President | Shawn Fain

UAW President Shawn Fain is a 29-year member of the UAW. Hailing from a family of UAW members, Shawn got his start with the union in 1994 as an electrician for Chrysler at Kokomo Casting Plant in his hometown of Kokomo, Indiana. Two of his grandparents were UAW GM retirees and one grandfather started at Chrysler in 1937, the year the workers joined the union. Shawn is extremely honored to be a UAW member, and proud of his grandparents, so much so, that he always carries one of his grandfather’s pay stubs with him as a reminder of where we come from. Shawn is the proud father of two daughters and a super proud grandfather of two beautiful grandsons and is engaged to his fiancé Keesha McConaghie.

Shawn served his local at every level from Education & Bylaws Chair to CAP Chair, to being elected to five terms as a Skilled Trades Committeeman, and Plant Shop Chairman for Local 1166. During his tenure as local union representative, he was hardworking, persistent, and outspoken for all members of the UAW. In 2007, Shawn was anti-ratification due to the agreement implementing tiers and cutting wages for workers in half. He also stood against plant idling, plant closures and other divisive issues that workers have faced in the past 20-plus years. Many times, at council meetings, he was ostracized for speaking up against the agreements as they didn’t serve the best interest of the Membership.

He was a UAW Negotiator in 2009, during the Chrysler Bankruptcy, and was elected again as negotiator in 2011. He became an International Representative of the UAW in 2012, where he continued to fight for a better standard of living for all UAW members. In 2015, he chaired the International Skilled Trades Sub-committee; after the ratification of the 2015 Agreement, he spearheaded the efforts to defeat the very unpopular Conductor issue. President Fain has been a long-time fighter for the members on the plant floor, many times putting his own job on the line for standing up against vice presidents that wanted to implement policies that would have a negative impact on the membership.

The membership elected Shawn Fain to the office of UAW President in the first-ever direct election for the International Executive Board and he was sworn in as President on March 26, 2023. Shawn has been making headlines throughout the country due to his fighting spirit and willingness to represent the Membership on all levels. Shawn is a no-nonsense type of guy. If you get the chance to speak with him, you’ll see it for yourself.