UAW

A former UAW president faces prison time after pleading guilty Wednesday to charges including embezzlement, racketeering and tax evasion.

When he’s sentenced in October, Gary Jones could get up to five years on each of two counts and fined a quarter million dollars, though the sentence will likely be less, since Jones has agreed to cooperate with a federal investigation into the union.

Former United Autoworkers President Gary Jones was arraigned Thursday in U.S. District Court in Detroit on charges arising from a federal investigation into corruption in the union.

The arraignment hearing was conducted by video conferencing since federal district courthouses are closed on account of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Federal prosecutors have charged Gary Jones, the former President of the United Auto Workers, with three felonies, including embezzlement.

Jones is the highest-ranking official charged so far in an FBI investigation of corruption in the union. 

Another former UAW official has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in the ongoing corruption investigation of the union.

A judge sentenced Michael Grimes to 28 months in prison. That’s longer than what prosecutors requested.

Months after the strike at General Motors ended, thousands of workers are being required to work long hours to catch up on a parts backlog.

At least six GM plants – including five in Michigan – are on so-called “emergency status.”

Unionized workers at Fiat Chrysler have voted overwhelmingly to approve a new four-year contract with the company.

The ratification means the United Auto Workers union has settled with all three Detroit automakers.

The United Auto Workers announced some internal changes on Monday in response to a federal investigation into the union’s finances.

General Motors has filed an unprecedented federal racketeering lawsuit against its crosstown Detroit rival, Fiat Chrysler.

General Motors is suing Fiat Chrysler, alleging that its crosstown rival got an unfair business advantage by bribing officials of the United Auto Workers union.

The lawsuit, filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Detroit, alleges that FCA was involved in racketeering by paying millions in bribes to get concessions and gain advantages in three labor agreements with the union.

United Auto Workers Acting President Rory Gamble has announced the implementation of "widespread ethics reforms." The move comes in the midst of a widening FBI investigation that has uncovered a pattern of corruption among union leaders.

In a statement, Gamble says, "As the acting president, I'm committed to putting in place the right mechanisms to safeguard our union, regaining the trust of our members, and ensuring the misconduct that has recently come to light will never happen again.

A retired United Auto Workers vice president has become the highest-ranking union official yet charged in a federal corruption investigation.

Joe Ashton was the union’s representative on the board of General Motors, and also sat on the board of the UAW-GM Center for Human Resources, a joint worker training center. He’s charged with fraud and money laundering.

DETROIT (AP) — United Auto Workers President Gary Jones is taking a paid leave of absence amid a federal investigation of corruption in the union.

The UAW said Jones requested the leave, which is effective Sunday.

The federal government has been investigating fraud and misuse of funds at the UAW for more than two years.

Jones has not been charged. But in a court filing last week, federal prosecutors alleged that seven top UAW officials conspired since 2010 to embezzle funds through schemes such as submitting false vouchers for conference expenses.

Jeff “Paycheck” Pietrzyk, aide to former United Auto Workers Vice President Joe Ashton, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and another count of conspiring to launder money. Pietrzyk is the eleventh person charged and the tenth person to plead guilty in the ongoing federal probe into corruption within the UAW.

After one month of striking, the United Auto Workers have reached a deal with General Motors.

The proposed deal, which was announced Thursday, would increase wages, keep the Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant Plant open, and lead to 9,000 new or retained jobs - a jump from GM's original proposal of 5,400 jobs.

United Auto Workers said Saturday it's increasing strike pay for workers picketing at General Motors as the walkout by more than 49,000 employees nears the four-week mark.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer stopped by a UAW picket line at a General Motors plant near Grand Rapids Thursday evening.

The governor and her team rolled up in black SUVs just before dusk. Whitmer posed for pictures, shook hands, and listened as workers described what’s at stake for them in the strike.

Nearly 50,000 workers have been on strike against GM since last month. They say they’re holding out for higher wages, and job security for temporary workers.