United Auto Workers union head Shawn Fain has experienced a series of misfortunes since his gamble to go all-in with Vice President Kamala Harris failed.
Fain distinguished himself as one of the most vocal labor leaders for Harris, campaigning for the Democratic candidate this year.
His gamble came as President-elect Donald Trump and the Republican Party made record inroads among the working class. A CNN exit poll found that 45% of voters with a union member in their household voted for Trump, compared to 40% in 2020. And despite Fain’s heavy campaigning, Trump won the UAW headquarters’ state of Michigan.
International Brotherhood of Teamsters head Sean O’Brien declined to endorse any candidate after an internal poll found a clear majority of members supported Trump.
Fain’s misfortunes haven’t ended with Trump’s victory.
He supported legislation in the Michigan legislature that failed after all House Republicans and a Democrat walked out on the proceedings. Fain urged a vote on nearly 30 different pieces of legislation, ranging from increasing unemployment benefits to reinstating some pensions for state workers.
Perhaps most alarmingly for Fain, Judge David Lawson of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered the UAW to turn in a slew of documents related to a government watchdog investigation into him and other UAW leaders. Fain and the UAW had pushed against the request, arguing it could jeopardize the union’s bargaining strategy.
However, he praised parts of the ruling, which “creates a new process that gives the UAW an opportunity to review information prior to it being communicated by the monitor, which will safeguard our privileged bargaining information and strengthen our ability to represent and fight for our members and the whole working class.”
Federal monitor Neil Barofsky is investigating allegations that Fain sought perks for his fiancee while she worked for the UAW and then demoted UAW Vice President Rich Boyer when he objected.
The documents sought included texts from Fain’s phone. The union said over 2 million documents had already been turned over to authorities.
The federal investigation, which is looking into other corruption allegations, accused the UAW of being uncooperative.
The corruption allegations, legislative failures, and ill-fated endorsement of Harris all spell trouble for Fain in 2026, when he will seek reelection. He defeated incumbent Ray Curry in 2023, running on an outsider image.
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In a public letter released after the 2024 presidential election, Fain pledged to keep fighting for UAW interests, including stopping plant closures and layoffs.
“Our mission is to ensure a secure retirement, a living wage, adequate healthcare, and work-life balance for every one of our members, and every member of the working class,” he wrote.