UAW Region 2B: Tariffs, Plant Closings, and Worker Power

United Auto Workers Region 2B Director Dave Green said the past year has been a harsh reality check for manufacturing workers in Ohio and Indiana: job losses, plant-closing announcements and corporate decisions that contradict political promises about “bringing jobs back.” In this interview on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Green cited more than 60,000 manufacturing jobs lost nationally, described looming uncertainty at the Conn-Selmer facility in Eastlake, Ohio and warned that hedge fund and private equity-style ownership models are leaving workers and small towns “holding the bag.”

Green also addressed the impact of shifting federal policy on electric vehicle production, pointing to layoffs at Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio, and argued that cutting EV incentives risks surrendering technological leadership to China. As political tensions rise nationally, Green said unions must defend constitutional rights and worker safety while committing to peaceful, organized protest.

• UAW Region 2B tracks accelerating job loss: Green said the U.S. has lost more than 60,000 manufacturing jobs, with multiple closure announcements in Ohio and Indiana.
• Conn-Selmer Eastlake closure threat highlights offshoring risk: Green said the company’s ownership is potentially moving work to China while publicly backing “jobs back” rhetoric.
• EV policy reversals are destabilizing new union jobs: Green cited layoffs at Ultium Cells in Lordstown, warning cuts to incentives could leave the U.S. behind China.

UAW Region 2B and tariffs: Job losses collide with “jobs back” promises

When President Donald Trump returned to office, Green said he again promised a manufacturing revival, telling workers that tariffs and a tougher posture toward China would “bring jobs back.”

For the United Auto Workers, those claims were not taken as abstract. UAW Region 2B covers every UAW member in Ohio and Indiana, a region that includes legacy auto plants, parts suppliers and a growing number of non-auto workplaces.

In this interview with America’s Work Force Union Podcast host Ed “Flash” Ferenc, Region 2B Director Dave Green said last year’s results have been the opposite of what workers were promised.

Green said the country has lost more than 60,000 manufacturing jobs nationally. In Ohio and Indiana, he said, the warning signs are not theoretical.

“It’s not been good,” Green told Ferenc, describing a string of plant-closing announcements that have become a defining feature of his work.

UAW and Conn-Selmer: Eastlake workers face a sudden closure threat

One of the most immediate flashpoints, Green said, is Conn-Selmer’s facility in Eastlake, Ohio, where UAW members produce musical instruments.

Green described touring the plant with union leadership shortly before Christmas, as bargaining preparations were underway. He said the craftsmanship inside the facility is the kind of work that communities take pride in.

Green said workers had heard concerns about the plant’s owner and whether he would move work to China. According to Green, on the first day of negotiations, management told the union the plant would close, with some work moving to China and some to Elkhart, Ind.

Green said the decision was especially galling because the company owner is reportedly an economic adviser to the Trump Administration that has publicly promoted “jobs back” messaging.

As of the interview, Green said the company had not issued an official closure announcement, leaving workers in limbo.

UAW and hedge fund ownership: Bankruptcy as a business model

Ferenc pressed Green on whether the problem is simply demand, higher prices, or something deeper.

Green said it is often a combination, but he pointed to a recurring pattern: financial ownership models that prioritize extraction over long-term production.

He described a separate case involving Eagle Machining in northwest Ohio, where hundreds of workers were affected after the parent company filed for bankruptcy.

Green said hedge fund managers “come in and buy companies up,” then “play a shell game” with money and assets.

For labor leaders, the consequences are not limited to individual paychecks. When a plant closes in a small town, the tax base shrinks, local businesses lose customers, and public services face cuts.

Green argued that deregulation increases the likelihood of these outcomes.

UAW Region 2B and deregulation: Rolling back rules, repeating harm

Green framed the current moment as a familiar cycle in American economic policy.

He said regulations are rarely created without reason.

“Something bad had to happen for that regulation to be put in place,” he said, citing workplace injuries, deaths or job losses.

Rolling back those rules, he argued, may boost profits for banks and large corporations, but it shifts risk onto working people.

UAW and EV jobs: Ultium Cells layoffs raise alarms in Lordstown

The interview also focused on the electric vehicle transition, which had created new union jobs but remains vulnerable to policy shifts.

Green pointed to Ultium Cells in Lordstown, Ohio, his hometown, where he said 1,300 workers were laid off on Jan. 5. He said some may return, but others will not.

For workers who entered the EV supply chain expecting stability, the layoffs are a blunt warning about how quickly the ground can shift.

Green said companies are now trying to diversify production beyond auto batteries, including energy storage for other uses.

He also criticized the rollback of federal incentives that supported EV and battery manufacturing. Green argued the debate has been distorted by claims that consumers were “mandated” to buy EVs.

He said incentives such as production credits helped manufacturers hire, invest and advance technology. Without them, he warned, the U.S. risks losing technological leadership.

UAW Region 2B and solidarity: Standing with Minnesota amid rising tensions

In the second segment, Ferenc asked Green about political unrest and violence, including the killing of a union member in Minnesota.

Green said he was “beside himself” watching events unfold and expressed concern about aggressive tactics by federal agents.

He said unions must respond by organizing, voting and protesting peacefully.

Green referenced the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and said peaceful protest remains essential even when provoked.

UAW and worker rights: “Punch the bully in the face”

Ferenc asked whether intimidation would stop people from protesting. Green said he hopes it will not, comparing the moment to standing up to a bully.

His message was not a call for violence, but a call for persistence. He urged workers to keep using their voices and defending constitutional rights.

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