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Today, Education and Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-MI) and Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions Subcommittee Chairman Rick Allen (R-GA) sent a letter to United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain demanding answers about the union's handling of an August 23, 2026, vote on a proposed John Deere contract extension.
 
The Committee received reports that voting hours and locations made it difficult for some workers to cast their ballots and that UAW leadership failed to disclose vote totals to members. The lawmakers are seeking documents detailing how the vote was conducted, ballots were counted, and results were reported.
 
In the letter, Walberg and Allen wrote: “This inquiry does not concern whether UAW members should have accepted or rejected John Deere’s proposal. Rather, the Committee seeks to ensure that when union members exercise that choice, they have a fair opportunity to participate and can have confidence that their votes are accurately counted and reported.”
 
The lawmakers continued: “The UAW’s constitution provides for membership ratification and expressly allows alternative procedures approved by a UAW Regional Director to encourage greater participation. Its preamble also calls for transparency, democratic participation, and communication by elected union leaders. Union members should be able to trust that these commitments are upheld when voting on matters affecting their wages, benefits, and working conditions.”
 
Walberg and Allen added: “The Committee seeks to determine whether additional safeguards are needed to ensure access to, recordkeeping for, and disclosure of contract ratification votes and greater transparency in the reporting of their results.”
 
Despite requests from union members, UAW leadership reportedly has not disclosed the vote totals. The Committee is requesting detailed voting records, including turnout, vote counts, and communications concerning decisions to withhold results.
 
The lawmakers requested that the UAW provide the documents and information by November 13, 2026. The inquiry builds on the Committee's ongoing oversight of UAW leadership and its accountability to rank-and-file members.
 
Read the full letter here.