Senior UAW official charged in widening U.S. corruption probe

By Nick Carey and David Shepardson

DETROIT/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A senior United Auto Workers (UAW) official was arrested on Thursday and charged with conspiring with other union leaders to embezzle hundreds of thousands of dollars in a mushrooming corruption scandal that comes at a decisive moment in contract talks with Detroit automakers.

The union's current four-year contract with U.S. automakers expires on Saturday.

The contract talks were always expected to be contentious, with healthcare costs and profit sharing due to be major sticking points, but Saturday's deadline could be overshadowed by revelations of vast sums being spent on lavish entertainment by labor leaders ...