*

Shawn Fain took over as UAW president in 2023

*

Investigation includes scrutiny of UAW official's

complaints

*

Probe now includes allegations from Stellantis ( STLA ) department

leader

(Adds secretary-treasurer's name in paragraph 2, Fain comments

in paragraphs 3-4)

By Nora Eckert and David Shepardson

DETROIT, June 10 (Reuters) - United Auto Workers

President Shawn Fain is under investigation by an independent

federal monitor over allegations of retaliation against other

union leaders, according to a court filing on Monday.

Monitor Neil Barofsky opened an investigation in February to

review allegations, including that UAW Secretary-Treasurer

Margaret Mock said she had faced retaliation for her refusal or

reluctance to authorize certain expenditures for Fain's office,

according to the filing. Barofsky also opened a probe into

Mock's actions.

Fain said in a statement that he encouraged the monitor "to

investigate whatever claims are brought to their office, because

we know what they'll find: a UAW leadership committed to serving

the membership, and running a democratic union."

Fain added "taking our union in a new direction means

sometimes you have to rock the boat, and that upsets some people

who want to keep the status quo."

Barofsky was appointed federal monitor in 2021 as the UAW

grappled with a corruption scandal that resulted in the federal

convictions of several former leaders. Two former UAW presidents

were sentenced to prison time as part of the probe.

The monitor expanded his investigation to also include

allegations made by Fain against the leader of the union's

Stellantis ( STLA ) department, Rich Boyer. Fain took over

Boyer's duties at the end of May.

Union officials did not immediately respond to requests for

comment on behalf of Boyer and Mock.

Fain alleged Boyer's responsibilities were reassigned

because of his "dereliction of duty" in connection with

collective bargaining issues.

The monitor later received complaints that Fain's decision

was an act of retaliation because Boyer refused to engage in

acts of financial misconduct to benefit others, according to the

court filing.

The monitor said the union had not produced the documents he

requested quickly enough. UAW officials have turned over

approximately 2,600 documents of the potentially relevant pool

of about 116,000 documents, according to the filing.

The Department of Justice also informed the monitor that the

union's position was "making it difficult, if not impossible,

for the Monitor to fulfill his mandate to remove fraud,

corruption and illegality from within the UAW," the filing said.

Fain assumed his post last year after narrowly winning the

first direct election in the union's history. He led the labor

group through a six-week strike against the Detroit automakers

last autumn, and is spearheading a nationwide organizing

campaign across the U.S. South and West.

That campaign suffered a blow last month when the union lost

a vote at a Mercedes plant in Alabama. Weeks earlier, it had

clinched a historic victory at a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee.

Fain has emerged as an important figure for President Joe

Biden during this election year as the U.S. leader tries to win

over auto workers and voters in Michigan, a key swing state.

Biden joined Fain at a picket line in Michigan to support

striking auto workers in September. Fain also attended the 2024

State of the Union Address, after the UAW endorsed Biden in

January.