This week starts off with a focus on the UAW’s vote in a runoff election to determine who will lead the organization: old-guard incumbent Ray Curry or militant upstart challenger Shawn Fain.
The vote count is expected to be complete and a winner declared today. The final results have been delayed a week due to more than 1,600 votes that needed to be more closely examined to determine who the union member actually voted for.
However, prior to that Fain was leading by more than 600 votes. Curry and the old guard of the Administration Caucus were concerned enough about the outcome to ask the court-appointed monitor to set aside the current results and run the election again.
That request was denied. Fain was declared the winner and sworn in on Sunday.
The shift away from the old guard comes at a critical time too as the union readies to hold its bargaining convention to determine what issues are important to wrangle for in the next deal. Talks with GM, Ford and Stellantis begin this summer.
We’ll also begin looking ahead to the New York International Auto Show, which kicks off for journalists April 5. Automakers typically begin to tease what vehicles or concepts they plan to show in the Big Apple. As they become available, we’ll make sure to keep you informed.
Last, we’re set to sit down midweek for a panel focused on the future of connected cars, what consumers can expect in the next generation of vehicles and beyond, and how automakers like Stellantis are making the leap to true, software-defined vehicles.