The federally appointed watchdog overseeing the United Auto Workers union has found that its president, Shawn Fain, retaliated against a top officer and improperly used his authority, including in ways that would benefit his fiancée and her sister. New York attorney Neil Barofsky, the monitor overseeing UAW activities, stated in a report released on Thursday that Fain retaliated against union official Rich Boyer after Boyer pushed back against some of Fain’s actions.
The monitor indicated that while some evidence could warrant disciplinary action, a decision has been deferred pending further review. This report emerges shortly before a UAW leadership election in which Fain is seeking a second four-year term.
Fain responded by stating that Barofsky's reports were politically motivated, citing a significant disagreement with the monitor in 2024 concerning the union’s executive board call for a ceasefire in Gaza. "The most reasonable conclusion is that he is playing political games and abusing his power," Fain wrote in a statement released on Thursday, dated Tuesday.
The monitor's office declined to comment on Fain's statement. Art Wheaton, a labor studies professor at Cornell University, suggested that while the federal watchdog has the power to impose severe disciplinary actions that could impact Fain's eligibility to run for office, drastic or criminal punishment is unlikely.
Fain gained prominence in 2023 for leading strikes against General Motors, Ford Motor, and Stellantis. However, the monitor's accusations have reportedly damaged his reputation among some UAW members. Boyer is among several candidates challenging Fain for leadership.
Automakers in Detroit are closely monitoring the UAW election, given Fain's combative approach and the historic contract gains secured after the 2023 strikes. The UAW has been under federal oversight since a 2020 settlement with the U.S. Department of Justice to address a union corruption scandal, with the monitor's office issuing periodic reports on the union's internal operations.
The latest report detailed Fain's push for bonuses for non-union employees at a Stellantis training center, which would have benefited his fiancée. It also stated Fain urged Stellantis and union leaders to intervene in a workers' compensation matter for his fiancée's sister after she was injured at a Stellantis plant. Fain and Boyer also reportedly clashed over Boyer's management of the Stellantis department and its personnel. The report noted that Fain retaliated against Boyer by stripping him of certain duties when Boyer resisted these actions, duties that had previously been reassigned back to Boyer following an earlier monitor's report.