The number of ballots received represents only about 11 percent of the active and retired members who were eligible to vote, according to a tally from the office of Neil Barofsky, the court-appointed independent monitor. Those who did vote appeared to have an appetite for change, as incumbents from the so-called Curry Solidarity slate either lost or are headed to a runoff in all but one race.
“Our members have spoken,” Curry said in a statement late Friday. “We are confident that all re-elected and newly elected UAW International Executive Board members look forward to leading all of our sectors and membership with a vision of strengthening our great union.”
Fain, in a statement earlier Friday, said the challengers who won “will be strong voices on the International Executive Board for reform and democracy.”
“No matter what company our members work for, whether it’s the Big Three auto companies, Caterpillar, or the University of California system, we want to put every employer on notice: Prepare for a new, more aggressive UAW,” Fain said. “The cozy labor-management relationship is on its way to the dustbin of history.”
Secretary-Treasurer Frank Stuglin and three regional directors lost their seats, based on the numbers released by the union.
Labor experts had expected Curry to sail to re-election. Curry himself had expressed confidence that he would win his first full term based on the record of his year-plus already in office.
Stuglin, who became secretary-treasurer in 2021 when Curry was promoted to president, was defeated by a margin of 62 percent to 38 percent by Margaret Mock, a member of the Unite All Workers for Democracy reform caucus.
The unofficial results indicate that Chuck Browning was re-elected as a vice president but the other two vice president positions would go to Mike Booth and Rich Boyer, both members of the reform caucus. Browning leads the UAW’s Ford department.
Tim Bressler and Bryan Czape, both backed by the Curry Solidarity caucus, were not among the top three vote-getters. Current Vice President Cindy Estrada is retiring at the end of this month.
The winners will lead the UAW as it enters contract negotiations with the Detroit 3 automakers next fall.
Incumbent regional directors were ousted in three of the four regions with at least two candidates. The fourth race is headed to a runoff. Even in that race, the Curry Solidarity slate candidate did not receive the most votes.
Races in regions 1A, 1D, 4, 6 and 8 were uncontested, with Curry slate members automatically winning re-election.
