The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) is one of the largest and most diverse union in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy.

UAW represented workplaces range from multinational corporations, small manufacturers and state and local governments to colleges and universities, hospitals and private non-profit organizations.

The UAW has approximately 710,000 active members and over 500,000 retired members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.  Here is a profile of the UAW membership by sector:

Automotive:  The UAW represents skilled trades and production workers at General Motors, Ford, and DaimlerChrysler.  In addition, the UAW represents several thousand salaried employees – including engineers, designers, and draftsmen – at DaimlerChrysler, Ford, and General Motors.

Workers at new United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI), a GM-Toyota joint venture; and Mitsubishi Motor Manufacturing of America Inc. (MMMA) also belong to the UAW.

In addition, the union has a major presence in the automotive parts industry, including such firms as Delphi, Lear, Kelsey Hayes, American Axle, Thyssen Budd Automotive, and numerous tool and die firms and suppliers.

Aerospace and Defense:  In the aerospace and defense industry, the UAW represents workers at such major firms as General Dynamics, Boeing, Lockheed-Martin, Honeywell, Raytheon, General Electric, Rolls-Royce Allison, Bell Helicoptor, AM General (Humvee), and others.

Heavy Trucks:  The UAW represents skilled trades and production workers at five leading manufacturers of heavy trucks:  Freightliner, Mack, Navistar, Peterbilt, and Volvo North America, as well as engineers, draftsmen designers, and other salaried employees at Mack, Navistar, and Volvo North America.

Farm and Heavy Equipment:  The UAW represents workers at several of the world’s leading manufacturers of farm and heavy construction equipment, Deere & Co., Caterpillar and CNH Global.

Other Manufacturing:  The UAW represents workers in a wide range of industries, including household appliances, brewing, lawn and garden equipment, tools and hardware, firearms, boats, modular housing, toys, musical instruments, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food processing, and writing instruments. 

Among the well known consumer products made by UAW members are Kohler bathroom fixtures, Maytag appliances, Murray lawn mowers, Miller Beers, Colt firearms, Master Loc locks, Revlon cosmetics, Land O’ Lakes dairy products, Folger’s coffee, Libby’s and Crosse and Blackwell canned foods, Selmer and Yamaha musical instruments, Planter’s nuts and snacks, and Scheaffer pens.

Technical, Office, and Professional (TOP):  The UAW represents a large and growing number of technical, office, and professional workers at manufacturing companies, as well as in the public sector, health care, schools, and universities, telecommunications, and news media.  The UAW’s technical, office and professional members work in a wide range of occupations, including draftsmen, industrial designers, engineers, graphic designers, and illustrators, computer specialists, health care professionals, social service workers, journalists and writers, curators and librarians, graduate teaching assistants, and state and local government employees.

These include Michigan, Indiana, and Kentucky state employees; service, clerical, technical and graduate student employees at more than 20 colleges and universities; artisans at Greenfield Village; the staffs of the Village Voice, Mother Jones, and The Stamford Advocate; technical  and on air staff of WDET, Detroit’s public radio station; workers at the three Detroit casinos, staff lawyers of the Legal Services Corporation; more than 5000 members of the National Writers Union; and more than 3000 members of the Graphic Artists Guild.