President's Report - October 2026

PATH OUT OF ADMINISTRATORSHIP

Compliance is how we get out of administratorship. Director Smith noted that every Region 8 local that has come out of administratorship emerged bigger and stronger. Your executive board made our case together:

The new executive board has been aligned from day one and committed to working professionally as a unit.

• Every board member received reference materials on their roles and responsibilities.
• Standing committees are growing significantly, and member engagement is rising.
• New bargaining committee people have been, and will continue to be trained in grievance handling.
• Meetings start on time, and the board is visible and consistent.

What Region 8 expects us to keep doing: holding e-board meetings, posting notices, filing our LM's and 990's correctly, and keeping our servicing rep engaged.

Director Smith is also committed to fixing standing committee call letters, where it relates to regional positions held by our members, so they will not be disadvantaged.

BUILDING RENOVATION 

Our hall is being gutted to the shell and rebuilt, with a project manager overseeing code compliance. All plumbing, electrical, HVAC, and security systems are being replaced. 

• Front: 20-foot extension for a new administrative entrance with parking 
• Back: 20-foot addition with a professional kitchen, roll-up door, and ADA-compliant ramp 
• Restrooms: upgraded for full handicap accessibility 
• Stage: extended, with the permanent podium removed for flexible event use 
• Grounds: parking lot being redone; side shed demolished

MONITOR AND ETHICS HOTLINE

Local 276 - 15 Local 276 has filed 15 ethics hotline reports, the most of any single local in the country. That number is working against our path out of administratorship. 

The monitor is actively intervening at the international level. The monitor has cost $58 million to date, over an underlying issue of less than $175,000. Understand, if the monitor pushes the International around, it will push locals around too. 

My ask of every member: bring your concerns to your local leadership first. We will listen to and act on them.

• Hotline Reports 
  • National - 299 
  • Region 8 - 46 

UAW INTERNATIONAL OFFICER ELECTION 

President Shawn Fain has been re-elected with about 68% of the vote, and his United UAW slate appears to have swept every seat it contested. Our own Region 8 Director, Tim Smith, was re-elected unopposed. These are the official results; they were sworn in on Friday, October 16, 2026. 2026.

Other International offices 

• Secretary-Treasurer: Brandon Campbell (United UAW) won with 68.1%, over incumbent Margaret Mock (23.8%) and Roe Ciers (8.1%).
• Vice Presidents (3 seats): Laura Dickerson (25.4%), Kevin Gotinsky (21.7%), and Ryan Hiestand (19.8%), all United UAW, cleared the 16.7% needed to win in a field of 11. 
• Region 8 Director: Tim Smith (United UAW), unopposed, 10,378 votes. 

Turnout was low across the union. A little over 10% of active and retired members returned ballots, similar to 2022. 

HOW LOCAL 276 VOTED 

Local 276 backed President Fain and the United UAW slate, but by a narrower margin than Region 8 or the union as a whole. Our 864 presidential ballots, from active and retired members, were the third-most in Region 8, behind Locals 862 and 1853. 

Secretary-Treasurer: 

• Brandon Campbell - 402 (47.4%) 
• Margaret Mock - 336 (39.6%), who ran about 14 points stronger here than Region 8's 25.2% 
• Roc Ciers - 110 (13.0%) 

Vice President: 

• Laura Dickerson - 450, Kevin Gotinsky - 319, Mike Booth - 290, Ryan Hiestand - 285 

Region 8 Director: 

• Tim Smith - 740 

What this tells me is: a majority of our members want the International to stay on its current course. But nearly half of our voters chose another candidate - a much larger share than the rest of our region. Many members want more from the International; I will carry that message to Region 8 Leadership. 

Turnout is our other takeaway. 864 ballots is a small share of a local with more than 5,000 active members, plus our retirees. Our goal for the next International election is to double it. 

NEXT STEPS: 

We are on the right track. With your support, Local 276 will come out of administratorship stronger than ever. 

In Solidarity, 

Mike Cartwright, President, UAW Local 276 

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