UAW federal oversight costs exceed $25.3 million as investigations intensify

The annual filing shows rising monitoring expenses, ongoing internal investigations, and modest membership growth.

On the Dash:

• Rising UAW oversight costs signal continued internal instability that could impact labor negotiations.
• Ongoing investigations and leadership disputes may create uncertainty for automakers and dealers.
• Membership growth to 392,447 suggests stabilization, but financial and governance pressures remain.

Federal oversight of the United Auto Workers (UAW) has cost the union more than $25.3 million, according to an annual report released Tuesday, as investigations into President Shawn Fain and his leadership team have driven up expenses.

The union’s annual LM-2 Labor Department filing detailed payments to court-appointed monitor Neil Barofsky, whose firm, Jenner & Block, has received $25.39 million since 2021. The firm billed more than $7 million last year, an increase of almost 21% from the prior year, as oversight activity intensified. Total costs are higher when accounting for additional firms and internal compliance expenses.

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The monitor was installed under a 2021 consent decree following a corruption scandal involving two former UAW presidents and others who faced criminal charges. The agreement mandates at least six years of federal oversight.

The rising costs come as the union navigates internal disputes and governance challenges. A legal battle last year between the union and the monitor centered on access to internal communications, including text messages tied to the removal of Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock and Vice President Rich Boyer. The monitor later reported that Fain’s chief of staff colluded with the union’s compliance director to falsify allegations against Mock. Both Mock and Boyer have since been restored to leadership roles, while the compliance director and Fain’s chief of staff have resigned.

The report also cited extensive deletion of text messages from devices belonging to Fain and the former compliance director.

Financial disclosures show Fain’s total compensation reached $276,378 last year, up less than 1% from 2024, including a base salary of $245,390. Mock earned $250,633, including $227,953 in salary. Compensation for vice presidents ranged from $158,912 to $251,406, depending on role and tenure.

Despite the governance issues, union membership grew 4.6% in 2025 to 392,447, up from 375,161 a year earlier. The increase marks the largest year-over-year gain since Fain’s 2023 election, when membership stood at 370,239, its lowest level since 2009.

The oversight costs and internal investigations are expected to remain key issues ahead of the union’s convention in June and leadership elections later this summer.