A Talk with Chris Brooks

Event Description:

In 2023, the United Auto Workers accomplished what many experts thought was impossible. After a devastating corruption scandal and decades of painful concessions, the union launched one of the boldest, most unconventional strikes of the 21st century. For the first time in history, the UAW struck all three major U.S. automakers at once–and six weeks later won a record contract worth more than the last four contracts combined. Within months, thousands of non-union autoworkers around the country, particularly in the South, began signing union authorization cards at a rate not seen in a generation.

How did a union written off for dead reinvent itself so quickly? What does it take to transform a moribund bureaucracy into a militant, member-driven union capable of reshaping an entire industry? And what does this experience tell us about what it will take to revitalize the labor movement and build power in the United States?

This talk tells the inside story of how reformers within the UAW rebuilt trust with the members and built a whole new playbook for bargaining, strike strategy and organizing at scale. 

Interested in learning a bit more context behind Brooks' talk? Read his recent article here.

Logistics

Chris Brooks will be discussing his talk in two separate events on Thursday, March 5th, 2026. This event is for the online, virtual event, which will be from 10am-11:30am via Zoom Webinar. The event will feature an interview-style discussion with Chris Brooks and Michael McQuarrie, director of the Center for Work and Democracy, followed by audience Q&A.

Interested in learning about the other, in-person event with Chris Brooks on March 5th? Please see the page for this event, linked here!

About Chris Brooks:

Chris Brooks was the UAW’s Chief Strategist and central architect of the union’s historic 2023 Stand Up Strike and oversaw the national organizing drive that resulted in the UAW’s first successful unionization of a foreign-owned auto plant in the South. Brooks also founded the UAW’s Department of Bargaining Strategies, transforming how the union bargained contracts across multiple industries. His work has supported thousands of workers winning their union and generated tens of billions of dollars in life-changing gains through strong contracts.