The former president of the once-powerful United Auto Workers Local 1112 in Lordstown has won a seat on UAW’s International Executive Board, one of three victories challengers claimed over incumbent regional directors.

Dave Green, with nearly 60 percent of the vote overcame Wayne Blanchard in Region 2B, which encompasses Ohio and Indiana.

Green ran as an independent candidate on a social justice and workers’ rights platform, wanting reform from the top down at the international level and to return the power back to the UAW’s approximately 372,000 active members.

“It’s long overdue and I think over the next four years if we invest in our members we are going to come out a stronger union,” Green said Friday.

Region 2B, according to Green, has more than 60,000 active members. Its members come from more than 50 companies in Ohio and Indiana, with operations ranging from automobile assembly, parts production, health care, financial services, food service, office and professional workers and nurses, according to the region’s website.

Its headquarters is in Maumee near Toledo in northwest Ohio. The regional has another office in Indianapolis.

Green’s four-year term could start as soon as Monday after certification of the election. As of Friday afternoon, there were votes that still needed counted. This was UAW’s first-ever direct election, stemming from a federal bribery and embezzlement scandal involving former union officials.

As of Thursday, it appeared UAW members favored replacing many of their leaders with reform-minded candidates.

Many of the UAW Members United slate were leading or close in multiple key races with 84 percent of the vote counted. Many challengers campaigned on rescinding concessions made to companies in previous contract talks, including cost-of-living pay raises, elimination of a two-tier wage and benefit system, and other items.

That could raise costs for Detroit’s three automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis — and almost inevitably will drive up already expensive auto prices.

In Region 1, which represents local unions in eight counties in Michigan and also Canada, LaShawn English with 53 percent of the vote beat James Harris.

In Region 9A, which covers eastern New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and Puerto Rico, Brandon Mancilla captured 59 percent of the vote to defeat Beverley Brakeman.

“These regional director victories show that the membership is ready to rebuild our great union. Brandon, LaShawn and Dave will be strong voices on the International Executive Board for reform and democracy. The companies should prepare for a new, more aggressive UAW,” said Margaret Mock, UAW Members United candidate for secretary-treasurer.

UAW Members United ran a slate of reform candidates.

Green has been with the automaker for more than 30 years, starting as a temporary employee in 1989. He became president of Local 1112 in May 2018 that by then had merged with UAW Local 1714, which represented workers in the fab plant at the GM complex. Before that, Green served a period as president of Local 1714.

Six months after he assumed the role of Local 1112 president, GM announced it was shuttering the plant. He was among the leaders of an unsuccessful effort to convince GM to walk back its decision and assign a new production vehicle to Lordstown.

With the closure, Green left for GM’s Bedford Casting Operations in Bedford, Ind., where he still works and belongs to UAW Local 440. He will be on leave from the job while he tends to the regional director’s duties.

In 2020, Green challenged Blanchard, then the region’s assistant director, for the seat that was left open by the resignation of Youngstown native and former Local 1112 member Rich Rankin amid harassment allegations. Green did not receive a vote of the union delegates from the region that cast a ballot in the race.

rselak@tribtoday.com