DETROIT — Shawn Fain, a member of the UAW international staff in the Stellantis department who ran as a change agent for a union rocked by scandal, will become the next UAW president following a historic election that broke the so-called Reuther Administrative Caucus' decades-long stranglehold on power.
Fain, 54, won a runoff against incumbent President Ray Curry by less than 500 votes, according to the office of the federally appointed monitor that oversaw the process, a first in the union's history.
The monitor’s office, in a court filing, said Fain led by 478 votes with 432 unresolved challenged ballots remaining, meaning Curry could not overtake his lead. The full results would be certified at a later date, after any protests or appeals have been resolved, the monitor said.
Fain’s team, which had observers in the room overseeing the count, declared victory earlier Saturday. Curry, in a statement, confirmed that Fain would be sworn-in Sunday as the union's next leader.
Fain thanked supporters in a statement Saturday.
"For too long, the UAW has been controlled by leadership with a top-down, company union philosophy who have been unwilling to confront management, and as a result we've seen nothing but concessions, corruption, and plant closures," Fain said in a statement. "While the election was close, it is clear that our membership has long wanted to see a more aggressive approach with our employers. We now have a historic opportunity to get back to setting the standard across all sectors, and to transform the UAW into a member-led, fighting union once again, and we are going to take it. The future of the working class is at stake."