Kim Kelly writes for Fast Company:
Shawn Fain is the president of the United Auto Workers. Originally from Kokomo, Indiana, he’s been a member of the UAW since 1994 and joined the union while working as an electrician at Chrysler. After spending decades serving his union in various capacities, he was elected in the first-ever direct election for the union’s international executive board. It was a historic moment for the union, and followed years of grassroots organizing by Unite All Workers for Democracy, a rank-and-file reform caucus within the UAW that rejected the union’s corrupt past leadership and pushed for the “one member, one vote” referendum.
Fain was sworn in as president on March 26, 2023. His shop floor experience, genuine concern for his membership, and no-nonsense demeanor have endeared him to workers. Meanwhile, his notorious trash can and “Eat the Rich” shirt have turned him into a social media sensation and made clear that he isn’t interested in conciliatory rhetoric about the Big Three’s leaders. Earlier this year, CBS called him “one of the most important people in the U.S. economy today”—and that may be an understatement.
Read more in Fast Company.