Monitor finds UAW Curry slate candidates violated election rules

The court-appointed monitor overseeing the United Auto Workers’ first-ever direct elections has found candidates running with UAW President Ray Curry violated election rules by using union resources to campaign, according to a letter obtained by The Detroit News.

In late October, candidates on the Curry Solidarity Team slate sent campaign emails to about 600 UAW members to encourage support in the election. The monitor investigated and found the addresses used in the distribution “were in part obtained from a Union resource — namely, a list of UAW members who had signed up to receive communications from UAW Region 2B,” the letter reads.

The monitor informed the Curry Solidarity Team slate this was a violation of an election rule prohibiting the use of union resources, including contact lists. The monitor’s office called the violation “unintentional” in its letter to members of the Members United slate, who are backed by Unite All Workers for Democracy, a group of UAW members focused on creating a more democratic union.

As a remedy, the Members United candidates will be able to send emails to the same 600 UAW members.

A representative from UAWD and Shawn Fain, the presidential candidate on the Members United slate, noted UAW members only have until Friday this week to request a ballot.

“They violated the rules, they used lists they shouldn’t have and to come back now and say we can send an email to people that probably have already voted, really isn’t a remedy,” Fain said.

Scott Houldieson, UAWD chairperson, also said the remedy is “too little, too late,” but the Members United candidates will use the opportunity.

“By delaying the response for two weeks after the email went out, that’s two weeks that people have been mailing in their ballots,” he said.

Requests for comment were sent Thursday afternoon to the Curry campaign team and the monitor.