting on April 11, 2026.

The scorecard outlines what each proposal would actually do, in practice. For each resolution, we’ve outlined what a “YES” vote and a “NO” vote would mean for our union, in terms of outcomes. This guide is meant to serve as a supplemental resource. It is not meant to replace members reading each proposal, asking questions, and having conversations with your coworkers about them. 

For more information about the 2026 UAW Constitutional Convention and the CAPS-UAW Procedure for Members to Submit Resolutions and Amendments for the 2026 UAW Constitutional Convention, click here.

SDU Supported Resolutions:

 

Resolution for a Constitutional Amendment to Meet the New Organizing Moment

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

Currently, up to $60 million may be withdrawn from the UAW Strike and Defense Fund over a four year period (between Constitutional Conventions) to allow for the funding of new organizing efforts across sectors. This constitutional amendment would increase the amount that can be withdrawn to $100 million for new organizing. This is critical to grow UAW.

  • A vote YES means: 
    •  $40 million dollars more available towards large-scale organizing campaigns in between Constitutional Conventions 
    • Growing union density and power across industries
  • A vote NO means: 
    • Fewer resources for organizing new workers
    • Slower growth and less power for our union, overall

Resolution on Modernizing Financial Processes 

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

This resolution updates and streamlines UAW financial practices to reflect today’s digital world by allowing secure electronic signatures on financial documents and the responsible, legitimate use of union credit cards. 

  • A vote YES means:
    • Faster, more efficient financial operations by allowing secure, electronic signatures
    • Allowing responsible use of union credit cards
    • Reducing out-of-pocket costs and credit card debt accrual for members doing union work or travelling for union purposes 
  • A vote NO means: 
    • Maintaining a system that relies on paper check payments
    • Continued burden on members fronting out-of-pocket costs while doing union work 
    • Less efficiency in financial processes

Resolution on Fighting Attacks Against Immigrant Workers

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

Multiple members in CAPS-UAW Local 1115 have expressed fear and uncertainty about their continued ability to work under the current intensely hostile conditions towards immigrant people who have immigrated to the US. This resolution calls on UAW members to fight for immigration justice, dismantle ICE’s reign of terror, and expand workplace protections for immigrant coworkers through bargaining.

  • A vote YES means:
    • UAW members commit to fighting for immigration justice and protecting the power and solidarity of the whole labor movement
    • UAW members commit to using the power of collective bargaining to expand workplace protections for our immigrant and undocumented coworkers
    • UAW members will continue to exercise our political power to dismantle ICE and our broken immigration system
  • A vote NO means: 
    • No unified commitment from UAW members, internationally, to fight for immigration justice and to protect the power and solidarity of the whole labor movement

Resolution on Supporting Pro-Worker, Green Industrial Policies

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

Calls for pro-worker, green industrial policies to address climate change, create union jobs, and ensure a just transition to a decarbonized economy, in partnership with unions, community members, and environmental groups.

  • A vote YES means:
    • A commitment to supporting public investment in clean energy and industry
    • The UAW will join with other unions, environmental, and community organizations to oppose all attempts to undermine pro-worker, green industrial policies 
  • A vote NO means: 
    • No unified commitment from UAW members, internationally, to ensure a just transition to a decarbonized economy, in partnership with unions, community members, and environmental groups

Resolution on Advancing a Worker-Led Plan for American Science 

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

This resolution calls on UAW to commit resources and political action to increase public funding for scientific research, and invest in sectoral bargaining and organizing strategies that advance good union scientist jobs.

  • A vote YES means a commitment to:
    • Continued investment in sectoral bargaining and organizing strategies to advance good union jobs in scientific research
    • Resources and political action dedicated to member-led organizing to defend and increase public funding for scientific research
  • A vote NO means: 
    • No unified commitment for continued resources dedicated to stable, union career paths in science

Resolution to Build a Working Class Political Movement

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

To win UAW’s progressive, pro-labor, working-class political agenda, UAW will start a “Members-in-Office Program” to develop member-candidates and expand the types of financial and organization resources for political campaigns.

  • A vote YES means:
    • The UAW would create a “Members-In-Office Program” to develop UAW member-leaders into member-candidates for municipal, state, and national elected office
    • A commitment to expanding political power for working-class people
  • A vote NO means: 
    • Less political power to have UAW members and other working-class people win campaigns for elected office

Resolution on Extend Retired Membership Status to Non-Pensioners

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

Currently, only people who receive a pension receive retired member benefits with UAW. This constitutional amendment is not directly relevant to us at CAPS-UAW Local 1115 but affects a lot of our union siblings in other industries and it’s important that we show up for each other in solidarity.

  • A vote YES means:
    • A retired person who has worked for 10 years at a UAW employer will be allowed to become a retired UAW member and receive member benefits
  • A vote NO means: 
    • The current practice that a person must receive a pension to become a retired member of UAW will remain in place
    • Thousands of members from UAW workplaces that do not offer pensions will continue to have no pathway to become retired members

Resolution to Protect UAW Members’ Rights to Vote for International Officers

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

One member one vote was a hard fought, and a big win for democracy in our union. This constitutional amendment ensures your continued ability to participate directly in UAW democracy through one-member-one vote for International Officer elections and removes the ability of the few to take this right away from the many. 

  • A vote YES means:
    • Codifying protections for direct elections of International Officers 
    • Protecting the expansion of our union’s direct democracy, through One Member One Vote, from being rolled back  
    • Preventing power concentrated among the few 
  • A vote NO means: 
    • Risking a potential rollback of One Member, One Vote, through future constitutional convention delegates 

Resolution to Fight for Retirement Security Union-Wide in 2028 and Beyond

SDU Recommends a YES Vote

Pensions everywhere are under attack. Show solidarity with fellow workers by supporting an investigation into expanding pension rights to many in UAW currently stuck without them and help normalize pensions and reverse the trend of eroding pension rights.

  • A vote YES means: 
    • UAW will investigate group pension plans for small employers
    • For the primarily automanufacturer contracts that expire in 2028 the members will encourage bargaining committees to demand pensions
  • A vote NO means: 
    • UAW members without pensions because they are at small employers will remain unable to bargain for pensions
    • UAW members who have lost pensions such as those who lost them during the Great Recession will not coordinate a campaign to get pensions

SDU Opposed Resolutions:

 

Abolish ICE and Fight State Attacks on Workers

SDU Recommends a NO Vote

As written, the constitutional amendment(s) included in this resolution impose vague and potentially burdensome requirements on Local unions, creating confusion and the possibility of encouraging participation in unlawful job actions. It also restricts the ability of members to endorse candidates, weakening members’ collective political voice. 

  • A vote YES means:
    • Constitutional requirement that urges local union bargaining committees to bargain for contract provisions to protect members from action by federal law enforcement without a judicial warrant, without input from local union membership 
    • Limiting our union's political strategy by restricting endorsements
    • Requiring UAW Education department to develop and distribute educational materials on labor historical use of general and political strikes
    • Holding Locals to vague and unclear requirements on when they are required to hold meetings and take specific (potentially unlawful) actions 
  • A vote NO means: 
    • No explicit language to the constitution regarding bargaining for protection from management’s voluntary cooperation with federal law enforcement when there is no judicial warrant
    • No explicit language in the constitution requiring the UAW Education department to produce specific materials regarding historical use of general strikes 
    • Avoiding unnecessary confusion on members’ legal rights and the obligations of local union leadership and protecting democratic decision-making in the endorsement process

End Complicity With Israeli Genocide and Imperialist Wars

SDU Recommends a NO Vote

As written, the constitutional amendment(s) included in this resolution codify the escalation strategy into a public document, which could put Local unions and UAW International under legal scrutiny. It imposes vague and potentially burdensome requirements on Local unions, creating confusion and the possibility of encouraging participation in unlawful job actions. It also restricts the ability of members to endorse candidates, weakening members’ collective political voice. This amendment would codify divestment of UAW funds from an estimated $400 million of Israeli Bonds.

  • A vote YES means:
    • Divestment from an estimated $400 million of Israeli Bonds
    • Requiring the union to financially support job actions regardless of legality or member-driven democratic input
    • Unclear financial liability of commitment to provide financial assistance to individuals taking actions of dubious legality without member-driven democratic input 
    • Codifying strategy in public constitution
    • Barring complicity with supremacist labor organizations
  • A vote NO means: 
    • Continued investment in an estimated $400 million of Israeli Bonds
    • Ensuring decisions about job actions remain strategic, lawful, and member-driven
    • Preserving the union’s ability to make political endorsements based on the full range of issues impacting workers and protecting democratic decision-making in the endorsement process
    • No explicit language in the constitution barring complicity with labor organizations that support forms of supremacy

Resolutions SDU has a Neutral Position on: 

 

Preamble Committing to Class Struggle Unionism and the Fight Against Management

No Recommendation

As written, the constitutional amendment included in this resolution would amend the UAW Constitution’s preamble to reflect a class struggle framework. Changes to a Constitution’s Preamble are largely symbolic and do not meaningfully change how the union functions in practice. At this moment, our union’s time and energy would likely be better spent on proposals that directly build power, strengthen organizing, and meaningfully expand democratic structures. 

  • A vote YES means:
    • An amended preamble to the UAW Constitution, as reflected in the constitutional amendment. 
  • A vote NO means: