United Auto Workers Local 249

06/05/2026

Community Service Committee members Stephanie Jennings, Amy Dusenberry, and Charla Patrick sold snacks at the union meeting to fund committee activities this year. Photo by Don Lehman.

06/05/2026

KCAP has sent out the following ROBO for Truck Department A Crew members.

06/04/2026

06/04/2026

Local 249’s Amy Minich, left, is running for the Missouri House in District 8. Restoring funding for public education is a key plank in her platform. Her campaign is calling attention to the state’s $190 million education funding cut and the effect it will have on Lawson’s public schools where the children of many UAW members go to school.

06/03/2026

Attention Truck A & B Crews!

06/03/2026

Local 249 Supports Legacy of Fallen
Kansas City Firefighter Graham Hoffman
For union members, solidarity is more than a slogan. It means standing with working people and their families when tragedy strikes. That spirit of solidarity was on display again as UAW Local 249 donated $3,000 to the Graham Hoffman Hero Fund May 9, helping honor a fallen Kansas City firefighter-paramedic who gave his life serving others.
Graham Hoffman was only 29 years old when he was killed in the line of duty in April 2025 while working as a Kansas City firefighter-paramedic. Hoffman had joined the Kansas City Fire Department in 2022 and quickly earned a reputation as someone committed to helping others no matter the danger.
His death shook first responders across the Kansas City area and beyond. Firefighters, paramedics, police officers, union members, and working-class families rallied around Hoffman’s loved ones and coworkers, recognizing a painful truth all workers understand: every person who clocks in deserves to come home safely.
The donation from Local 249 supports the work being carried out through HeroFund USA and the Graham Hoffman Memorial Scholarship Fund. According to HeroFund USA, the organization was founded in Blue Springs and has grown into a major support network for first responders across Missouri and Kansas. The organization provides life-saving equipment and safety gear for firefighters, EMS personnel, and law enforcement officers.
HeroFund USA says it has fulfilled more than 115 equipment requests for first responders in the region. Their mission is straightforward and deeply familiar to union members: protect workers on the job and help make sure they return home to their families.
The Graham Hoffman fund also supports scholarships for future paramedics and firefighters, ensuring Hoffman’s commitment to public service continues through the next generation. Memorial rides, fundraisers, and community events organized in his name have already raised tens of thousands of dollars to support that mission.
Union members know what it means to work dangerous jobs. Whether it is on the assembly line, inside a stamping plant, on the railroad, in a mine, or responding to emergencies in an ambulance or fire truck, working people are often asked to shoulder enormous risks while corporations and politicians talk about “costs” and “efficiency.”
Working people protect society every day. Too often, they are treated as expendable.
The labor movement was built on the understanding that an injury to one is an injury to all. UAW members have always stepped up for workers and families facing hardship — from strike support to disaster relief to helping communities after tragedy. Supporting the Graham Hoffman Hero Fund continues that tradition.
The donation also reflects something bigger than a single check. It shows that working-class institutions still understand collective responsibility at a time when too much of society pushes people toward isolation and indifference.
First responders and autoworkers may wear different uniforms, but they face many of the same struggles: understaffing, burnout, mandatory overtime, rising costs, and the daily pressure placed on workers to do more with less. Both know what it feels like to have management demand sacrifices while executives and politicians congratulate themselves from a safe distance.
When unions step up to support first responders and their families, it sends an important message: working people do not have to face these struggles alone.
Graham Hoffman’s life represented service, courage, and sacrifice. Local 249’s donation helps ensure his memory continues to support future first responders while also reinforcing the principle that solidarity does not end at the plant gates.
That principle built the labor movement. And it remains just as necessary today.—UAW Local 249

06/03/2026

KCAP has sent out the following ROBO Calls pertaining to the Truck Department

06/02/2026

Retirees Celebrate Mothers, Veterans
By Natalie Wood
Chairman Mel Thompson greeted our Retirees with a prayer, and he wished all the mothers a Happy Mother’s Day. To honor them, Mel asked all our veterans to stand. He wanted the Veterans to know that we appreciate their service. Chairman Thompson asked whether there were any first-time attendees at the meeting. Jose Castro stood and announced his retirement on March 1, 2022. He came bearing questions about the OTC and WEX cards. He stated he will be returning for future meetings, as they were enjoyable.
Chairman Thompson called newly elected UAW Local 249 President Robert Brusick to come to the podium. President Brusick gave us a brief history of his involvement in the union for some time, his family’s long involvement in the union, and the various jobs he held before being elected President of Local 249.
He is thankful for the position he was elected to. He promised during his campaign to have an open-door policy. Aside from meetings, his door will be open to all your concerns. He is eager to learn all he can to be the best he can in serving the Retirees, as well as his union Brothers and Sisters. Congratulations to Robert “Shoe’s” Brusick.
Chairman Thompson reported that the Annual Retirees Picnic is scheduled for September 16, at 10:30 a.m. in the lower level of Local 249. We will not hold a retiree’s meeting that day. We are working on the details for the picnic, including the menu. Save the date: September 16.
John Bowsley, from Blue Cross/Blue Shield, spoke to our members about the ongoing issues with NKC Hospital accepting and/or failing to accept service for our members. Contracts are ending, and negotiations are on the table, so a lot is going on right now.
Please be patient as these issues are being sorted out. Todd Moro from UnitedHealthcare spoke to our members about the problems we are facing with traditional vs. commercial Medicare plans. Deanna Ramsey and other benefit representatives are here to help you. Don’t be afraid to call them at 816-454-6333.
Glen Sanders, our Financial Secretary, gave a financial report to our members. This is a good time to remind our retirees to pay their dues. Currently, they are $ 3.00 per month, to be raised to $5.00 per month soon. Check with the hall secretaries to see if you are current.
Bill Parker, the Service Officer/Trustee, had no report of any newly retired members. There were no deaths reported.
Ann Parker, the Women’s Auxiliary Chairperson, asked those with birthdays in May to stand and be recognized. Six members stood, and we cheerfully sang Happy Birthday to them.
Chairperson Ann asked for those members celebrating wedding anniversaries to stand. Four couples stood: Larry and Sue Summers, celebrating 55 years of marriage on May 8; Ray and Linda Wilson, celebrating 46 years of marriage on May 23; Tony and Debbie Milligan, celebrating 23 years of marriage on May 21; and Mike and Cathy Moore, celebrating 17 years of marriage on May 30. We sang Happy Anniversary to them all. Congratulations to Larry and Sue Summers, who received the Anniversary Gift of the Month. Ann often treats the members with some healthy jokes.
There were 86 members and guests at our May 20 Retirees Meeting. Our next scheduled Retiree Meeting is set for June 17, starting at 10:30 a.m. at Local 249 on the lower level. Looking forward to celebrating Father’s Day in June.

06/02/2026

June is LGBTQIA2S+ Pride Month! We honor those who fought for equality and stand for dignity and fairness in the workplace. Union contracts are the strongest shield against discrimination. Let’s build a world where everyone thrives—solidarity makes change possible!

06/01/2026

When Seconds Matter: UAW Local 249’s Emergency Response Team Stands Ready
Inside the Ford Motor Kansas City Assembly Plant, thousands of workers clock in every day to build the Ford F-150 and Transit van. It is one of the largest and most complex manufacturing facilities in the country — a sprawling industrial operation filled with moving equipment, heavy machinery, high-voltage systems, chemicals, elevated work areas, confined spaces, and constant motion.
When emergencies happen inside a facility that size, every second counts That is where the Emergency Response Team comes in.
Composed entirely of members of UAW Local 249, the team serves as the plant’s frontline emergency force, responding to medical emergencies, fires, HAZMAT releases, confined space rescues, and high-angle rescue situations throughout the facility. Recently, members of the team completed specialized Rope Rescue training at the plant, sharpening skills that could one day mean the difference between life and death for a fellow worker.
ERT members must pass annual physicals to ensure they are capable of responding to high-stress emergencies that can require climbing, lifting, crawling into confined spaces, handling hazardous conditions, and operating under intense pressure. This is not symbolic training or a paper certification. It is physically demanding, highly technical work carried out by union members willing to step forward when others are in danger.
Every team member receives extensive initial instruction across multiple emergency disciplines when they join the team, followed by annual refresher training to maintain readiness. The training is provided by professionals from Emergency Response Solutions International, a Michigan-based organization specializing in industrial emergency preparedness and rescue operations.
Industrial facilities operate with inherent risks. Forklifts and mobile equipment move constantly. Welding operations generate heat and sparks. Chemicals and industrial materials require careful handling. Elevated work platforms and confined spaces create hazards that demand immediate, skilled response if something goes wrong.
The Emergency Response Team exists because workers understand those risks better than anyone.
Throughout the plant, AEDs are strategically distributed so responders can quickly provide lifesaving aid during cardiac emergencies. Mobile emergency equipment — including fire engines, ambulances, and rescue vehicles — allows the team to rapidly move personnel and specialized equipment across the massive facility.
These are union members who already carry demanding responsibilities on the shop floor and volunteer to take on even more. Membership on the team is open to workers in free-effort classifications such as skilled trades and material handling. They dedicate additional hours to training, drills, certifications, and emergency preparedness because they understand a basic truth about solidarity: workers look out for each other.
For generations, Local 249 members have fought not only for better wages and benefits, but also for safer working conditions and dignity on the job. Workplace safety was never handed down by corporations out of generosity. It was demanded, organized, and fought for by workers and unions that refused to accept preventable injuries and deaths as simply “part of the job.”
The Emergency Response Team represents that legacy in action.
When a worker suffers a medical emergency, when smoke fills an area, when hazardous materials are released, or when someone needs rescued from an elevated platform or confined space, it is fellow union members who answer the call.
Most workers at KCAP will hopefully never need the Emergency Response Team. But every worker benefits from knowing trained responders are standing ready inside the plant at all times.
That readiness provides more than emergency protection. It provides peace of mind.
In an industry where production pressures never stop, the work of the Emergency Response Team is a reminder that protecting human life will always matter more than the line speed.—UAW Local 249