Rory Gamble picked as UAW president, will serve until 2022

DETROIT _ Rory Gamble will remain at the head of the UAW.

Gamble, who had been tapped as acting president in the wake of Gary Jones' resignation in disgrace, was picked Thursday as the permanent replacement to fill the remainder of Jones' term, which ends in 2022. Gamble, who makes history as the union's first African-American president, has moved quickly in the past few weeks, announcing ethics and other reforms and meeting with the media, in an effort to restore the trust of the membership and forestall federal intervention in the union, which has more than 400,000 members.

Gamble's selection was made Thursday by the UAW International Executive Board on a unanimous vote, according to the union.

"This is an honor to complete my career and serve the members of this great union in this capacity," Gamble said in a news release. "This wasn't planned and it is a tall order. There are difficult decisions that will need to be made in the coming months for our members. But I promise one thing, when I retire and turn over this office, we will deliver a clean union on solid footing."

Gamble, 64, was elevated to acting president after Jones took an unexpected leave of absence after he was accused as an unnamed union official of embezzling funds and his house was raided. Jones has not been charged but was identified to the Free Press by a source. Gamble spent 12 years as director of Region 1A before being elected vice president and head of the union's Ford Department in 2018, the union said.

Gamble started his UAW career as a welder fixture repairman. He played defensive tackle at Northwestern High School in Detroit and credited his father, a former elected officer of Local 600, as an early mentor.

Gamble led negotiations for the union as it inked a deal for a new four-year contract with Ford, the second agreement the union negotiated with the Detroit Three during this year's bargaining. The union announced on Wednesday that its deal with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles would go to members for a vote beginning Friday.

In a column in the Free Press last month, Gamble noted that he is "not here to play games," explaining that he had been planning to retire after 40 years with the UAW but was moved to step up because of the serious issues confronting the union. In his latest statement, Gamble highlighted the work ahead.

"Together, our members, local leaders and our Board have an opportunity to set the UAW on a course for generations," Gamble said in the release. "There are many opportunities through new technology; new jobs; new organizing drives and collective bargaining gains to lift up our families, our communities and the middle class. We are in this together as we work through these changes and challenges."

The union noted that the vacancy in Gamble's vice presidential spot would be filled in January by the board. In addition, the vacancy in UAW Region 5 left by the resignation of Vance Pearson would be filled at a meeting in the coming weeks by delegates elected by members in the region, the union said. Pearson, who is facing federal criminal charges, resigned as director as the union moved to oust him, and Jones, over allegations related to the scandal.

Thirteen people, including ex-union and former FCA officials, have been charged to date in a scandal that exploded into public view in 2017 with the indictments of Monica Morgan, the widow of the late UAW VP General Holiefield, and Alphons Iacobelli, the one-time lead labor negotiator for FCA.