Supporters wave signs during an address on the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 5, 2012 on the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Mladin Antonov | AFP | Getty Images
DETROIT – United Auto Staff members have ousted their president within the union’s first direct election, ushering in a recent era for the outstanding organized labor group ahead of negotiations later this yr with the Detroit automakers.
The union’s recent leader can be Shawn Fain, a member of the “UAW Members United” reform group and native leader for a Stellantis parts plant in Indiana. He got here out ahead in a runoff election by tons of of votes over incumbent Ray Curry, who was appointed president by union leaders in 2021.
Fain, in a press release Saturday, thanked UAW members who voted within the election. He also hailed the outcomes as a historic change in direction for the embattled union, which he says will take a “more aggressive approach” with its employers.
“This election was not only a race between two candidates, it was a referendum on the direction of the UAW. For too long, the UAW has been controlled by leadership with a top-down, company union philosophy who’ve been unwilling to confront management, and consequently, we have seen nothing but concessions, corruption, and plant closures,” Fain said.
Curry, who previously protested the narrow election results, said in a press release that Fain can be sworn in on Sunday and that he’s “committed to making sure that this transition is smooth and without disruptions.”
“I need to precise my deep gratitude to all UAW staff, clerical support, leaders and most of all, our union’s energetic and retired members for the various years of support and solidarity. It has been the distinction of my life to serve our great union,” Curry said.
Greater than 141,500 ballots were solid within the runoff election that also included two other board positions, a 33% increase from last yr’s direct election through which neither of the presidential candidates received 50% or more of the votes.
The election was overseen by a federal monitor, who confirmed the outcomes Saturday night. The outcomes had been delayed several weeks because of a run-off election in addition to the close final count.
Shawn Fain, candidate for UAW president, is in a run-off election with incumbent Ray Curry for the union’s highest-ranking position.
Jim West for UAW Members United
Fain’s election adds to the UAW’s largest upheaval in leadership in many years, as a majority of the union’ s International Executive Board can be made up of first-time directors who are usually not a part of the “Administration Caucus” that has controlled the union for greater than 70 years.
Fain and other members of his leadership slate ran on the promise of “No corruption. No concessions. No tiers.” The last being a reference to a tiered pay system implemented by the automakers during recent negotiations that members have asked to be removed.
The shuffle follows a yearslong federal investigation that uncovered systemic corruption involving bribery, embezzlement, and other crimes among the many top ranks of the UAW.
Thirteen UAW officials were convicted as a part of the probe, including two past presidents. As a part of a settlement with the union in late 2020, a federal monitor was appointed to oversee the union and the organization held a direct election where each member has a vote, removing a weighted delegate process.
For investors, UAW negotiations with the Detroit automakers are typically a short-term headwind every 4 years that lead to higher costs. But this yr’s negotiations are anticipated to be amongst probably the most contentious and vital in recent memory.
Fain has said the union will seek profit gains for members, advocating for the return of a cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, in addition to raises and job security.
The change within the UAW comes against the backdrop of a broader organized labor movement across the country, a pro-union president and an industry within the transition to all-electric vehicles.
