Jordyn Grzelewski writes for The Detroit News:
Early unofficial results in the United Auto Workers’ first-ever direct elections of international officers confirmed that at least one runoff will occur, and showed numerous challengers to incumbent union officials ahead. […]
The early results showed [Shawn] Fain with a narrow lead of approximately 39% to Curry’s roughly 38.5%, while the other three candidates for president trailed.
In the secretary-treasurer race, early results showed Margaret Mock, a Members United candidate, ahead of incumbent Frank Stuglin, a Curry Solidarity Team candidate, roughly 61% to 39%.
In the race for three international vice president positions, eight candidates ran. Rich Boyer, Mike Booth and incumbent Chuck Browning were in the top three, according to the early unofficial results. Boyer and Booth are part of the Members United slate, while Browning is on the Curry Solidarity Team slate.
Region 1 appeared poised to have a new director, as Members United candidate LaShawn English had more than 52% of the vote to incumbent James Harris’ 47%, according to the unofficial results. Harris is part of the Curry Solidarity Team.
“Based on the unofficial results, we are confident that LaShawn English will be the next Region 1 Director,” Members United spokesperson Nathan Pensler said in a statement. “Her victory shows that UAW members are putting corruption behind us and are uniting to reverse decades of concessions.”
The Curry Solidarity Team campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Members United is a slate of candidates backed by Unite All Workers for Democracy, or UAWD, a reform-focused caucus within the union that supported the implementation of direct elections.
“This is a pivotal moment for the UAW,” Fain said in a statement this week. “Our membership desperately needs a change from decades of concessionary contracts in times of record profits, and from corrupt leadership. We need to restore our willingness to confront the companies — and get rid of the top-down, business union mentality. And return power to the membership.”