UAW presidential hopefuls offer competing visions for union's future

The two men vying to lead the UAW in the years ahead traded jabs Thursday night in a virtual debate that saw both trying to wear the mantle of reformer.

The incumbent, UAW President Ray Curry, and challenger Shawn Fain made their case to union members during an hourlong debate over Zoom that pitted Fain's push for a change in the union's top post against Curry's focus on continuity. The debate, moderated by journalist Steven Greenhouse, came during an election year that will be a key one as the UAW prepares for contract talks with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, the company that owns Jeep, Ram, Dodge, Chrysler and Fiat.

Although the debate featured numerous questions and topics, from the unionization of electric vehicle plants to the need to better represent members outside the auto industry, the candidates hammered each other on issues of experience or lack of it and their connections to the leadership of the union during the long-running corruption scandal. That scandal, which involved the misuse and embezzlement of millions of dollars, led to the agreement with the federal government that started the process to the current runoff election between the top two vote-getters in last year's contest.

In one particularly testy exchange, Curry and Fain blasted each other for their efforts or inaction in the face of a scandal that eventually saw two former UAW presidents — Gary Jones and Dennis Williams — sent to prison.

”Never at one time did you stand in opposition and call out the bull---- corruption that took place. You never called it out,” said Curry, who repeatedly asserted that Fain lacked experience dealing with significant issues beyond his current role at a training center and noted that Fain had previously belonged to the union's administration caucus, which Curry leads and has been blamed for squelching reform.

Fain said he'd never been an insider and that Curry had been part of the problem and not part of the solution.

"I’m sorry that I wasn’t handpicked by the people at the top to put me in power, and I didn’t play the game," Fain said. "Obviously, Ray Curry got along well with Dennis Williams and Gary Jones and all of them as he was handpicked to be the secretary-treasurer for Gary Jones."

Curry said he has been part of the reform efforts at the UAW for years, including the removal of corrupt individuals from the union, and he was "just as mad" as members about the corruption. He criticized Fain for claiming to be a reformer but not writing the reform policies for the union.

Fain pointed to a report, which was released last year by the independent monitor overseeing the union, that was critical of the UAW's willingness to cooperate until a meeting was held with the U.S. Attorney. That report said the union had concealed an investigation it was handling, prompting a comment from Fain that they were still concealing corruption even under Curry's watch.

Curry noted that the report also emphasized the strides that the union has made and that it did not blame the president for the problems it highlighted, saying that "we are moving forward."

The candidates made a variety of pledges during the debate. Fain said he would push for transparency, including posting job openings within the union and releasing more financial information about the size of the strike fund. Curry pledged to continue fighting for the membership and to continue instituting reforms.

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The recent announcement that Stellantis plans to idle its Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois, where the Jeep Cherokee is built, was also a topic, with Fain indicating he'd take a more aggressive approach on such matters and Curry promising that there would be a future product commitment at Belvidere and that “that plant will survive."

The election process that began last year marks the first time union members, including those who are retired, have been able to cast a ballot directly for top UAW officers. Rules that UAW delegates approved during last year's convention set the stage for the current runoff election for president, for one of three vice president slots and for Region 9 director. The first batch of ballots for the runoff election were scheduled be mailed out on Thursday, and those voting are being told they should plan to mail in the completed ballots by Feb. 17 in order to meet the Feb. 28 deadline.

More:UAW election results signal 'discontent' among members as reformers notch big wins

Fain and Curry faced off in September in a debate during the initial election cycle, but they had to share time with three other candidates. The cloud left by the scandal, which sent both former UAW leaders and auto executives to prison, figured prominently then among the debaters as it has for many of the union's rank-and-file members weighing their choices. Curry, however, has insisted that "there’s no ongoing corruption in our union."

More:Monitor overseeing UAW details challenges getting union to cooperate

Both candidates have long histories with the UAW. Curry was chosen as president by the International Executive Board in 2021 to replace Rory Gamble, who retired. Curry got his start with the UAW in 1992 when he was hired as a truck assembler at Freightliner Trucks in Mount Holly, North Carolina, according to the union. He has previously served as secretary-treasurer as well as Region 8 director.

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Fain served five terms as a skilled trades committeeperson and shop chair at Local 1166 at what's now the Stellantis Kokomo Casting Plant in Kokomo, Indiana, and 10 years as an international representative, according to Unite All Workers for Democracy, a dissident group within the UAW. His current assignment is as an administrative assistant to the vice president over the union’s Stellantis Department tasked with overseeing the union’s side of the transition of the UAW-Chrysler National Training Center in Warren. The center hosted joint training between the company and the union, but the training center entity became one of the casualties of the scandal.

Didn't get a ballot for the runoff election?

UAW members eligible to vote in the 2023 runoff election who do not receive a ballot by Jan. 19 can request a replacement ballot at uawvote.com or by calling 855-433-8683, according to the independent UAW monitor.

Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW election debate features clashes over corruption scandal