Posts tagged Neil Barofsky
The moment tensions erupted between UAW’s Fain, federal monitor
July 8, 2026 // The expletive-laden discussion from February 2024 — details of which have never before been reported — is newly relevant after the court-appointed monitor, Neil Barofsky, released his latest blistering report about the union last month. It described how Fain, who is up for reelection this fall, had retaliated against union Vice President Rich Boyer, improperly used his authority to benefit his fiancée and her sister, and destroyed evidence including text messages.
Federal monitor says UAW head Fain abused authority; Fain denies findings
June 29, 2026 // he federally appointed watchdog overseeing the United Auto Workers union found that its president, Shawn Fain, retaliated against a top officer and improperly used his authority, including in ways that would benefit his fiancée and her sister. New York attorney Neil Barofsky, the monitor overseeing UAW activities, said in a report released on Thursday that Fain retaliated against a union official, Rich Boyer, after Boyer pushed back against some of Fain’s actions.
UAW finalizes candidate list for upcoming election. See who is running
June 18, 2026 // The United Auto Workers finalized its nominations for the highest seats in the union on Wednesday, June 17, with current Vice President Rich Boyer officially jumping into a six-person presidential race to unseat the incumbent, Shawn Fain. Boyer, who has been in an enduring feud with Fain, emerges as a prominent contender against the popular president. Delegates of the UAW spent Wednesday afternoon in the convention hall at Huntington Place in downtown Detroit nominating which candidates they would like to see take over the union's international executive board, which is a 14-member panel of leaders that oversees the operations of the nearly 400,000-member union. Nominations for officers (president, vice presidents and secretary-treasurer) were finalized on Wednesday evening.
Shawn Fain seeks reelection as UAW convention tackles major policy issues
June 15, 2026 // Key issues include: Increasing strike pay from $500 to $625 per week. Potentially reducing union dues from 2.5 hours of pay to 2 hours. Determining how aggressively to fund future organizing campaigns. Clarifying membership and retiree eligibility rules. Protecting the union’s direct election system. The convention comes as the UAW navigates the aftermath of a corruption scandal that sent two former presidents to prison and placed the union under federal oversight. Notably, court-appointed monitor Neil Barofsky has criticized Fain and other senior leaders over transparency and internal governance concerns, with another report expected soon.
In another letter to court, member urges monitor investigate UAW local
April 13, 2026 // The latest letter, submitted by UAW retiree Rick Michael, a former parole officer represented at UAW Local 6000 in Lansing, requests that the monitor look beyond President Shawn Fain and his administration's conduct. Previously, Michael wrote in December to ask the monitor to investigate claims of discrimination taking place at Local 6000. He had previously been told it was outside of the monitor's purview.
UAW Federal Oversight Cost Union More Than $25M So Far
April 4, 2026 // These rising expenditures come at a time when the UAW faces broader financial pressure, with relatively flat membership growth over the past several years. Despite these headwinds, the UAW reported more substantial gains in 2025, with total membership rising 4.6 percent to 392,447 members, up from 375,161 the previous year. The 2025 calendar year marked the biggest annual membership increase since Fain was elected as union president in 2023. The report also provides additional insight into compensation among UAW leadership, with Fain receiving $276,378 in total compensation last year.
Cost of Fed oversight of UAW skyrockets as union moves from scandal
April 1, 2026 // Barofsky's firm, Jenner & Block, has been paid $25.39 million since 2021, and the firm charged more than $7 million last year ― an increase of almost 21% from one year earlier ― as the watchdog and his team investigated Fain and several members of his team. The total cost of federal oversight, however, is much higher, considering there are additional firms working for Barofsky.
Commentary: Jacobin’s New Columnist Chris Brooks Doesn’t Disclose Corruption Charges that Led to His Ouster from UAW
February 9, 2026 // However, nowhere in Brooks’ inaugural column titled “Four Lessons From the UAW’s Turn Toward Class Struggle” is his ouster from the UAW over his illegal conduct ever mentioned. This, even though it was covered by major publications including the Detroit Free Press, Reuters, and even Brook’s hometown paper, The Chattanooga Times Free Press. Instead, Jacobin gave a platform to a corrupt union official to repair his legacy without ever having to address the very serious allegations of corruption, dishonesty, and retaliation, or the violation of federal law that forced him out of union office.
3 UAW officers ordered to pay $50,000 back to union after audit
February 2, 2026 // Instead, Gjokaj and two other local officers appointed then are each facing an order to repay almost $50,000 dollars to their union for “overpayment of lost time,” because the wages they were paid were not written properly into the local’s bylaws. “Lost time” refers to hours spent working on behalf of the union when a local officer would otherwise be working for the company. Gjokaj, who is contesting the order to repay the $49,954.73 he received over 13 months spanning 2023 to 2024, said he understands why there is concern over the wages he earned, though he had no idea the union was violating rules. The amount he’s been ordered to repay is more than half of his total compensation he took home during that time (UAW officers are paid by the company when working in the factory, and paid by the union when staffing the local union hall).
Former Chattanooga activist Chris Brooks has left his senior union post after federal monitor report
January 1, 2026 // Chris Brooks, a former Chattanooga activist and an architect of the United Auto Workers' 2024 win at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant, has left his senior union post after a federal monitor's report said he conspired to retaliate against another union leader in an internal power struggle.