The current UAW President, Rory Gamble, has announced that he will retire on June 30th, 2021. The UAW International Executive Board (IEB) unanimously elected Secretary-Treasurer Ray Curry as Gamble’s successor.
UAW President Rory Gamble
Gamble took on the role of UAW Acting President on November 3rd, 2019, following the departure of Gary Jones amid an FBI corruption investigation. Gamble was named President on December 5th, 2019. A welder fixture repairman by trade, Gamble joined the UAW in 1974, and has since served in a variety of elected and appointed positions since, including UAW Vice President.
As UAW President, Gamble oversaw a union ethics reform initiative, and is credited with helping to save the workers union from a possible government takeover. Gamble also led the UAW through the COVID-19 pandemic and global semiconductor shortage, as well as UAW support for Joe Biden in the 2020 Presidential Election.
“I said on Day One I would hand over the keys to this treasured institution as a clean union,” Gamble said. “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.”
Following Gamble’s departure, UAW Secretary-Treasurer Ray Curry will take over as UAW President, serving for the remainder of the term, which is set to end in June of 2022. Prior to serving as UAW Secretary-Treasurer, Curry worked as an assembler at Freightliner Trucks in North Carolina.
In a statement, Curry voiced his commitment to a smooth transition of power, and praised the reforms enacted under Gamble’s leadership.
“Industry is at a crossroads right now with massive changes in new innovative technologies,” Curry said. “It will be up to us to navigate through this monumental shift in mobility and manufacturing. And certainly, our priority – and my priority – is to grow our membership across all sectors, and new sectors, including gaming, higher education, public health, parts suppliers and auto transnationals. Whether in Charleston, South Carolina, Alabama, New York, or California, these workers and educators all deserve a voice in the workplace, and it is our duty to make that happen.”
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