UAW settlement brings justice, voting rights

The final amicable settlement announced last week between the U.S. Department of Justice and the UAW over a yearslong corruption probe is what justice is supposed to look like. Thanks to that settlement, UAW members will soon have the power to ensure that their union remains clean and accountable.

Both the union and U.S. Attorney Matthew Schneider should be proud of what they've accomplished, and UAW members should feel secure that their union's leadership no longer includes a den of thieves and grifters.

Those who did wrong within the UAW's highest ranks are either in or on their way to prison, including its two immediate past presidents, Gary Jones and Dennis Williams. The probe remains open, Schneider said, but only insofar as it relates to Fiat Chrysler Automobiles and Ford Motor Co. The remaining leadership of the UAW has been cleared, he said.

UAW President Rory Gamble hasn't been in the union's top job very long — he was thrust into the role on Nov. 2, 2019, when Jones took a leave of absence weeks before resigning in disgrace. Yet, in less than 14 months, Gamble has accomplished a great deal to restore the UAW to something its members can once again trust and respect.

As this space previously counseled , a newly cleansed UAW invited the federal government in, albeit in the form of an independent monitor who will oversee the union's activities for six years. And it acquiesced to direct election of officers, if the membership approves such a change, instead of the current leadership picking its own successors every four years. Both should give reassurance to UAW membership that their leaders will at least be accountable, which should help root out any future corruption.

In its settlement, the UAW was able to avoid both a more invasive takeover and federal racketeering charges. The $1.5 million settlement also resolves outstanding tax issues looming because of the corruption of previous leadership.

"We all have a shared goal of making the UAW a shining example of what a labor union can be," Gamble said in comments last week outlining the settlement. "We are committed to making the monitor's job very boring."

UAW members nationwide can thank the tough decisions and hard work put in by Gamble and Schneider over the last year for winning them back their union.