Arson ruled out in fire at UAW headquarters in Detroit; unclear when union leaders, employees can return amid contract talks
Skip to main content
Sister Publication Links
  • Automotive News Canada
  • Automotive News Europe
  • Automotive News China
  • Automobilwoche
AN-LOGO-BLUE
Subscribe
  • Subscribe
  • Account
  • login
  • HOME
  • NEWS
    • Dealers
    • Automakers & Suppliers
    • News by Brand
    • Cars & Concepts
    • Final Assembly
    • China
    • Shift
    • Mobility Report
    • Special Reports
    • Digital Edition Archive
    • This Week's Issue
    • Dan Parker will pilot his Chevrolet Corvette with a custom guidance system that provides audible feedback.
      Blind racer gets Cruise support, but he'll drive
      You may have won! But no
      The course was planned for a Vermont ski resort, until neighbors shouted the idea down.
      Off-road course for Broncos? Not in my backyard
      The 1965 Mustang Shelby GT350 reigned supreme in the Ford Frenzy tournament.
      Shelby GT350 gets its one shining moment
    • Hyundai logo
      Hyundai Group to launch EVs every year starting in 2022
      The Ford Mustang Mach-E assembled at Ford's joint venture with Changan Automobile Co.
      Ford starts preorders for locally built Mustang Mach-E
      Geely targets Apple, Big Tech with upstart EV unit
      Used light-vehicle sales in Q1 top pre-pandemic level
    • Food is becoming a main dish on the AV menu
      Udelv CEO offers a historical perspective on high-tech goods delivery
      Q&A with BrightDrop CEO Travis Katz
      Automakers optimize manufacturing, customize products through digitization
    • Hyundai logo
      Hyundai Motor Group names chief for new mobility division
      Tesla Autopilot web.jpg
      Tesla, ex-engineer settle lawsuit over Autopilot source code
      Cruise self-driving vehicle
      Cruise raises $2.75 billion from Walmart, others
      TuSimple
      TuSimple raises $1.35 billion in U.S. IPO; company valued at nearly $8.5 billion
    • Elon Musk interview
      Tesla’s Model Y, on sale since March, is a showcase of EV technologies competitors will benchmark.
      Technologies of Electrification
      Cadillac’s Lyriq EV will be unveiled Aug. 6.
      Future Product Pipeline
      A CALL TO ACTION
    • After all this time, industry still wrestling with diversity
      Reuss and Reuss on EV1 and its Impact
      2021 PACE Awards
      Here are the finalists for the 2021 PACE and PACEpilot Awards
      Ad process evolves with pandemic
    • Access F&I
    • Fixed Ops Journal
    • Marketing
    • Used Cars
    • Retail Technology
    • Sales
    • Best Practices
    • Dealership Buy/Sell
    • NADA
    • NADA Show
    • Automakers
    • Manufacturing
    • Suppliers
    • Regulations & Safety
    • Executives
    • Talk From The Top
    • Leading Women Network
    • Guide to Economic Development
    • PACE Awards
    • Management Briefing Seminars
    • World Congress
    • Aston Martin
    • BMW
      • Mini
      • Rolls-Royce
    • Daimler
      • Mercedes Benz
      • Smart
    • Ford
      • Lincoln
    • General Motors
      • Buick
      • Cadillac
      • Chevrolet
      • GMC
    • Honda
      • Acura
    • Hyundai
      • Genesis
      • Kia
    • Mazda
    • McLaren
    • Mitsubishi
    • Nissan
      • Infiniti
    • Stellantis
      • Alfa Romeo
      • Citroen
      • Chrysler
      • Dodge
      • Ferrari
      • Fiat
      • Jeep
      • Lancia
      • Maserati
      • Opel
      • Peugeot
      • Ram
      • Vauxhall
    • Renault
    • Subaru
    • Suzuki
    • Tata
      • Jaguar
      • Land Rover
    • Tesla
    • Toyota
      • Lexus
    • Volkswagen
      • Audi
      • Bentley
      • Bugatti
      • Lamborghini
      • Porsche
      • Seat
      • Skoda
    • Volvo
    • (Discontinued Brands)
    • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
      • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
      • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
      • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
      • KIA: 2021 K5
      • LEXUS: 2021 IS
      • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
      • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
    • Auto Shows
    • Future Product Pipeline
    • Photo Galleries
    • Car Cutaways
    • Design
  • OPINION
    • Blogs
    • Cartoons
    • Keith Crain
    • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
    • Columnists
    • China Commentary
    • Editorials
    • Letters to the Editor
    • Send us a Letter
    • Mach-E
      For Ford, 3rd-party charging network must improve to reap Mustang Mach-E potential
      VW logo with reflection
      VW lied to sell diesels; now it lied to sell EVs
      265725_XC90_Inscription_in_Birch_Light.jpg
      Volvo targets top talent in U.S., China with generous parental leave policy
      Fisker gets a rare second chance to build his own car company
    • In case of supply chain woes, break glass
      Quick! The Biden phone
      VW's Joke Is On You
      Joke Is On You
      view gallery
      4 photos
      Leo Michael Cartoons - Q2 2021
      Leo Michael: There's Nothing You Can Do!
      Nothing You Can Do
    • Shifting gears away from the stick shift
      SEMA still a wonderful circus
      Penske still has plenty of races to win
      Ford's turn in the hot seat
    • April 13, 2021 | GM shows it’s serious about electric
      April 6, 2021 | For Volkswagen, authenticity is the only path forward
      March 30, 2021 | Tesla “changes” car industry
      March 23, 2021 | Remote work will continue after the pandemic
    • Jamie Butters
      EV rebates must work at retail
      Tracy Fred
      Dealers deserve access to their data
      Ford's Blue Advantage tool shows it's ‘listening' to dealers
      Dan Shine
      Service drive can lift dealerships as source of used-vehicle inventory
    • Why Xiaomi holds promise of becoming formidable EV player
      Geely’s new EV push is decidedly new age
      Charging poles installed outside a Tesla store in downtown Shanghai.
      Unreliable public EV charging sites prompt automakers to take wheel
      VW Group's playbook to dominate EV market
    • A step in right direction for Nissan dealers
      ‘Voltswagen' April Fools' gag far from funny
      Less is more in lineups as well as on lots
      Electric vehicle charger
      Electric vehicle hype opens door to short sellers
    • With EVs, bias for traditional carmakers
      ‘Voltswagen' was clever and fun
      Mixed-use plan a winner
      EV adoption in U.S. shouldn't be forced
  • DATA CENTER
  • VIDEO
    • AutoNews Now
    • First Shift
    • Special Video Reports
    • Weekend Drive
    • AutoNews Now: Ram output said to be slowing as COVID cases surge
      AutoNews Now: Stellantis outlines electrification targets for U.S., Europe
      AutoNews Now: Audi targets EV mass market with Q4 e-tron
      AutoNews Now: Another threat to supply chain: Rubber shortage
    • First Shift: Indicted ex-Nissan exec Kelly 'blameless,' U.S. senator says
      First Shift: Ford, Nissan plan more downtime amid chip crisis
      First Shift: Ford to launch 'BlueCruise' hands-free driver-assist system in Q3
      First Shift: Lithia tops AutoNation in U.S. store count with Suburban deal
    • Toyota store's in-house training program retains more techs
      Virtual sales manager Jay Barger
      'Glued to a phone': Acura store's virtual sales boss lifts deliveries, efficiency
      One man’s journey from homelessness to thriving dealer
      Bert Ogden Auto Group
      How a Texas group is cutting costs, saving millions
    • Why the pickup is the auto industry's 'battleground'
      Carlos Ghosn's quest to restore his reputation
      Why Ford must execute to avoid 'deep trouble'
      Why Honda is 'locked and loaded' for 2020
  • EVENTS & AWARDS
    • Events
    • Awards
    • Congress Conversations
    • Retail Forum: NADA
    • Canada Congress
    • Europe Congress Conversations
    • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
    • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
    • 100 Leading Women
    • 40 Under 40 Retail
    • All-Stars
    • Best Dealerships To Work For
      • Register for the 2021 Best Dealership To Work For
    • PACE Program
    • Rising Stars
    • Europe Rising Stars
  • JOBS
  • AN Solutions
  • +MORE
    • Leading Women Network
    • Podcasts
    • Webinars
    • In the Driver's Seat
    • Publishing Partners
    • Classifieds
    • Companies on the Move
    • People on the Move
    • Newsletters
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • RSS Feeds
    • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
    • Special Reports Podcasts
    • Daily Drive Podcasts
    • AAM
    • Cars.com
    • DealerPolicy
    • Gentex
    • IHS Markit
    • Remember Group
    • Reputation.com
    • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
    • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
    • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
    • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
    • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
    • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
    • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
    • Capital One Auto: Dealerships remain vital to an increasingly digital car shopping journey
    • DealerSocket: 5 steps to modernizing the buyer's journey
    • Epic Games: Real-time tech is the next frontier of automotive
    • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
    • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
    • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
    • Google: Google's dealer guidebook helps dealers navigate today's digital landscape
    • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
    • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
    • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
    • Motormindz: Toward hyperconnectivity: 5 ways to position your business to profit from connected car
    • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
    • Ally: Do It Right
    • DealerSocket
    • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
    • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
    • Guide To Economic Development
    • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
MENU
Breadcrumb
  1. Home
  2. Manufacturing
July 29, 2019 03:30 PM

Arson ruled out in UAW fire; unclear when union leaders, employees can return

Sarah Kominek
  • Tweet
  • Share
  • Share
  • Email
  • More
    Print
    Investigators are awaiting results from lab testing on computers, batteries and wiring from the scene at the UAW's Solidarity House to determine the cause of the fire.
    WWJ Newsradio 950

    Fire investigators last summer conducted lab tests on computers, batteries and wiring from the scene at the UAW's Solidarity House to determine the cause of the fire that took place on Saturday, July 13.

    DETROIT -- Detroit Fire Department investigators have ruled out arson as the cause of a July 13 fire that resulted in the shutdown of the UAW's international headquarters.

    Firefighters responded to the blaze on the third floor of the union's Solidarity House that afternoon. City fire investigators returned to the building last Thursday.

    It's "too early to determine" when employees will return to work at the building, UAW spokesman Brian Rothenberg wrote in an email Monday. The union has just begun formal negotiations with the Detroit 3 on new labor contracts, with the current pacts expiring Sept. 14.

    Staff had "been reassigned to temporary locations," Rothenberg said July 16. "Staff will be working out of regional and other UAW facilities."

    Although arson has been ruled out, the fire's cause is undetermined, Ted Copley, lieutenant and investigator for the Detroit Fire Department, told Automotive News.

    Investigators are awaiting results from lab testing on computers, batteries and wiring from the scene to determine the cause, said Patrick McNulty, chief of fire investigation for the Detroit Fire Department.

    The rest of the investigation will be left up to private investigators for insurance purposes, Copley said.

    Two firefighters were injured at the scene of the fire, one with a broken wrist and the other suffering from smoke inhalation. Both were treated in the hospital and released, Deputy Fire Commissioner Dave Fornell told Automotive News.

    He said the fire caused "a considerable amount of damage" to a storage area on the third floor.

    Rothenberg said the union headquarters was "largely empty at the time" of the fire, which took place just days before the UAW held its ceremonial "handshake" events with Detroit 3 executives to launch the formal contract talks.

    The fire was in the union's information technology department and damaged adjacent public relations office space, he confirmed.

    RECOMMENDED FOR YOU
    Stellantis idles Ontario minivan output until May 3 due to chip shortage
    Letter
    to the
    Editor

     

     

    Send us a letter

    Have an opinion about this story? Click here to submit a Letter to the Editor, and we may publish it in print.

    Recommended for You
    Stellantis idles Ontario minivan output until May 3 due to chip shortage
    Stellantis idles Ontario minivan output until May 3 due to chip shortage
    Michigan COVID surge threatens Ram truck plant
    Michigan COVID surge threatens Ram truck plant
    EV adoption may fall short of industry expectations, experts warn
    EV adoption may fall short of industry expectations, experts warn
    Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    Sponsored Content: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
    Sign up for free newsletters
    EMAIL ADDRESS

    Please enter a valid email address.

    Please enter your email address.

    Please verify captcha.

    Please select at least one newsletter to subscribe.

    See more newsletter options at autonews.com/newsletters.

    You can unsubscribe at any time through links in these emails. For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

    Digital Edition
    Automotive News 4-12-21
    THIS WEEK'S EDITION
    See our archive
    Fixed Ops Journal
    Fixed Ops Journal 4-12-21
    Read the issue
    See our archive
    BREAKING NEWS ALERTS: Sign up and be the first to know when big news breaks.
    AUTOMOTIVE NEWS TV WITH TOM WOROBEC: Sign up for our afternoon newscast and catch up on the top news of the day with our brief video roundup.
    Get Free Newsletters

    Sign up and get the best of Automotive News delivered straight to your email inbox, free of charge. Choose your news – we will deliver.

    Subscribe Today

    Get 24/7 access to in-depth, authoritative coverage of the auto industry from a global team of reporters and editors covering the news that’s vital to your business.

    Subscribe Now
    Connect With Us
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • LinkedIn
    • Twitter

    Our mission

    The Automotive News mission is to be the primary source of industry news, data and understanding for the industry's decision-makers interested in North America.

    AN-LOGO-BLUE
    Contact Us

    1155 Gratiot Avenue
    Detroit, Michigan
    48207-2997

    (877) 812-1584

    Email us

    Automotive News
    ISSN 0005-1551 (print)
    ISSN 1557-7686 (online)

    Fixed Ops Journal
    ISSN 2576-1064 (print)
    ISSN 2576-1072 (online)

    Resources
    • About us
    • Contact Us
    • Media Kit
    • Subscribe
    • Manage your account
    • Reprints
    • Ad Choices Ad Choices
    • Sitemap
    Legal
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Privacy Request
    Automotive News
    Copyright © 1996-2021. Crain Communications, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    • HOME
    • NEWS
      • Dealers
        • Access F&I
        • Fixed Ops Journal
        • Marketing
        • Used Cars
        • Retail Technology
        • Sales
        • Best Practices
        • Dealership Buy/Sell
        • NADA
        • NADA Show
      • Automakers & Suppliers
        • Automakers
        • Manufacturing
        • Suppliers
        • Regulations & Safety
        • Executives
        • Talk From The Top
        • Leading Women Network
        • Guide to Economic Development
        • PACE Awards
        • Management Briefing Seminars
        • World Congress
      • News by Brand
        • Aston Martin
        • BMW
          • Mini
          • Rolls-Royce
        • Daimler
          • Mercedes Benz
          • Smart
        • Ford
          • Lincoln
        • General Motors
          • Buick
          • Cadillac
          • Chevrolet
          • GMC
        • Honda
          • Acura
        • Hyundai
          • Genesis
          • Kia
        • Mazda
        • McLaren
        • Mitsubishi
        • Nissan
          • Infiniti
        • Stellantis
          • Alfa Romeo
          • Citroen
          • Chrysler
          • Dodge
          • Ferrari
          • Fiat
          • Jeep
          • Lancia
          • Maserati
          • Opel
          • Peugeot
          • Ram
          • Vauxhall
        • Renault
        • Subaru
        • Suzuki
        • Tata
          • Jaguar
          • Land Rover
        • Tesla
        • Toyota
          • Lexus
        • Volkswagen
          • Audi
          • Bentley
          • Bugatti
          • Lamborghini
          • Porsche
          • Seat
          • Skoda
        • Volvo
        • (Discontinued Brands)
      • Cars & Concepts
        • Virtual reveals (Sponsored)
          • MITSUBISHI: 2022 Outlander
          • NISSAN: 2022 Pathfinder and 2022 Frontier
          • GENESIS: 2021 GV80
          • KIA: 2021 K5
          • LEXUS: 2021 IS
          • NISSAN: 2021 Rogue
          • TOYOTA: 2021 Venza and 2021 Sienna
        • Auto Shows
        • Future Product Pipeline
        • Photo Galleries
        • Car Cutaways
        • Design
      • Final Assembly
      • China
      • Shift
      • Mobility Report
      • Special Reports
      • Digital Edition Archive
      • This Week's Issue
    • OPINION
      • Blogs
      • Cartoons
      • Keith Crain
      • Automotive Views with Jason Stein
      • Columnists
      • China Commentary
      • Editorials
      • Letters to the Editor
      • Send us a Letter
    • DATA CENTER
    • VIDEO
      • AutoNews Now
      • First Shift
      • Special Video Reports
      • Weekend Drive
    • EVENTS & AWARDS
      • Events
        • Congress Conversations
        • Retail Forum: NADA
        • Canada Congress
        • Europe Congress Conversations
        • Fixed Ops Journal Forum
        • Shift: Mobility at a Crossroads
      • Awards
        • 100 Leading Women
        • 40 Under 40 Retail
        • All-Stars
        • Best Dealerships To Work For
          • Register for the 2021 Best Dealership To Work For
        • PACE Program
        • Rising Stars
        • Europe Rising Stars
    • JOBS
    • AN Solutions
    • +MORE
      • Leading Women Network
      • Podcasts
        • Shift: A Podcast About Mobility
        • Special Reports Podcasts
        • Daily Drive Podcasts
      • Webinars
      • In the Driver's Seat
        • AAM
        • Cars.com
        • DealerPolicy
        • Gentex
        • IHS Markit
        • Remember Group
        • Reputation.com
        • Ricardo: Dave Shemmans
        • Ricardo: Marques McCammon
      • Publishing Partners
        • Allstate: Want more from your F&I?
        • Ally: Navigating the future of automotive retailing
        • Amazon Web Services: Any place, any time, any channel
        • Amazon Web Services: The power of the cloud
        • Amazon Web Services: Universal translator: Harnessing sensor data to build better automotive software
        • Capital One Auto: Dealerships remain vital to an increasingly digital car shopping journey
        • DealerSocket: 5 steps to modernizing the buyer's journey
        • Epic Games: Real-time tech is the next frontier of automotive
        • Epic Games: Transforming the auto industry with digital assets
        • FTI Consulting: Crisis as a catalyst for change
        • Google: 5 trends shaping the auto industry's approach to a new normal
        • Google: Google's dealer guidebook helps dealers navigate today's digital landscape
        • IHS Markit: Automotive loyalty in the wake of the COVID-19 recession
        • IHS Markit: COVID-19: The future mobility delusion
        • Level5: 2020 Automotive E-Commerce Report
        • Motormindz: Toward hyperconnectivity: 5 ways to position your business to profit from connected car
        • Naked Lime: Bring social reputation together as part of big-picture marketing
        • Wells Fargo Auto: Switching gears from LIBOR to SOFR
        • Ally: Do It Right
        • DealerSocket
        • Deloitte: Cyber everywhere: Preparing for automotive safety in the face of cyber threats
        • Facebook: The road to a zero-friction future
        • Guide To Economic Development
        • PayPal Credit: How consumer financing helps drive sales for online auto parts retailers
      • Classifieds
      • Companies on the Move
      • People on the Move
      • Newsletters
      • Contact Us
      • Media Kit
      • RSS Feeds