Shawn Fain declared victory in the United Auto Workers’ Oct. 9 election, securing a second four-year term as preliminary results showed overwhelming support for his leadership and labor strategy.
Fain received more than two-thirds of the counted votes and comfortably defeated five challengers, with UAW Vice President Rich Boyer finishing a distant second. The figures were preliminary and released as ballots were reviewed by a federal monitor overseeing the union’s internal election. Fain’s United UAW slate also appeared likely to win most of the other International Executive Board contests, giving the president broad control over the union’s leadership.
The election amounted to a member endorsement of Fain’s more aggressive approach, including the 2023 “Stand-Up Strike” against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, as well as expanded organizing campaigns. Under Fain, the 2023 contracts delivered wage increases of more than 25% over four years, and he has promised to seek additional gains in the next bargaining round. The Detroit automakers are watching the result closely because their current contracts expire in 2028, when Fain has indicated he will push to restore pensions for newer workers.
Turnout was relatively low, with roughly 10% of eligible active members and retirees returning ballots, but the outcome preserves the UAW’s current direction.