A federal court-appointed watchdog has launched an investigation into United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain.
Neil Barofsky, the court-appointed monitor, is looking into whether Fain abused his power as UAW president. Barofsky has also accused UAW leaders, including Fain, of obstructing the investigation and interfering with his access to information, according to a Monday court filing obtained by CNBC.
Fain’s UAW recently failed to unionize two Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama. They’re appealing the result with the National Labor Relations Board.
CNBC reported that Fain's alleged actions could potentially violate a 2020 consent decree agreement between the UAW and the U.S. Department of Justice that averted a federal takeover of the union.
“The Monitor has attempted for months to garner the Union’s cooperation in gathering the information needed to conduct a full investigation, but the Union has effectively slow-rolled the Monitor’s access to requested documents,” the court filing reads.
According to CNBC, the filing says the monitor expanded the investigation to include allegations of retaliation by Fain against one of the union’s vice presidents.
Fain told the outlet on Monday night, “Taking our union in a new direction means sometimes you have to rock the boat, and that upsets some people who want to keep the status quo, but our membership expects better and deserves better than the old business as usual.
“We encourage the Monitor to investigate whatever claims are brought to their office, because we know what they’ll find: a UAW leadership committed to serving the membership, and running a democratic union. We’re staying focused on winning record contracts, growing our union, and fighting for economic and social justice on and off the job."
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