UAW regional director Gary Jones nominated as UAW president

Unanimous vote of caucus that has selected UAW president since 1970

By ED FINKELSTEIN

Publisher

Gary Jones, the highly respected, effective director of St. Louis-based Region 5 of the United Auto Workers (UAW), has been nominated by the Reuther Caucus to become the UAW’s next president.

The UAW’s nomination process goes through a caucus procedure where local union members, officers and international officers debate and then nominate a slate of potential candidates for consideration at the UAW’s national convention, to be held June 11, 2018 in Detroit.

The Reuther Caucus, also known as the Administrative Caucus, is the largest and most influential in selecting the union’s president, having successfully done so for the past 70 years. Jones was the unanimous selection of the Caucus.

“I am proud and honored to receive the unanimous recommendation of our caucus,” Jones told the Labor Tribune. “Like the rest of the Labor Movement, we have many challenges ahead. Our leadership team accepts those challenges and will work every day, every hour, to serve the members who are our proud union.”

EXPERIENCED LEADER

As a 42-year UAW member, Jones has accumulated extensive practical experience in UAW operations:

• At the grassroots with his original local in Broken Arrow, OK, then with Local 249 at the Kansas City Ford Assembly plant.

• With the International UAW when in 1990 UAW President Owen Bieber appointed Jones to the union’s accounting department. A year later he was named UAW’s chief accountant. Jones is a certified public accountant and still maintains his CPA license.

• With UAW leadership as UAW Region 5’s director since 2012 after serving as assistant regional director from 2004 to 2012. Jones previously served as chief administrator for three UAW secretary-treasurers and has been a member of UAW’s executive board for the past five years.

Jones and his wife Cindy live in O’Fallon, Mo where they are members of the First Baptist Church. They have two daughters and three grandchildren.

LABOR COUNCIL CONGRATULATIONS

“We are excited and pleased and extend our congratulations to Brother Jones’ on his nomination,” said Greater St. Louis Labor Council President Pat White.

“St. Louis has a long tradition of highly skilled, highly qualified leaders becoming general presidents of their unions. With his years of experience at all levels of the UAW, Brother Jones fits that mold perfectly. We are confident that Brother Jones election to lead the UAW will continue that tradition,” White added.

REGION 5

Region 5 is the largest of nine within the UAW. In addition to Missouri, it encompasses Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.

The Jones slate includes re-nomination of Secretary-Treasurer Gary Casteel and Vice President Cindy Estrada; and nominations for two additional vice presidents —  Region 1A Director Rory Gamble and Region 9 Director Terry Dittes.