This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
Published on September 16, 2019, a federal investigation into the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has uncovered a web of corruption and embezzlement that has left members questioning the leadership's integrity.
According to Paul Wohlfarth, a retired UAW member from Toledo, the scandal has gone beyond a few isolated incidents. 'It seemed like a few bad apples at first, but it's not,' he said. 'It's a whole bushel.'
Since 2017, nine people have been charged with using union funds for personal expenses, including Fiat Chrysler's top labor executive, who allegedly bought a Ferrari sports car and renovated his home using funds meant for a training center.
Recent raids on union properties, including the Black Lake retreat in Onaway, Michigan, and the home of former UAW president Dennis Williams in Corona, California, have further exposed the extent of the corruption.
On Thursday, Vance Pearson, a senior UAW official, was charged with embezzlement, money laundering, and other offenses. The complaint alleged that Pearson and other senior officials spent union funds on luxury villas, golf clubs, and other extravagant items.
