Case in Rock Island, Illinois, and in 1977 he joined the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
He became a regional director in 2001, based in Chicago, during which time he was the first UAW leader to endorse Barack Obama's presidential bid.
In this role, he was prominent in negotiating contracts with carmakers in Detroit, and was credited with securing an increase in membership dues, improving the union's finances.
[4] Williams promised to serve only a single four-year term as leader of the UAW,[5] and he retired as planned in 2018.
[6] Williams insisted that he knew nothing about many of the cases, but in September 2020 he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to embezzle union funds.