A candidate in the race to become president of the United Auto Workers is suing the union and its court-appointed monitor in an effort to extend the deadline by when members can request ballots and return them in the first direct election of top officers.
Will Lehman, 35, a worker at Mack Trucks Inc. in Macungie, Pennsylvania, on Thursday filed his case in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan seeking to extend the Nov. 28 deadline by 30 days. New York attorney Neil Barofsky, the UAW's monitor, has recommended members mail in their ballots no later than Friday to ensure they're received on time.
The election is the first opportunity for members to voice directly their approval or disapproval of the leadership of one of the largest and most influential unions in the country ahead of next year's contracts negotiations with the Detroit Three automakers. Those talks could have repercussions on plant allocation and worker pay and benefits for decades to come as the industry transitions to electric vehicles.
