UAW President Shawn “Reformer” Fain hasn’t been such a reformer after all. His two-year tenure in fronting a notoriously corrupt organization has been rife with infighting. Fain also pulled off two significant oustings with ex-Stellantis Dept VP Rich Boyer, who “refus[ed] to divert benefits to his fiancée,” and ex-Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock, who declined to approve ambiguous expenditure requests “for the benefit of those in the President’s Office.”
The latter ejection became a particular focus for UAW federal watchdog Neil Barofsky, with whom Fain is no stranger to clashing. Surely, Fain is not thrilled about how the UAW’s website must provide a link to the monitor’s counterpart with a dozen reports full of Barofsky’s observations. And Fain must be roaring mad because the twelfth report is a 93-page doozy.
Granted, Fain does not have a mild-mannered reputation, but this report unveils a foul-mouthed loose cannon who recently popped off during an International Executive Board (IEB) meeting attended by around 300 UAW officers and members. During the event, Fain pulled strings to strip Mock of her “oversight of 11 union departments and two external board positions.” That and more eyebrow-raising revelations from the report are as follows:
‘Slit [Their] F-ing Throats’ And Other Outbursts:
- Several UAW international and regional officers corroborated how Fain used his IEB remarks to proclaim that he would “slit” or “cut” the “f***ing throats” of those who “messed” with his inner circle. Those who confirmed this verbal explosion took these “words as a serious threat” of retaliation, but Fain has insisted that he was “laughing and smiling” while ranting. Zero interviewed witnesses agreed with him.
- Mock had previously pushed back on relinquishing monies while citing her “fiduciary responsibility to the organization.” Fain didn’t handle it well: “Your only responsibility is to sign the f***ing check.”
- During a “Print Shop incident,” Fain went on a “tirade” over Mock’s photo on a publication while shouting, “This is my motherf***ing membership.” This left a worker “crying” and “visibly shaken,” with Fain later admitting that his behavior “got sh*tty.”
Fain’s racially-charged maneuvering against Mock:
According to witnesses and evidence gathered by Barofsky, Fain pressured Regional Directors Laura Dickerson and LaShawn English “to move and second the motion” to remove Mock. What was Fain’s reason for asking them to do so? Well, as Barofsky further wrote:
“Fain acknowledged that he did so to make it appear as if they were the ones driving the motion, justifying his efforts to conceal his role by stating that he believed having Black women present the motion against Mock, who is also Black, would shield him from potential accusations of racism.”
Of this tactic, Fain later admitted, “I thought it would be better coming from [them] than me, a white guy.”
The monitor’s directive for Mock to be reinstated:
Barofsky concluded that Mock was “falsely accused of misconduct,” and that Fain ousted her with “illegitimate and retaliatory intent.” The watchdog further ordered that Mock’s removal should be “immediately reversed.”
The aftermath with hints of more fallout to come:
The report closes by explaining that criminal charges aren’t on the table yet since Barofsky “continues to investigate various other allegations concerning a retaliatory pattern of conduct concerning Fain.” He added that another report will be forthcoming.
Mock has responded with relief while hoping that the union could gain a “fresh start from the previous scandals and bad practices.” Good luck?
Meanwhile, UAW attorney Harold Gurewitz countered that Barofsky’s conclusions are “far removed from allegations of corruption and instead enmesh the Monitor into the heart of internal union affairs.” This, of course, does nothing to dispel the UAW’s reputation for dishonest dealings.
