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Podcast: The IBJ Podcast with Mason King
Episode: Shawn Fain, UAW’s firebrand prez, was forged in Kokomo’s union hotbed
Description: Shawn Fain seemingly came from nowhere to win the United Auto Workers presidential election in March by a razor-thin margin. He ran on a reform platform promising to toss out the status quo and stand up to the Big Three automakers: GM, Ford, and Stellantis. He took a hard line in contract negotiations, and when the automakers didn’t meet the union’s aggressive demands by the Sept. 15 deadline, the UAW took the unusual tack of striking against all three companies at the same time.
It’s still in the midst of what’s called a standup strike, ...