Shawn Fain was re-elected to a second term as president of United Auto Workers, despite allegations of misconduct that threatened to overshadow his national political stature and his successes at the helm of the union.
Mr. Fain, a profane and combative leader, prevailed over a divided field that included former allies who split with Mr. Fain, and who have publicly criticized him for his tactics to expand the union’s numbers and influence.
The U.S. attorney’s office in Detroit has opened a criminal investigation into Mr. Fain’s conduct, prompted by a federal monitor’s findings that he had abused his authority. It is not clear how the union would respond if he were indicted.
Mr. Fain said the results demonstrated that U.A.W. members “are united and want us to keep fighting and building on what we’ve done.”
“These results are about taking on corporate America and reversing the worst out-of-control wealth inequality in America’s history,” he said in a statement. “We are fighting for the entire working class, whether that’s at the bargaining table, organizing new members, or in the political arena.”
The unofficial vote count was released on Tuesday in a report filed in federal court by the monitor, who oversees the union’s elections as part of a 2021 court settlement to resolve corruption charges involving some of Mr. Fain’s predecessors.
According to the monitor’s report, Mr. Fain received about two-thirds of the total votes cast. The union has about 400,000 active members, and roughly 100,000 ballots were accepted.
Mr. Fain was elected in 2023 as a reformer. But he has been at odds with the monitor, starting with a series of tense exchanges in the wake of the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks in Israel.
In recent months, Mr. Fain has accused Neil Barofsky, the federal monitor, of targeting him over his political stances, in particular the union’s support for a cease-fire in Gaza. Mr. Barofsky has accused Mr. Fain of abusing his authority and retaliating against board members who refused to do his bidding.
Both men have denied wrongdoing. Federal prosecutors in Detroit, who are participating in oversight of the union, opened a grand jury investigation into Mr. Fain prompted by the monitor’s findings.
A representative for the U.S. attorney’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Mr. Fain rose to prominence in 2024, when U.A.W. staged a strike against General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis, winning substantial raises — contracts set to expire in May 2028. Other negotiations are coming up in 2027, including at General Dynamics Land Systems and John Deere.
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