A federal judge in Detroit wants the UAW’s independent monitor to provide details of complaints received about the union’s first direct election of top leaders.
The order on Thursday from Judge David Lawson follows a court filing last week from monitor Neil Barofsky certifying the results in the election, which had Shawn Fain beating then-incumbent Ray Curry as president of the United Auto Workers union. The monitor’s court filing indicated that all election protests had been resolved, but some protesters were appealing or still had time to appeal to the U.S. Department of Labor.
Lawson, in his order, said he wants the monitor’s office to provide a supplemental report, which would include the number of complaints, the names of the complainants, a summary of allegations and the status of any appeals.
“The report included no details about the substance or procedural posture of any of the election complaints. The court therefore will direct the monitor to submit a supplemental report with those additional details,” according to the order, which was reported first by The Detroit News.
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The election process played out in two parts, with a runoff that wrapped up in the spring following weeks of counting related to challenged ballots. The election itself was not without controversy, with questions raised about low participation and numerous members saying they did not receive ballots.
The contest was the first direct election of top leaders, and was a result of the corruption scandal involving misuse of worker training funds and other issues. Barofsky was tasked with overseeing the union and the election as part of an agreement between the government and the union.
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.