09/10/2026
For the past 12- plus years, I have had the incredible honor of serving as Chairman of the Greater Marion County UAW CAP Council. As I reflect on those years, the first thing I want to say is simply thank you.
Thank you for trusting me. Thank you for believing in me. And most importantly, thank you for allowing me the opportunity to serve our membership and a Union that I truly love.
The UAW has been a major part of my life. But to me, being UAW has never been just about belonging to an organization or carrying a membership card. It is about solidarity. It is about standing beside one another when times are good and, more importantly, when they are not. It is about fighting for dignity, fairness, opportunity, and a better life for working people and their families.
That is what I believe our Union represents, and that belief has guided me throughout my time as Chairman.
I have always believed that CAP should be about more than politics or elections. It should be about education, participation, and bringing people together.
We may not always agree politically, and I have never expected us to. We come from different backgrounds, have different experiences, and sometimes see issues very differently. But there is far more that connects us than divides us.
We are working people.
We want good jobs. We want safe workplaces. We want affordable healthcare. We want strong communities and good schools. We want dignity in retirement. We want our children and grandchildren to have opportunities greater than the ones we had. And we want the voices of working men and women to matter when decisions are being made that affect our lives.
That is why political and social education matters.
My goal has never been to tell our members what to think. My goal has been to make sure they have the information they need to understand what is happening around them, how decisions made at the Statehouse, in Washington, and in our local communities affect working families, and why our collective voice matters.
I believe an educated and engaged membership makes our Union stronger.
Over these 12 years, I have had the privilege of meeting and working alongside some incredible people throughout Greater Marion County and across Indiana. I have learned from you, laughed with you, disagreed with some of you, stood beside you, and worked with you toward something bigger than any one person.
Those relationships mean more to me than any title ever could.
Leadership is not about having your name at the top of an agenda or sitting at the head of a table. Leadership is about listening. It is about bringing people together, even when that is difficult. It is about being willing to have uncomfortable conversations, finding common ground, and remembering who we are ultimately here to serve.
Our members!!
I am proud of the work we have done together. I am proud of every member who volunteered, attended a meeting, knocked on a door, made a phone call, attended an event, asked a difficult question, or simply took the time to become more informed about an issue affecting working people.
Every one of those actions matters.
There have certainly been challenges along the way, but even through those challenges, my belief in the UAW and its mission has never changed. If anything, it has grown stronger.
I still believe in Solidarity.
I still believe in the power of Education.
I still believe that working people deserve a Voice.
And I still believe that when we stop focusing on what separates us and start working around the things we have in common, there is very little we cannot accomplish together.
Serving as Chairman of the Greater Marion County UAW CAP Council for the past 12 years has been one of the greatest honors of my Union life. I will always be grateful for the confidence you placed in me and for every person who walked beside me during this journey.
Whatever title I may or may not hold, my commitment to our Union, our members, and working families will remain the same.
I love this Union. I believe in what it stands for. And I believe its greatest strength has always been, and will always be, its people.
From the bottom of my heart, thank you for allowing me to serve you.
In Solidarity,
Brian Bourff
Chairman
Greater Marion County UAW CAP Council
