UAW Rank-and-File Reformer Says There’s “No More Asking ‘Please’”
UAW reform candidates have made sweeping gains in recent leadership elections. In an interview, recently elected rank-and-file worker Daniel Vicente explains how the reform slate is seeking to deliver members a more democratic, militant union.
New UAW regional director Daniel Vicente: “UAW exists as part of a larger labor movement that right now has a fire under it, and we need to take advantage of that fire.” (Jeremy Hogan / SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images)
Reform challenger Shawn Fain appears poised to win the presidency of the United Auto Workers, defeating incumbent Ray Curry for the union’s top leadership spot. With more than 137,000 votes counted, Fain has a lead of 645 votes; the counting of the remaining challenged ballots will resume March 16.
If Fain wins, challengers to the ruling caucus will hold not only the presidency but also a majority on the union’s international executive board. UAW Members United ran on a platform of no corruption, no tiers, and no concessions.
It’s a watershed after nearly eighty years of the Administration Caucus’s stranglehold on power — defined by corruption scandals, diminished bargaining power, and a multitier wage system that wrecked worker solidarity.
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