Thousands of auto workers in Alabama are standing up – and the business class is scared. At the end of October, the United Auto Workers (UAW) – newly led by a group of reformers who swept officer elections less than a year ago – concluded their Stand Up Strike, securing record contracts and reasserting workers as an actor and shaper of their own futures. The contracts included a 33% raise to the top wage over 4.5 years, and a 66% raise to the bottom wage when their newly won Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA) is estimated. They also secured increased compensation for retirees, an end to tiers, and permanent employment for thousands of formerly temporary workers. For many newly permanent employees, this contract will represent a life-changing 160% raise by the time the contract expires in 2028. But perhaps most importantly, and most historically, they forced Stellantis to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant, commit to further investments, build a new plant in the same area, and pay the workers they laid off 75% of their wages until completion.