UAW Seeks to Shield Union President’s Texts From Federal Probe

The United Auto Workers clashed with a government-appointed monitor in Michigan federal court Tuesday to avoid handing over texts from union president Shawn Fain as part of wider probe into dealings with members of the executive board.

UAW attorneys in Detroit told a judge the federal monitor, Neil Barofsky of Jenner and Block LLP, overstepped his authority by demanding Fain’s communications, which they said may contain privileged information on strategy and management.

Attorneys for Barofsky, who was present but didn’t speak at the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan hearing, painted the union’s refusal as a grave ...