UAW Leadership Shake-Up: What's Next for the Union?

The United Auto Workers (UAW) is going through some big changes. Chris Brooks, who was a top strategist and the chief of staff to UAW President Shawn Fain, is leaving the union. This comes after a federal monitor's report said Brooks was involved in trying to take away duties from another union leader, Margaret Mock. The UAW has been under federal oversight since 2020. This oversight started after a corruption scandal. The monitor, Neil Barofsky, keeps an eye on the union and releases reports about what's going on inside. In the latest report, it was said that Brooks and other leaders tried to remove Mock from her role as secretary-treasurer. The report also said Brooks made false statements to the monitor's office. Brooks didn't respond to requests for comment. The union also didn't comment on the matter. However, Fain said he would give Mock her old responsibilities back. The monitor's report mentioned a text message from Brooks. In it, Brooks compared his actions to "epically dunking on another player in basketball. "There has been tension between Fain and Mock since February 2024. Fain took away some of Mock's duties then. In June, the monitor said some of Fain's actions were improper and driven by retaliation. There have also been reports of financial troubles within the union. It was said that an investment blunder cost the UAW about $80 million. The monitor's report said the union's recent actions, like holding Brooks accountable, show that the union is willing to address retaliation at the highest levels. This shake-up comes as Fain faces another presidential election next year. He narrowly won the last one in 2023. The UAW is also trying to organize factories of foreign automakers. Fain said he is appointing a new senior leadership team. This includes a new chief of staff, Brandon Keatts. Fain hopes these changes will strengthen the union. He also mentioned that the union is preparing for big fights ahead, including negotiations with automakers in 2028. Brooks was seen as one of the main minds behind the union's strike strategy in 2023. The union had workers walk out of selective factories at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. This created chaos for the car companies. After about six weeks, the companies agreed to raise workers' wages by about 25% over the life of the contract.