UAW Statement After Ford Plant Visit: “We Stand With Our Member” — and Nobody Gets a Pass on Workplace Respect

There are moments in the news cycle where the loudest voices rush to make everything a partisan food fight. This is not one of those moments.

At its core, what happened at Ford’s Dearborn Truck Plant — based on a public statement attributed to VP Laura Dickerson, Ford Department Director — is about something much more basic than politics: a union member’s right to speak, a union’s duty to protect that member, and the expectation that the workplace is not a stage for vulgar behavior from anyone. Not a manager. Not a visitor. Not a celebrity. Not an elected official. Not even the President of the United States.

And when a union draws that line publicly, it’s not “drama.” It’s a reminder of why unions exist in the first place.

What the Statement Says

In a statement addressing a plant visit at the Dearborn Truck Plant, Laura Dickerson emphasized that the autoworker involved is:

• “a proud member of a strong and fighting union — the UAW,”

• a believer in freedom of speech, and

• someone the union will defend using the full protection of negotiated contract language.

The statement adds that the union will ensure the member receives protection for both:

• his job, and

• his rights as a union member.

Then it makes the boundary unmistakably clear:

“Workers should never be subjected to vulgar language or behavior by anyone—including the President of the United States.”

That’s not a vague message. That’s a direct standard: no one is too important to be respectful at someone else’s workplace.

Why This Matters Beyond One Plant Visit

People hear “freedom of speech” and immediately assume it means “say anything anywhere with zero consequences.” That is not how real life works, and it definitely isn’t how union workplaces work.

Union contracts exist to create enforceable rules—real protections that don’t depend on someone’s mood, power, or title. When a union says it will use negotiated contract language to protect a worker, that signals a few things at once:

1) The union is treating this as a rights issue, not a PR moment

The statement isn’t written like a “we’re sorry you feel that way” corporate press release. It’s written like a labor organization doing what it’s supposed to do: protect the member, protect the standard, protect the workplace.

2) Workplace dignity is not optional

The line about vulgar language and behavior is doing important work. It reinforces that workers are not props. They are not there to be embarrassed, demeaned, or verbally handled because someone powerful wants to flex.

A plant isn’t a rally. It’s a jobsite. People are there to work, not to absorb disrespect.

3) “Protection” isn’t just emotional support — it’s contractual enforcement

When the statement references “full protection of all negotiated contract language,” that points to the mechanisms unions rely on when something crosses the line:

• documenting incidents

• filing grievances where appropriate

• ensuring due process

• preventing retaliation

• holding the employer to the agreement

In other words: this isn’t just talk. It’s a process.

The Part Some Folks Keep Missing: This Is About Power

Whether you’re pro-union, anti-union, or somewhere in the “I’m just trying to pay my bills” middle, here’s the uncomfortable truth: workplaces are power structures. And when someone with high status shows up, the balance can tilt fast.

That’s why the UAW stressing “our member” matters. It’s language that says: this person is not alone, and this person is not disposable.

And it’s also why the statement’s final line hits as hard as it does. Because historically, the “important” have often felt entitled to treat working people however they want. The union is saying: not here.

Where Things Go From Here

The public doesn’t need every internal detail to understand the principle being asserted. The union’s position is simple:

• The member’s voice matters.

• The contract matters.

• Respect matters.

• And nobody gets a special exemption to act vulgar at someone’s job.

Whatever the next steps look like behind the scenes, the statement makes it clear the union intends to treat this seriously—and to use the protections workers fought to secure.

You can learn a lot about a society by how it treats the people who keep it running.

Autoworkers build the trucks that move the economy. They clock in, they do the labor, they carry the wear and tear, and they deserve to do it without being subjected to vulgar behavior—period.

If the standard is “respect the workplace,” then that standard has to apply to everyone. Especially the powerful. Because if it only applies to regular people, it’s not a standard. It’s a setup.

Sources

• Statement provided in prompt: “Statement on Ford Plant Visit” from VP Laura Dickerson, Ford Department Director (UAW), referencing the Dearborn Truck Plant and member protections under negotiated contract language.