UAW Auto Workers
Union locals: Ford Rouge: Local 600 · Stellantis Detroit (Mack/Jefferson): Local 51 · Ford Wayne/Michigan Assembly: Local 900 · Stellantis Sterling Heights: Local 1700 · GM Flint Assembly: Local 598 · GM Flint Engine: Local 659 · GM Lansing Delta: Local 602 · GM Lansing Grand River: Local 652 · GM Saginaw Metal Casting: Local 668
How UAW Auto Workers Were Exposed to Asbestos
During normal duties, UAW Auto Workers were routinely exposed to asbestos-containing materials in Michigan industrial, commercial, and public construction work from the 1930s through the 1980s. Documented exposure pathways drawn from public litigation records and industrial hygiene literature include:
- Grinding and arc-grinding asbestos brake linings at Ford Rouge, Wayne, Flint, Lansing, and Sterling Heights plants
- Handling asbestos clutch facings, transmission friction parts, and brake shoes during build
- Casting work with asbestos-containing refractory at Saginaw Metal Casting and Flint foundries
- Bystander exposure to insulation work on plant utility piping throughout Big Three plants
- Cleanup duties with airborne fiber in stamping and paint shops
Why This Matters for Michigan Workers
If you worked as a uaw auto workers in Michigan during the asbestos era and have been diagnosed with mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or pleural disease, you may have a legal claim — even if your employer is no longer in business. Many asbestos product manufacturers have established bankruptcy trust funds that continue to pay qualified claimants based on documented exposure history.
Michigan Filing Deadlines — Two Separate Clocks
Michigan keeps the personal-injury clock (MCL § 600.5805(2) — 3 years from diagnosis) and the wrongful-death clock (MCL § 600.2922 — 3 years from date of death) on separate, independent tracks. Preserving one does not extend the other. An experienced Michigan asbestos attorney can keep both options open as your situation evolves.
Talk to an Experienced Michigan Asbestos Attorney
A free, confidential consultation with O’Brien Law Firm can evaluate your specific exposure history and filing-deadline situation. No fee unless they recover compensation.
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