Supporters wave signs during a speech on the Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, on September 5, 2012, the second day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC).
Mladin Antonov | AFP | Getty’s paintings
DETROIT – Members of the United Auto Employees overthrew their president within the union’s first direct election, ushering in a latest era for the distinguished organized labor group ahead of negotiations with Detroit automakers later this 12 months.
The brand new leader of the union will likely be Shawn Fain, a member of the reform group “UAW Members United” and a neighborhood leader on stellants parts factory in Indiana. He edged ahead within the runoff election by a whole lot of votes over incumbent Ray Curry, who was named president by union leaders in 2021.
Fain, in a press release on Saturday, thanked UAW members who voted within the election. He also praised the outcomes as a historic shift in direction for the struggling union, which he says will take a “more aggressive approach” towards their employers.
“This election was not only a race between two candidates, but a referendum on the direction of the UAW. For too long, the UAW has been controlled by leaders with top-down trade union philosophies who were unwilling to confront the leadership, and because of this, we have seen nothing but concessions, corruption, and factory closures,” Fain said.
Curry, who had previously protested the narrow election results, said in a press release that Fain could be sworn in on Sunday and that he was “committed to making sure a smooth and uneventful transition.”
“I would like to precise my deep gratitude to all UAW staff, clerical support, leaders, and most of all energetic and retired members of our union for a few years of support and solidarity. It has been my life’s honor to serve our wonderful union,” Curry said.
Greater than 141,500 ballots were solid within the second round of the election, which also included two other board positions, a rise of 33% from last 12 months’s direct election, by which no presidential candidate received at the least 50% of the vote.
The election was overseen by a federal observer who confirmed the outcomes Saturday night. The outcomes were delayed for several weeks because of the runoff election in addition to the near final count.
UAW presidential candidate Shawn Fain is running for the runoff election with incumbent Ray Curry for the union’s top job.
Jim West for UAW United members
Fain’s election contributes to the most important upheaval in UAW leadership in many years, as nearly all of the Union’s International Board will likely be made up of directors for the primary time who should not a part of the “Administrative Club” that has controlled the union for greater than 70 years.
Fain and other members of his leadership were guided by the promise of “No corruption. No concessions. No rungs.” The last being a reference to the tiered paying system implemented by automakers during recent negotiations that members have requested to be removed.
The reshuffling follows a years-long federal investigation that uncovered systemic corruption involving bribery, embezzlement and other crimes among the many UAW’s top rankings.
Thirteen UAW officials were convicted as a part of the investigation, including two former 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 direct elections where every member has a vote, eliminating the weighted delegation process.
For investors, the UAW’s negotiations with Detroit automakers are typically a short-term adversary every 4 years, leading to higher costs. But this 12 months’s negotiations are expected to be a number of the most controversial and necessary in recent memory.
Fain said the union would seek advantages for members by advocating the return of cost of living adjustments, or COLAs, in addition to pay 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 shifting to all-electric vehicles.