Episode #1375: Shawn Fain kicks off his reelection campaign as UAW leadership tensions heat up, industry leaders debate who really owns pricing in today's complex retail ecosystem, and startup Valar Atomics reaches a major nuclear milestone.


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• As the UAW heads toward another leadership election, Shawn Fain is no longer the outsider, he’s the establishment. While touting major labor victories and an ambitious future agenda, Fain is also facing criticism from reformers who say the union still has unfinished business.

  • Speaking at the UAW Constitutional Convention in Detroit, Fain laid out his vision, calling AI a threat to workers, promising a renewed push to restore pensions, and arguing the UAW should expand its influence across multiple industries.

  • The UAW president is running with a revamped leadership slate after breaking with several allies who helped bring him to power in 2023, including current Secretary-Treasurer Margaret Mock.

  • Five candidates are challenging Fain this fall, with opponents arguing that federal watchdog reports raise concerns about transparency, internal governance, and reform efforts.

  • Scott Houldieson, Ford Chicago Assembly Plant worker: “Shawn’s the best president I’ve ever experienced in the UAW. You have to go back decades to find one who’s been as important to the labor movement at large.”

• Who owns pricing at a dealership? That question emerged as one of the biggest themes at the CBT News Fair Pricing & Compliance Summit, where speakers all pointed to shifting prices as one of retail automotive's most pressing operational challenges.

  • John Fitzpatrick of Force Marketing described the growing complexity of managing pricing across dealer websites, OEM programs, third-party marketplaces, agencies, and internal dealership teams.

  • Aaron Baldwin of automotiveMastermind discussed the challenge of keeping technology systems aligned as pricing, incentives, and compliance requirements continue to evolve.

  • Laura Perrotta of the New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers emphasized the need for stronger coordination between dealers, manufacturers, vendors, and listing platforms to ensure customers see accurate information.

  • While the panelists approached the issue from different perspectives, the consensus was that dealers need a clearly defined process for where pricing originates, who approves changes, and how those updates are verified across every customer-facing channel.

• The U.S. nuclear industry just hit a milestone that hasn’t happened in decades. Startup Valar Atomics successfully brought its Ward250 small modular reactor to criticality in Utah, marking a major step toward commercial next-generation nuclear power and a potential new chapter for American energy.

  • The reactor was assembled in Utah just months after being airlifted by three U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo planes, highlighting the company's rapid development pace.

  • Valar is one of 10 companies selected for the Department of Energy's advanced reactor pilot program and only the second to complete this phase of testing.

  • The company now moves closer to commercial licensing, with hopes of joining a very short list of operating small modular reactors worldwide.

  • Founder Isaiah Taylor says the next goal is producing electricity from the reactor before July 4, less than three years after launching the company.

  • “When I started this company less than three years ago, our guiding principle was that metal beats paper.” — Isaiah Taylor, Founder & CEO, Valar Atomics.