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A2 UP FRONT
Thursday 29 augusT 2019
FBI searches Detroit-area home of UAW president

By ED WHITE at the University of Califor- mortgage paid off in 2014.
DETROIT (AP) — Federal nia-Berkeley. He died in 2015.
agents on Wednesday He said Jones, an accoun- Norwood Jewell , who
searched the suburban De- tant who has been presi- moved into Holiefield's job,
troit home of the president dent for 14 months, has was recently sentenced to
of the United Auto Workers, been an effective leader 15 months in prison. His plea
apparently another step who has repeatedly de- deal listed $60,000 in meals
in a corruption investiga- clared corruption won't be and golf paid with training
tion that has netted labor tolerated. center credit cards. Credit
leaders and auto industry Since 2017, eight people cards also were used for
officials, and damaged the have pleaded guilty in an more than $40,000 in pur-
union's reputation during investigation of union of- chases for Jewell and oth-
contract talks with U.S. car ficials and Fiat Chrysler ex- ers.
companies. ecutives enriching them- Al Iacobelli , Fiat Chrysler's
The UAW criticized the re- selves with money from a chief negotiator against
markable search of Gary job training center in De- the UAW, also enjoyed the
Jones' home in Canton troit. The probe appeared spoils and is serving a 5
Township, insisting it has to widen two weeks ago ½-year sentence. He was
fully cooperated with au- In this July 16, 2019, file photo, Gary Jones, United Auto Workers when a former UAW official ordered to repay $835,000.
thorities. President, speaks during the opening of their contract talks with was charged with accept- Some blue-collar workers
"President Jones is deter- Fiat Chrysler Automobiles in Auburn Hills, Mich. ing kickbacks from union are skeptical about wheth-
mined to uncover and ad- Associated Press vendors. Mike Grimes was er the union is representing
dress any and all wrong- associated with a UAW- their interests in contract
doing, wherever it might ernment, and most impor- California, home of former General Motors training talks with GM, Ford and Fiat
lead," the UAW said in a tantly, when wrongdoing UAW President Dennis Wil- center. He pleaded not Chrysler. Contracts with the
written statement. "There has been discovered, we liams and the union's north- guilty Wednesday. three expire on Sept. 14.
was absolutely no need for have taken strong action ern Michigan retreat. For two years, the union "Profit-laden auto compa-
search warrants to be used to address it," the union "Extraordinary is way over- has dealt with unflatter- nies stand to benefit from
by the government today. said. used but this is extraor- ing stories about senior media leaks, false assump-
"The UAW has voluntarily re- FBI spokeswoman Mara dinary. ... There's a huge leaders turning the UAW- tions and political grand-
sponded to every request Schneider confirmed the amount of information to Fiat Chrysler center into a standing," the UAW said
the government has made search but declined fur- speculate on. But a lot of personal piggy bank. The in response to the search
throughout the course of ther comment. TV stations it will not be informed un- government said General warrants. "The sole focus
its investigation, produced aired video of agents car- til we see much more evi- Holiefield, who was respon- of president Jones and his
literally hundreds of thou- rying bags and boxes from dence as to why and what sible for negotiating with team will be winning at the
sands of documents and Jones' home. Agents also has taken place," said Har- Fiat Chrysler on behalf of bargaining table for our
other materials to the gov- searched the Corona, ley Shaiken, a labor expert the union, had a $262,000 members."q