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My Brothers and Sisters,

Today, on Workers Memorial Day, we recognize all of the UAW family members whom we have lost to workplace incidents, the COVID-19 pandemic and a tragic mass shooting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin earlier this year.  It is always important for us to mark the loss of any of our brothers and sisters, but in the extraordinary days and weeks of this global crisis, our losses seem even more poignant. On behalf of myself and the entire International Executive Board, we extend our heartfelt sympathies to the families, friends and communities of these brothers and sisters.

Our UAW family continues to bravely serve our communities and our nation, and your leadership continues to do everything in our power to keep our members safe as we navigate this terrible pandemic. I know all of us are concerned about what the next few weeks will bring in terms of how and when we return to work. We remain steadfast in our message to the companies: Our concern, first and foremost, is for the safety of our members and their families, and for the UAW that is the determining factor in re-opening these facilities.

Yesterday I reported that UAW GM and Ford workers are returning to their plants as paid volunteers to help make facilities ready for restart. Please note that this list should have included FCA UAW workers as well, as our brothers and sisters there are also volunteering to get facilities ready for restart. All of these brave members are doing the critical work to help ensure that the plants meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and World Health Organization (WHO) health and safety COVID-19 protocols.

I am sad to also report today that we have lost another member of our UAW family to the virus. A brother from Local 422 who worked at the Worcester County Jail in West Boylston, Massachusetts, has passed. Our heartfelt sympathies go to his family and friends.

As always, I urge you again to stay safe, continue to support one another and adhere to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines, https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV.  For more updates and questions that you may have about your worksite, visit https://uaw.org/coronavirus/.

We are all in this together.

In solidarity,

Rory L. Gamble