Concerns with the United Auto Workers (UAW) leadership under Shawn Fain took another hit last week, following a report by a federal monitor that one of the organization’s key financial figures was unfairly stripped of her responsibilities, forcing the UAW to reinstate her.
The details: In a report published Thursday, Neil Barofsky, a court-appointed watchdog over the union, found that UAW Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock was targeted in a retaliation scheme by top leadership, as revealed in a series of text messages, reports the Detroit Free Press.
According to Barofsky’s report, Fain's chief of staff Chris Brooks and then-communications director Jonah Furman conspired to have Mock ousted based on allegations of misconduct due to claims she was pushing to unfairly deny certain union expenditures.
The investigation by the monitor (who was appointed in 2021 to oversee the union following a corruption scandal) also revealed that Brooks and Furman celebrated Mock’s unfair ouster, comparing it to "epically dunk(ing) on another player in basketball."
In response to the findings, the union has demoted and temporarily suspended Furman. Brooks will resign at the end of December.
The changes that include Mock’s reinstatement, previously resisted by the union, are to be implemented no later than Jan. 9—with the UAW now committed to following through on the monitor’s recommendations. Rich Boyer, who was forced by Fain to relinquish his duties as head of the union's Stellantis Department, will have his responsibilities reinstated as well.
What they’re saying: "The newly produced documents demonstrate the extent of the President’s Office’s orchestration of the Special Compliance Report as part of its plan to retaliate against Secretary-Treasurer Mock," the report reads, referencing a report that was drafted by Brooks, Furman and then-Compliance Director Marni Schroeder (via the Detroit Free Press).
Why it matters: Tension inside the UAW’s top ranks raises fresh questions about union leadership’s stability and priorities heading into the next round of bargaining and organizing campaigns, which could ultimately impact vehicle production, inventory flow, and the broader labor environment dealers operate in.
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Between the lines: Though Fain appears to have escaped the brunt of the fallout over Mock’s ouster, Barofsky’s report does further fuel concerns about the UAW president’s leadership regarding the matter raised previously.
Fain reportedly asked another Black woman in UAW leadership to lead a board motion to oust Mock, who is Black, because he "thought it would be better coming from her than me, a white guy,” per the Detroit Free Press.
The UAW president also failed to clearly explain how more than 120 text messages related to the investigation had been deleted from his phone, according to Barofsky.
Fain is clearly looking to move on, saying, "As we approach the New Year, I want to reflect on our tremendous work in 2025, announce some important changes, and discuss the path ahead,” per the Detroit Free Press. “In addition to our work in bargaining and organizing, it is also crucial that we build an internal culture of accountability, fairness, transparency, and collaboration.”
Bottom line: A weakened or distracted leadership team could change the tone, timing, and intensity of future labor actions, while ongoing oversight and headlines about internal accountability may shape public sentiment and, ultimately, the conditions under which dealers get the vehicles they need to sell.
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