With hours left before the UAW's national contract with General Motors was set to expire, both sides found themselves in uncharted territory as a widening federal corruption probe implicated the union's leadership.
Negotiators from GM and the union were assessing their options Friday, Sept. 13, after a report that UAW President Gary Jones was among the officials described by investigators as misusing membership funds. GM reportedly was weighing unprecedented steps, including delaying the talks or seeking third-party mediation.
The union held an emergency meeting of its International Executive Board on Friday afternoon. Jones and other board members met for three hours at a Detroit airport hotel and left without commenting to Automotive News, but a source briefed on the discussion said Jones remained in his role as president. Vance Pearson, a regional director arrested Thursday, Sept. 12, also remained on the board.
