UAW Community Action Program (CAP)

Peter Eckstein Papers

drice — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 17:35:27 -0400

Peter Eckstein has been involved with labor unions in the state of Michigan since the 1960s. Eckstein served as the research director for Michigan UAW-CAP; executive director of the Governor’s Commission on Jobs and Economic Development, where he drafted several important pieces of worker’s compensation legislation; and finally as research director of the Michigan AFL-CIO. He graduated from the University of Michigan with a degree in Economics and earned his Ph.D. in economics from Harvard. Mr. Eckstein also taught economics at several universities and worked on the political campaigns of Carl Levin, Jennifer Granholm and Howard Wolpe. Eckstein retired in 1999 but is still active in various political causes in
Michigan.

The material in this collection documents Eckstein’s time serving on different government committees, such as those relating to unemployment and worker’s compensation legislation. There is also some material related to his time working for UAW-CAP and on local, state, and national elections. Some of the folder headings were created by Eckstein and contain abbreviations such as WC for worker’s compensation, UC for unemployment commission or VC for venture capital. These abbreviations have been spelled out in full in the finding aid.

UAW Vice-President's Office: Donald Ephlin Records

drice — Tue, 18 Jan 2011 12:30:20 -0500

Donald F. Ephlin became active in the UAW at the General Motors Assembly Plant in Framingham, MA in the late 1940s, before joining the International Union staff in 1960. As administrative assistant to UAW President Leonard Woodcock from 1970 to 1977, and later Vice-President in charge of the Ford and subsequently the General Motors Departments, Ephlin played a key role in negotiations with both companies. He helped launch the Saturn Corporation and create a labor agreement which changed the face of labor relations in the automobile industry. Ephlin became widely recognized as an expert in labor-management problem solving and was instrumental in the development of employee involvement and in improving job security and the quality of work life for autoworkers.

The material in this collection reflects the range of issues that Donald Ephlin was involved in with the UAW, Ford Motor Company, General Motors and many industry, community and academic institutions. It represents primarily his work as a UAW International Vice President, but also includes documents from his membership on various boards and some personal materials relating to his years with the UAW.

Ernest Dillard Passing

Public Relations Team — Wed, 21 Jan 2015 10:45:58 -0500

The Reuther notes with sadness the passing of Ernest C. Dillard, who passed away at 101 years of age this week.

Ernest C. Dillard, Sr. was born in Montgomery, Alabama, on January 24, 1915, though the bulk of his labor and civil rights activities were in Detroit, Michigan. Dillard was an active member of United Auto Workers Local 15 and was the first African-American elected to a succession of UAW leadership posts. He retired in 1980 as assistant director of the UAW Community Action Program. read more »