UAW President Ray Curry's $1,900 football tickets weren't ethics violation, inquiry finds

UAW President Ray Curry has been cleared of wrongdoing after a months-long inquiry into his use of football tickets to attend the College Football Playoff National Championship game obtained as part of an advertising buy before he became president in 2021, the Free Press learned Thursday.

"There's ample evidence that Mr. Curry traveled to Florida for legitimate UAW business, not to attend the Jan. 9, 2017 game," according to the ethics investigation findings released Thursday by the UAW.

Use of the tickets, a perk commonly included for media clients who purchase advertising packages, had been determined not to constitute a violation of UAW policies. Still, Curry reimbursed the union $1,900 in May 2021 — the face value of all four tickets to the game between the University of  Alabama and Clemson University — after questions surfaced during a federal review of union practices at the conclusion of a long-term corruption investigation, the UAW confirmed this week. Curry also issued an apology.

Neil Barofsky, the official tasked with monitoring the UAW as part of the federal resolution of the government's criminal case against the union, investigated Curry’s use of football tickets and ultimately opted not to file charges against Curry, referring the case to the union’s ethics officer in November.

'No evidence' of unethical activity

The investigating ombudsman for the UAW is an outside company called Exiger, which provides findings to Wilma Liebman, the new UAW ethics officer who began in 2021 after chairing the National Labor Relations Board under President Barack Obama.

Liebman is appointed by the UAW but operates independently. She oversees the ombudsman's investigations and can issue reports and recommendations for corrective action.

The findings on Curry, compiled by Exiger and Liebman, "found no evidence to indicate he took advantage of his position or that he was engaging in unethical activity." 

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The latest report noted that Curry had to be reminded that he had tickets available to him at the time.

However, the UAW since has tightened up policies to prohibit the union from entering into contracts that include tickets to entertainment or sporting events as part of sponsor packages.

'Turning every stone'

Matthew Schneider, a lawyer at the Honigman firm in Detroit and the former U.S. Attorney who led the corruption prosecution of more than a dozen UAW and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles executives for theft and bribery, told the Free Press he was pleased with the outcome. 

“The fact that this ethics complaint was so thoroughly investigated is even more important than the outcome," Schneider said. "Years ago, no one would even bat an eye at this kind of allegation, but now the UAW is turning over every stone to investigate — which proves the UAW reforms are truly working.”

Curry, the former secretary-treasurer of the union, a truck assembler and military veteran, took the helm in June 2021 after Rory Gamble retired.

In a letter to members Curry sent Thursday, he said, "I’ve committed to lead with transparency and in full support of the ethical reforms necessary to restore full confidence in our union. Although there is more work to be done, I can confidently say that we have come a long way."

Tickets 'incidental'

The ethics investigation "found no evidence Mr. Curry violated UAW policies or otherwise acted unethically by using the tickets, purchased by Region 8 as part of an advertising buy, for himself and three other UAW representatives."

Curry "provided a reasonable explanation as to why he was in Florida and the tickets were incidental," the report said.

The ethics officer was instituted during Gamble's term. Gamble has been credited by federal officials for saving the union from a federal takeover.

'Valid questions'

Harley Shaiken, a labor scholar at the University of California, Berkeley, said exoneration of Curry after a two-party investigation is significant — especially when it involved Liebman.

“Wilma is unimpeachable and pretty tough,” Shaiken said.

Still, the facts of the football ticket situation raised valid questions, he said.

“Were the optics poor in the current environment? Absolutely,” Shaiken said. “Curry paid the money back and apologized. Did he commit wrongdoing? No. But anything like this becomes problematic.”

Shaiken is the grandson of a Russian immigrant who moved from Ohio to Detroit to earn $5 a day at Ford’s Highland Park plant and spent most of his 33 years on the line at The Rouge.

Hope for the future

Erik Gordon, a business professor at the University of Michigan, said, "You hope that this is the last of UAW brass appearing to personally benefit from their high position."

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The latest news comes as the UAW moves past a corruption scandal involving misuse of union and worker training funds. In November, UAW members voted to amend the UAW constitution to require direct elections of international leaders going forward. That first election will be held this summer.

The UAW, an acronym for the International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, currently represents approximately 400,000 members.

Important message

Marick Masters, a professor at the Mike Ilitch School of Business at Wayne State University, said the UAW is positioned well moving ahead.

"The exoneration of UAW President Curry, after two independent investigations ...shows the UAW operating at its highest ethical standard.  There is no reason to doubt that this was a legitimate trip to Florida taken by Curry on UAW business and that the tickets were incidental," Masters said. "In an abundance of caution to further transparency and remove any question of impropriety, Mr. Curry repaid the money and issued a public apology.  This sends an important message of integrity to all the members, officers, and staff of the UAW."

Free Press staff writers Eric D. Lawrence and Jamie L. LaReau contributed to this report. 

Contact Phoebe Wall Howard: 313-222-6512 orphoward@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid. Read more on Ford and sign up for our autos newsletter.