“A new day in the UAW!” – The crowing of incoming President Shawn Fain.
Fain made this declaration at a bargaining convention held days after narrowly defeating incumbent Ray Curry. Of course, this first direct election in the union’s history made a “mockery of democracy,” according to some rank-and-file members. Considering the union’s notoriously corrupt history, this shouldn’t be too surprising.
Yet Fain promises to “reform” the troubled union. What can we really expect?
Fain arrives with two decades of UAW regional and national leadership under his belt after beginning his membership as an electrician at Stellantis’ Kokomo, Indiana plant.
His road ahead contains numerous potholes left by predecessors. Yes, waning UAW membership rose slightly in 2022 but remains far below the heyday of manufacturing decades past. Fain also presides over a membership that is now 25% composed of higher ed workers, who the UAW has already disappointed with a ”sellout” contract after a major strike.
Fain’s vocalized priorities, however, appear to remain on auto workers.
The next six months will be crucial: An allegedly leaked internal memo from Fain’s campaign revealed fretting over “unreasonable expectations” of autoworkers and his short window to be seen as credible.
National contract battles lie ahead: Fain’s big test involves gearing up against the Detroit Big Three – Stellantis, General Motors, and Ford – after contracts expire on Sept. 14. Fain has prepped membership for “war against the one and only true enemy.” He also vowed to be “militant” with an aggressive attitude at the bargaining table and threatened strikes reminiscent of the 1930s.
A key issue: Fain expressed disdain for automakers who don’t set up union-friendly workplaces in the EV age. Thus far, only GM has recognized the UAW as representing its workers, and only in one GM plant. So, there’s fuel for Fain’s ire, but he is most upset with Stellantis for idling their Belvidere, IL plant and laying off 1300 autoworkers.
Fain wants the economically impossible: He wishes to seamlessly transition jobs for gas-powered autos into EV jobs at the same pay rates, despite EVs costing more to manufacture than gas-powered autos. Fain further lashed out at what he calls “disgusting” buyouts meant to encourage volunteer resignations rather than layoffs. He wants to eliminate the two-tiered system of paying veteran workers more than new hires for the same job.
Working with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Bernie Sanders: Fain has voiced urgency in supporting pro-labor government officials. He calls Whitmer “our friend, our ally and our sister” after she worked with Democratic lawmakers to make Michigan the first state to repeal a right-to-work law. Sanders and Fain spoke out against a GM battery plant paying lower wages than assembly plants.
If any doubt was left about Fain’s intent: Fain recently met with Teamsters International President Sean O’Brien. It was described as a meeting of “militant minds” in a Teamsters tweet. The two unions suggest a collaborative approach meant to pool resources, and they seem ready to use their strike funds.
