How Does The UAW Spend Money? Union Files Finances With Labor Department

If you’ve ever been curious how the UAW spends its money, the auto workers union recently filed its annual financial details with the U.S. Department of Labor. While the brunt of this pertains to expenditures, it likewise provides information on management salaries, organizational assets, the union’s current membership tally, and more.

According to the LM-2 form (h/t Detroit Free Press), which unions are required to submit to the Office of Labor-Management Standards each year, the UAW had 375,161 members at the end of 2024. That’s a modest increase from the previous year and the direct result of the union pulling in Volkswagen employees from Tennessee. But it’s still fewer members than the organization had in 2022 and nowhere near the 1979 peak of 1.5 million members.

The documents stipulate that the UAW’s total assets moved from $1.14 billion to nearly $1.18 billion over the course of 2024, with liabilities increasing from $3.8 million to $6.7 million within the same period. Total receipts were about $300 million and disbursements about $309 million. Available cash declined by roughly $10 million, however.

The union accumulated a stated $218 million in per capita tax related to its membership numbers. About $43 million was accrued via interest, with another $217,286 in rent, $46,000 in fixed assets, and over $27,000 in dividends.

UAW President Shawn Fain earned a reported $229,514 in direct payments (not including any deductions) last year. However, that figure rises to $274,407 once you factor in disbursements (benefits, investments, or money coming from any of the union’s numerous funds).

From Detroit Free Press:

Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock received $224,861 in gross salary, with total payments, including disbursements for official business, of $247,169.

UAW Vice Presidents Mike Booth, Rich Boyer and Chuck Browning had gross salaries of $211,001 and total disbursements of $235,968, $226,625 and $234,776, respectively. Booth heads the union’s General Motors department and Browning leads the Ford department. Boyer was stripped of his Stellantis duties last year.

Kevin Gotinsky, who is listed as a top administrative assistant, now leads the Stellantis department. His gross salary was $177,942, and he had total disbursements of $198,956.

Expenditures were made for the court-ordered watchdog that’s supposed to stamp out corruption following a scandal that saw top-level union management and a Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executive criminally charged a few years ago. This included a payment of $5.8 million to the Jenner & Block law firm for independent monitor services (headed by Neil M. Barofsky) and $265,865 to KLDiscovery Holdings of Minnesota for the necessary data storage.

With no strikes requiring the union to draw from its absolutely massive strike fund last year, one of its biggest expenditures pertained to political lobbying. Almost $22 million went toward that for 2024, with a sizable $127 million being used for “representational activities.” Additional spending included $32 million for generalized operations and $9.8 million in union administration fees. Another $48 million was put toward investing and purchasing fresh assets.

If you want to see the full report — or any other relevant financial reports the union filed with the government — follow this link to the Department of Labor and input the relevant information. Due to the fact that all the files have to be individually downloaded, you’ll need to input the abbreviated name of the union (UAW) in addition to the year you want and the fact that you’re looking for an LM-2 form.

[Images: Luis Yanez/Shutterstock; Daniel J. Macy/Shutterstock; Ryanzo W. Perez/Shutterstock]

Become a TTAC insider. Get the latest news, features, TTAC takes, and everything else that gets to the truth about cars first by  subscribing to our newsletter.