The United Auto Workers (UAW) union today announced that its president, Rory Gamble will retire on June 30, 2021, at the age of 65. He still had one year left in his term.
Gamble took charge of the 400,000-strong union that represents auto workers at the Detroit Three’s manufacturing plants, among others, in 2019. He took over from Gary Jones who was ousted for embezzling union funds and was recently charged for his crimes.
“I said on Day One I would hand over the keys to this treasured institution as a clean union,” said Gamble in a statement released by the UAW. “My original intent as a UAW Vice President was to retire at the end of June 2021, and after looking at the progress we have made and the best interests of UAW members for a stable transfer of power, this is the right time for me to turn over the reins.”
Read More: United Auto Workers Elect Rory Gamble As New President
Gamble’s term was marked by the fallout from the scandal that led to his appointment as president of the union. The scandal saw at least two former presidents of the union taking bribes from automaker FCA (whose brands now belong to Stellantis). It led the UAW to accept independent, federal oversight.
He has also overseen the union through the Covid-19 pandemic, the chip shortage, and has tried to set the union up for the electric future, attempting to get workers at U.S. battery plants represented by the union.
That will be a continuing mission as the UAW welcomes a new union president, who will be voted in by the International Executive Board to finish out the current term. Reuters reports that Secretary-Treasurer Ray Curry, and Vice Presidents Cindy Estrada, Terry Dittes, and Gerald Kariem are all front runners to follow Gamble.
The retiring president said that his wish for his successor is that they can serve multiple terms.
“You need time to settle in and look at the long-range focus and priorities of our membership,” he said. “Especially in this time of vast technological change.”
