Rory Gamble

Last updated
Rory Gamble
Born1956
Occupation(s)American factory worker, trade unionist
Known forActing president of the United Auto Workers (UAW)

Rory Gamble (born 1956) is an American factory worker and trade unionist.

In November 2019, Gamble became the acting president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) following the abrupt resignation of his predecessor, Gary Jones. [1] Jones was charged with and later convicted on fraud charges. [2] He became the first African-American president of the UAW approximately one month after the conclusion of the 2019 General Motors strike. Because of the scandal which brought him to the position of president, UAW faced a potential federal takeover, which he was able to avoid by agreeing to financial safeguards and a court-appointed monitor to oversee operations for six years as well as direct election of UAW officers by membership. [3] On June 30, 2021, Gamble retired from the post and was replaced by Ray Curry. In July 2022, Gamble was awarded the title of "President Emeritus" by the UAW. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">General Motors</span> American multinational automotive company

General Motors (GM), formally the General Motors Company, is an American multinational automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. By sales, it was the largest automaker in the United States in 2022, and was the largest in the world for 77 years before losing the top spot to Toyota in 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Walter Reuther</span> Labor union leader and progressive activist (1907–1970)

Walter Philip Reuther was an American leader of organized labor and civil rights activist who built the United Automobile Workers (UAW) into one of the most progressive labor unions in American history. He saw labor movements not as narrow special interest groups but as instruments to advance social justice and human rights in democratic societies. He leveraged the UAW's resources and influence to advocate for workers' rights, civil rights, women's rights, universal health care, public education, affordable housing, environmental stewardship and nuclear nonproliferation around the world. He believed in Swedish-style social democracy and societal change through nonviolent civil disobedience. He cofounded the AFL-CIO in 1955 with George Meany. He survived two attempted assassinations, including one at home where he was struck by a 12-gauge shotgun blast fired through his kitchen window. He was the fourth and longest serving president of the UAW, serving from 1946 until his death in 1970.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flint sit-down strike</span> 1936–37 labor strike at the General Motors plant in Flint, Michigan

The 1936–1937 Flint sit-down strike, also known as the General Motors sit-down strike, the great GM sit-down strike, and so on, was a sitdown strike at the General Motors plant in Flint, Michigan, United States. It changed the United Automobile Workers (UAW) from a collection of isolated local unions on the fringes of the industry into a major labor union, and led to the unionization of the domestic automobile industry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United Auto Workers</span> American labor union

The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers (UAW), is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States and southern Ontario, Canada. It was founded as part of the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) in the 1930s and grew rapidly from 1936 to the 1950s. The union played a major role in the liberal wing of the Democratic Party under the leadership of Walter Reuther. It was known for gaining high wages and pensions for auto workers, but it was unable to unionize auto plants built by foreign-based car makers in the South after the 1970s, and it went into a steady decline in membership; reasons for this included increased automation, decreased use of labor, movements of manufacturing, and increased globalization.

Robert White, was a prominent leader in the Canadian trade union and labour movement who was the founding president of the Canadian Auto Workers after leading its separation from its American parent, the United Auto Workers, and then president of the Canadian Labour Congress. Born in Northern Ireland, he emigrated with his family to Canada at age 13, settling in Woodstock, Ontario. White died in 2017 at the age of 81 in Kincardine, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rory Stewart</span> British academic, diplomat, and broadcaster (born 1973)

Roderick James Nugent Stewart is a British academic, diplomat, author, broadcaster, former soldier and former politician. He is the president of GiveDirectly and was a visiting fellow at Yale University's Jackson Institute for Global Affairs, where he taught politics and international relations. He hosts the podcast The Rest is Politics with Alastair Campbell. Previously, Stewart served as a minister in four different departments of the UK Government. He then became a Cabinet minister as Secretary of State for International Development from May to July 2019. He served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Penrith and The Border from 2010 to 2019.

Owen Frederick Bieber was an American labor union activist. He was president of the United Auto Workers (UAW) from 1983 to 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob King (labor leader)</span> Trade union leader

Robert Thompson King is an American lawyer and labor union activist and leader. He was elected President of the United Auto Workers (UAW) on June 15, 2010. His term of office ended in June 2014, and King announced his retirement, being succeeded by Dennis Williams as head of the UAW.

The tool and die strike of 1939, also known as the "strategy strike", was an ultimately successful attempt by the United Auto Workers Union (UAW) to be recognized as the sole representative for General Motors workers. In addition to representation rights, the UAW, working jointly with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO), sought to resolve existing grievances of skilled workers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Congress of Industrial Organizations</span> North American federation of labor unions from 1935 to 1955

The Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO) was a federation of unions that organized workers in industrial unions in the United States and Canada from 1935 to 1955. Originally created in 1935 as a committee within the American Federation of Labor (AFL) by John L. Lewis, a leader of the United Mine Workers (UMW), and called the Committee for Industrial Organization. Its name was changed in 1938 when it broke away from the AFL. It focused on organizing unskilled workers, who had been ignored by most of the AFL unions.

The 2021–2022 Columbia University strike was a labor strike involving graduate student workers at Columbia University in New York City. The strike began on March 15, 2021, and ended on May 13, 2021. However, additional strike action commenced on November 3 and lasted until January 7, 2022, when a tentative agreement with the university was reached. The strike was organized by the Graduate Workers of Columbia–United Auto Workers Local 2110 (SWC–UAW), a labor union representing student workers at the university. The goals of the strike were an increase in wages, increased healthcare and childcare coverage, and third-party arbitration in cases of discrimination and sexual harassment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ray Curry</span>

Ray Curry is a former American trade union leader. From July 2021 to March 2023, Curry had served as President of the United Autoworkers. He was elected by the UAW International Executive Board (IEB), replacing Rory Gamble, who was the first Black president of the union. Curry is the second Black president. Curry had previously served as Secretary-Treasurer from 2018 to 2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen and unions</span> Collective worker action at the German auto firm Volkswagen

Workers of the German auto manufacturer Volkswagen Group are collectively organized and represented across a variety of worker organizations including trade unions and Works Councils across the globe. Workers are organized on multiple levels; locally, regionally, nationally, internationally and by marque.

The 2021 Virginia Volvo Trucks strike was a labor strike involving workers at a Volvo Trucks production facility in Dublin, Virginia, United States. The strike began in April and ended in July with the ratification of a new labor contract.

The 1986–1987 John Deere labor dispute, a.k.a. the 1986 John Deere strike and lockout, was a conflict between Deere & Company, more commonly known as John Deere, and its employees. The workers, unionized as part of the United Auto Workers, began selective strikes at three Deere facilities on August 23, 1986. The selective strikes prompted Deere to close the rest of the facilities under the same labor contract as three striking locales, which the UAW, and later The New York Times, called a lockout. On February 1, 1987, workers ratified a tentative agreement which provided stronger benefits to Deere production employees. The conflict was the longest strike ever against Deere, lasting 163 days, or more than five months.

Tesla, Inc. is an American electric car manufacturer which as of January 2023 employs over 127,000 workers across its global operations, none of which are unionized. Tesla CEO Elon Musk has commented negatively on trade unions in relation to Tesla. Despite allegations of high injury rates, long hours, and below-industry pay, efforts to unionize the workforce have been largely unsuccessful.

Nat Ganley, or Nat Kaplan, was a socialist and later communist journalist who became a union organizer in the 1930s, particularly for the United Auto Workers of America. He was tried and convicted in 1954 for violating the Smith Act, but his conviction was later overturned.

General Holiefield was an American labor union leader.

Gary Jones is a former American labor union leader, who was convicted of embezzlement.

Dennis D. Williams is a former American labor union leader, who was convicted of embezzlement.

References

  1. Booker, Brakkton (5 December 2019). "UAW Names Rory Gamble As President, The First African American To Lead Union". NPR. Retrieved 2019-12-11.
  2. Wayland, Michael (10 June 2021). "Second UAW president sentenced to 28 months in prison in union corruption probe". CNBC.
  3. "Rory Gamble, who led UAW through scandal, pandemic, retires". AP NEWS. 25 June 2021.
  4. "RORY L. GAMBLE RECEIVES "PRESIDENT EMERITUS" TITLE AT THE 38TH CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION | UAW". UAW. 30 July 2022.
Trade union offices
Preceded by President of the United Auto Workers
20192021
Succeeded by