UAW President Fain Under Investigation By Federal Monitor

Last year, newly-elected United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain caused quite the stir when he used some unconventional tactics to forge a new deal with the Detroit Big Three automakers. Following a weeks-long targeted strike, the UAW reached tentative deals with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis that were ratified by workers shortly thereafter, with Fain receiving quite a bit of praise from the press for his efforts in that process. However, the UAW president is now facing an investigation from a court-appointed watchdog that aims to eliminate corruption.

That watchdog is monitor Neil Barofsky, according to The Detroit News, who is accusing select UAW leaders including Fain of obstructing his attempts to gain information pertaining to the probe, as well as interfering with that effort. A federal court filing reveals that the union’s cooperation has eroded after Barofsky announced that he was investigating members of the UAW’s International Executive Board including Fain, Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock, and an unnamed regional director back in February.

Barofsky is specifically looking into an incident between Fain and Mock in which the latter accused the former of removing her authority after she refused to authorize spending for Fain’s office. Barofsky is also investigating another potential retaliation on Fain’s part against a UAW vice president, as well as potential embezzlement from the aforementioned regional director. At the moment, Barofsky notes that these are merely allegations and don’t appear to be criminal in nature, though he does have the ability to discipline, remove, suspend, expel and/or fine those involved in the case, though for now, he is expressing frustration at the lack of cooperation the UAW has demonstrated.

“With more than three months having passed since the inception of the monitor’s investigation, and only a small fraction of the requested documents produced, the monitor’s assessment is that the union’s delay of relevant documents is obstructing and interfering with his access to information needed for his investigative work, and, if left unaddressed, is an apparent violation of the consent decree,” Barofsky wrote.

Meanwhile, Fain welcomed the investigation in a statement of his own and denied any wrongdoing. Since reaching an agreement with the Detroit Big Three automakers, the UAW has been working to organize other U.S. plants – successfully doing so with Volkswagen in Tennessee, though falling short with Mercedes-Benz in Alabama, all while Fain has been named 2024 MotorTrend Person of the Year and was also part of the 2024 Time100 list.

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