Gary Jones is a public accountant with over two decades of experience at the United Automobile Workers. He is the organization's current president. ^[1]

Gary Jones graduated from the University of Tulsa and is a certified public accountant. ^[1]

Gary Jones worked at Ford Motor Company’s glass plant in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma back in 1975 and was a member of UAW 1895 chapter. He later became a member of UAW Local 249 when he transferred to the Ford Kansas City Assembly Plant after the glass plant in Oklahoma shut down.^[1]

In 1990, Jones was appointed to the UAW accounting department and made chief accountant only a year later. Jones was the top administrative assistant to former UAW Secretary-Treasurer Roy Wyse in 1995 and continued to serve other treasurers like Ruben Burks and Elizabeth Bunn until he was appointed Region 5 assistant director in 2004. He went on to serve as the director of Region 5 after being elected on Oct. 19, 2012, in Kansas City, Montana. In June 2018, Jones was elected president of the UAW at the 37th Constitutional Convention.^[1]

Over 48,000 workers began striking in September of 2019 under Gary Jones leadership at UAW looking for higher pay, greater job security and protection of healthcare benefits. The cost of the strike has been staggering for all parties. The Center for Automotive Research in Michigan estimates that the strike was bleeding GM of $450 million a week and UAW of $12 million a week.^[2]

Shortly after the strike was announced General Motors offered this official statement: ^[2]

Gm claimed their pre-strike offer included more than $7 billion in U.S. investments over four years, over 5,400 jobs, higher pay and improved benefits.

The UAW responded by saying that their deal would have gone over better if they hadn't "waited until just two hours before the contract expired to make what we regard as its first serious offer."^[2]

The next day GM ended health care for the strikers, leaving the UAW to shoulder the cost. GM later reversed their decision 12 days later and agreed to cover healthcare costs. On October 9th 2019, Gary Jones met with GM CEO Mary Barra and it was fruitless. The UAW said GM wasn't taking the situation seriously and GM accused the UAW of "dragging its heels."^[2]

Gary Jones was marked as "UAW Official A" in a criminal complaint against UAW Region 5 Director Vance Pearson.

Jones' predecessor, Dennis Williams, is "UAW Official B" in the case.

After Pearson was arrested on six charges ranging from embezzlement of union money to money laundering, Jones' house was raided and the feds confiscated $30,000. The complaint states that "off-site condominiums and villas with private pools and hot tubs in gated communities" were secured for Pearson and Jones. It also alleges that they spent tens of thousands of dollars at fancy restaurants and even itemizes a $900 purchase at a Palm Springs, California, golf resort for hats, gloves, a golf bag, jackets, socks and shorts. ^[3]

In light of the controversy, the UAW stood behind their leaders, saying: ^[3]

Gary Jones lives with his wife Cindy and his two daughters.

^[3]