LaShawn English made history in December 2022 when she was elected as Region 1 Director in the first direct ballot election held by the UAW, as the first woman and woman of color to hold this position. Prior to her election as Region 1 Director, English served as the president of UAW Local 1264 for three terms, from 2014 to 2022. She has held several positions, including being appointed to the Women’s Committee for three years. English was also elected as a skilled trades delegate for over a decade and served on the Skilled Trades Council.

In addition to her local union work, English was elected as a national negotiator for Stellantis from 2015 to 2019. Recently, she was appointed as the director of the International Union, UAW Women’s Department. In this role, she works to address gender injustice in the workplace, including issues related to discrimination in hiring, pay, promotion, training, seniority protection, and retention. Her department also seeks to alleviate the inequities created by race and class.