Ray Curry facts for kids

Ray Curry in 2022

Ray Curry is an American leader who worked to help people who build cars and trucks. He was the President of the United Autoworkers (UAW), a large group that supports auto workers, from July 2021 to March 2023. He was the second Black president of the UAW. Before becoming president, he served as the Secretary-Treasurer of the union from 2018 to 2021.

About Ray Curry

Ray Curry was a leader in a trade union. A trade union is like a team that helps workers get fair pay, good benefits, and safe workplaces. Mr. Curry joined the UAW when he worked as an assembler at Freightliner Trucks in Mount Holly, North Carolina. An assembler is someone who puts parts together to build something, like a truck. In 2004, he started working directly for the union as a staff member, helping to organize and support workers.

Education and Early Career

Ray Curry studied business in college. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration and finance from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Later, he continued his studies and received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from the University of Alabama. These degrees helped him understand how businesses work, which was useful in his union leadership roles.

Leading the United Autoworkers

Ray Curry became the President of the UAW in July 2021. He took over from Rory Gamble, who was the first Black president of the union. This made Ray Curry the second Black person to lead the UAW. As president, he worked to represent the interests of many auto workers across the country.

In 2023, the UAW held its first election where members directly voted for their president. Ray Curry ran for re-election but lost to Shawn Fain by a small number of votes. His time as president ended in March 2023.