Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) issues the following statement regarding the sentencing of Gary Jones, former President of the UAW, to prison for corruption:
[Chicago, Illinois, June 10, 2021] – June 10, 2021 marks the saddest day in the history of the UAW. Former UAW President Gary Jones was sentenced to 28 months in a federal prison for his role in the scheme in which he used his skills to enhance the culture of corruption in the UAW by stealing $1.5 million in UAW dues money. Never, in the history of the UAW, has a sitting UAW President been forced out of the highest office in our union because he performed corrupt acts against the membership he was entrusted to protect. Jones along with his co-defendants are required to pay the UAW $550,000 in restitution and forfeit $119,000 from a combination of campaign funds known as “flower funds.”
Jones’ betrayal of the sacred trust of the UAW membership is nothing short of outrageous. Gary Jones was a product of the Administration Caucus in the UAW and the stranglehold it has maintained of the power in the UAW for over 70 years. The Administration Caucus promoted him to coveted positions throughout his career, and yet he repaid the union membership by fleecing the UAW treasury for his own personal gain. To add insult to an already injured and disgraced union, the legacy of Jones’ selfish betrayal will reverberate throughout the halls of Solidarity House, the UAW headquarters in Detroit, Michigan, for decades to come. His transgressions against the union will undoubtedly hinder the ability of the UAW to carry out its mission to fight for worker’s rights and progress in the workplace, well into the future.
The only hope to bring about an end to this legacy of corruption, and to make sure it never rears its ugly head again in the UAW, will be through the passage of the One Member, One Vote Referendum in the UAW this fall.
One Member, One Vote will return the power of the union back into the hands of the members who will be empowered to elect UAW Executive Board members that will truly represent their interests and restore trust to this damaged institution. Scott Houldieson, Chair of UAWD states, “The monumental corruption of Gary Jones and his coconspirators was possible because of the lack of real democracy in our union. UAW members need tools to keep our officers honest and accountable to the membership. Direct election of the UAW’s top officers by giving every member the right to cast a ballot for the candidate of their choice will do just that.”
As for Gary Jones, his legacy in the UAW will go down in our union’s history as a constant and incredulous reminder of how unchecked power leads to the natural end of absolute corruption.
The membership of the UAW has voiced its objection to what it perceives to be the light sentences handed down by the court to the offenders in the government’s criminal investigation of the UAW. Jones, as ringleader and mastermind of the corruption scandal, should be required to pay restitution of the full amount of what was stolen and the legal fees the UAW covered. In order to right its beleaguered ship, the UAW must to come out of this debacle with a clear message to all who serve it, that corruption, in any form, will lead to swift and excruciating punishment.
UAWD is fighting to win the one-member, one-vote method of electing International union officials in the court ordered referendum this fall. Currently, the top officers of the union are elected through a convention delegate system controlled by the Administration Caucus. The Administration Caucus has been in total control of the UAW for the last 70 years. All of the Administration Caucus candidates for the leadership of the UAW have been elected almost always running unopposed. When there was opposition, strong-arm tactics were employed by Administration Caucus to ensure victory.
One reason the membership of the union has to accept corrupt leaders is due to the one-party state within the UAW. This system of electing International Officers has cultivated a culture of corruption at the highest levels of the union.
Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) is a political caucus in the UAW calling for structural changes in the UAW International Union, including the election of International officers by direct vote of the union membership.
If you would like more information about this topic, please call Scott Houldieson at phone: 219.801.2002 – cell, or email: [email protected].