DETROIT — The United Auto Workers' 38th Constitutional Convention ended on a dramatic note Thursday, reflecting internal fissures — as well as some signs of progress — in a union attempting to move beyond a years-long corruption scandal and position itself for an uncertain future.
In an unexpected move, UAW President Ray Curry skipped the traditional state of the union address after repeatedly delaying it earlier in the week. Some delegates also left the convention furious and confused about a move late in the day to reverse a vote that increased strike pay. And much of the morning on the convention's final day at Huntington Place was spent on a procedural matter that some saw as an attempted filibuster.
Still, numerous delegates to the quadrennial event said they felt it was the most democratic convention they'd been to yet and were encouraged by progress they felt had been made on key reforms and policies.
