Detroit, Michigan — The United Auto Workers (UAW) announced that President Rory Gamble will retire at the end of the month and Secretary-Treasurer Ray Curry will take his place as President for the remainder of the current term.
“Rory and I are absolutely committed to making this a smooth, transparent transition for our membership. And we are both dedicated to the reforms that we have put in place for the UAW. I could not be prouder of our union and what I know we will be able to accomplish together in the coming years,” said Curry.
A North Carolina native, Curry worked as an assembler at Freightliner Trucks in Mount Holly, North Carolina before being hired to the UAW staff in 2004 and has served on the UAW IEB since 2014, when he was elected Regional Director of UAW Region 8. He was elected Secretary-Treasurer in 2018 and also directs the Heavy Truck, General Dynamics, and Agricultural Implementation Departments.
Curry is a graduate of the University of North Carolina Charlotte with a B.S. in Business Administration/Finance and an MBA from the University of Alabama.
He served three years on active duty in the U.S. Army and five years in the U.S. Army Reserves.
“It is a great honor for me to serve this historic union and the more than 1 million active and retired members,” Curry said. “I am so proud of our UAW sisters and brothers who work every day to better not just their own lives, but the lives of their neighbors and communities. As president, I pledge to continue to build upon our commitment to a culture of transparency, reforms and checks and balances. I want to also say that I will be embracing the model that has been set forth by my brother and friend, Rory L. Gamble, to be accessible and accountable to our members, to keep them informed and engaged. Rory has led us through the storm, and we are so grateful for his leadership.”
Rory Gamble was elected a vice president of the UAW in June 2018, at the union’s 37th Constitutional Convention in Detroit. Gamble previously served three terms as director of UAW Region 1A. On November 3, 2019, he assumed the position of UAW Acting President, as appointed by the International Executive Board. On December 5, 2019, the UAW International Executive Board named Acting President Rory Gamble to fill the vacancy of President until the June 2022 Convention.
Curry will officially assume the office of President on July 1, 2021.
