General Motors Corporation

Kathy Groehn Cosseboom El-Messidi Papers

drice — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 14:28:09 -0400

Kathy Groehn was born in 1946 and grew up in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. She graduated
from Grosse Pointe High School in 1963, then from the University of Michigan (B.A.
1967) and Southern Oregon College (M.A.). During the 1960s she was a reporter for the
Grosse Pointe News and used her experiences as a basis for research on her book, Grosse Pointe, Michigan: Race Against Race, by Kathy Cosseboom (Michigan State University Press, 1972). The book deals with racial and social attitudes in the Detroit suburb of Grosse Pointe as revealed in education, school-community relations, housing
discrimination, and religious institutions. It won the American Pen Women’s first prize
for information books in 1974.

As Kathy El-Messidi, she earned a Ph.D. in American history from the University of Oklahoma. Her Ph.D. dissertation was published as The Bargain: The Story behind the 30-Year Honeymoon of GM and the UAW, by Kathy Groehn El-Messidi (Nellen Publishing Co. 1980). This book deals with the history and politics behind the 1948 collective bargaining agreement between General Motors and the UAW. As the daughter of Thomas Groehn, former news relations director for GM, El-Messidi had special access to materials and individuals at GM for this study.

In the 1990s, Dr. El-Messidi was associate director of the Center for Research on Parallel
Computation at Rice University in Texas and more recently has worked as an education
consultant and market intelligence specialist in Texas.

This collection contains the files and research materials for both of Kathy Groehn
Cosseboom El-Messidi’s books.

Bruce L. Harkness Poletown Photographs

eclemens — Fri, 04 Mar 2011 10:35:38 -0500

Bruce Harkness photographed the area known as “Poletown,” a multi-ethnic, multi-racial urban area on Detroit’s East Side, from February to December 1981. These photographs document the hundreds of buildings and businesses that were demolished to make way for the construction of a General Motors assembly plant. In addition, Harkess captured vibrant urban exteriors and interiors, neighborhood landmarks, residents, and street scenes. The collection is comprised of 200 8’x10’ silver gelatin, black-and-white photo prints.

Kenneth Forbes Papers

kschmeling — Tue, 05 Dec 2017 14:21:45 -0500

The collection consists of the papers of Kenneth Forbes, a UAW leader in the Saginaw area. Forbes held different offices in the union including the president of UAW Local 455 and was also active politically. The papers cover his active years in the union and his retirement, and gives a glimpse into the life of the politics and challenges of an elected official in the UAW.

Ruth Milkman Papers

drice — Wed, 10 Jul 2013 14:40:44 -0400

Ruth Milkman (1954-) is a professor of sociology at the CUNY Graduate Center and the academic director at the Joseph F. Murphy Institute for Worker Education and Labor Studies. Her professional focus is labor and labor movements, and she has published on a variety of topics revolving around work and organized labor in the United States. She received her B.A. from Brown University and her M.A. from the University of California, Berkley. Milkman’s early research focused on women workers during the economic and war crisis of the 1930s and 1940s. Her next period of research focused on the restructuring of the U.S. automobile industry and its impact on its workers and unions. She also studied Japanese-owned factories in California at this time. Her studies now focus on low wage immigrant workers, including their working conditions and labor organizations.

The Ruth Milkman Papers are predominantly research materials for her published reports on the employee buyouts at the GM Linden Plant in New Jersey. Included are various articles, studies, clippings, and UAW published materials she used in her research. Of particular note are Milkman’s interviews with plant workers, which were critical to her reports on the GM Linden Plant.

Ernest J. Moran Papers

abarker — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 17:39:31 -0400

Ernest Moran was a negotiator for the United Auto Workers (UAW) and Administrative Assistant to UAW President Leonard Woodcock. Mr. Moran’s papers reflect his work for the UAW, particularly as a chief negotiator with auto and aerospace corporations.

Ken Morris Papers

abarker — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:47:53 -0400

Ken Morris served as president of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 212 and as director of UAW Region 1B. Mr. Morris was active in community affairs and served in various committees such as the Oakland University Board of Trustees, the Oakland County Mental Health Board, and the National Commission on Unemployment and Compensation. Mr. Morris’ papers relate primarily to his activities as Director of UAW Region 1B, and to a lesser degree, his trusteeship at Oakland University, and reflect his interest in matters of health care, unemployment, and labor.

Wyndham Mortimer Papers

abarker — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 14:04:01 -0400

As United Auto Workers (UAW) Vice-President, Wyndham Mortimer worked to organize the employees of General Motors Fisher Body Plant, which led to the Flint Sit-Down Strike of 1936-1937, and later participated in the negotiations that achieved the first UAW-GM contract. Mr. Mortimer was active in factional struggles within the UAW as a leader of the Unity Caucus and was ultimately expelled from the UAW with charges of Communist allegiance. Mr. Mortimer’s papers document his work in the UAW, particularly concerning his efforts to organize the West Coast aircraft industry, and the factional struggles within the UAW

Included in Mr. Wyndham’s papers are the papers of John M. “Scotty” Orr, who was an active organizer for American Federation of Labor (AFL), and the UAW. Mr. Orr’s papers largely relate to his efforts as a UAW organizer in the West Coast aircraft industry.

Paul Parker Papers

drice — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 14:07:38 -0500

Paul Parker worked for the Flint, MI Chevrolet Division of General Motors for forty-one years. During that time he served the United Auto Workers in several capacities and was active in local and state Democratic politics. His papers primarily reflect his activities in the Michigan House of Representatives.

Fred C. Pieper Papers

drice — Wed, 18 Feb 2009 13:37:01 -0500

Fred Pieper was an early leader in the unionization of the auto industry. His papers reflect his work for the United Auto Workers and the Congress of Industrial Organizations in the South.

Stuart Strachan Papers

drice — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:37:01 -0400

Stuart Strachan held several positions in the United Auto Workers Locals 615 and 174, throughout his career. His papers reflect UAW activities at the time, both local and national.

Sam Sweet Papers

drice — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 14:19:26 -0400

An activist in the early labor movement, Sam Sweet aided in the organization of the Flint General Motors workers and the Briggs workers in Detroit, and served as Education Director for United Auto Workers (UAW) Locals 155, 51, and 742. Granted citizenship in 1946, Mr. Sweet faced repeated government attempts to revoke his citizenship due to alleged Communist affiliation.

Part I of Mr. Sweet’s papers primarily relate to his activities as Education Director of various UAW locals and as co-editor of Local newspapers. Materials from the 1940s in Part II of the Sam Sweet Papers supplement those in Part I, with additional documents from the 1950s to 1980s representing his involvement with union retiree committees and other senior citizens’ issues, such as housing and substance abuse.

UAW Local 157 Records

drice — Tue, 28 Apr 2009 11:29:22 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 157 was an amalgamated tool and die local on the west side of Detroit, serving numerous shops. The records of the local document it operations and relationships with various companies whose employees they represented.

UAW Local 199 Records

drice — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 16:18:35 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 199 was charted in 1936 in St. Catherines, Canada. It represented employees of McKinnon Industries, a subsidiary of General Motors. Records of the local reflect primarily the its financial, executive, and bargaining activities.

UAW Local 22 Records

gstrassel — Fri, 20 Sep 2019 12:54:57 -0400

UAW Local 22 began as an offshoot of Detroit’s historic UAW Local 174 in 1945, to accommodate the growth in 174’s membership. Since then, Local 22 is best known for representing auto workers at Detroit’s Clark Street Plant and later the Hamtramck Assembly Plant. It also represented workers at several other Metro-Detroit factories, with a membership surging to 10,000 workers for a time.

The UAW Local 22 Records are made up of publications, statistics on retirees, announcements on layoffs at auto factories, and more. Contract resolutions from the UAW-GM Department, documenting negotiations between the international union and auto company also represent a large portion of the records. Records from UAW Local 15, another Detroit-area local the branched off from Local 174, also reside in the collection.

UAW Local 239 Records

drice — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:25:38 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 239 serviced General Motors plant employees in Baltimore, MD. The records of the local reflect its activities as representative of Fisher Body Plant workers, before they merged with Local 678, Chevrolet assembly operations.

UAW Local 599 Records

drice — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:33:39 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 599 represented workers in the Buick plant in Flint, MI and is noted for its involvement in the anti-Martin struggles during the early years of its existence. The records of the local reflect routine operations.

UAW Local 602 Records

drice — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:22:09 -0400

United Auto Worker Local 602 services Fisher Body Division of General Motors in Lansing, MI. The local's records document routine operations as well as its contribution to the development of the UAW and the advancement of labor in the community.

UAW Local 662 Records

drice — Mon, 04 May 2009 12:13:13 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 662 was organized to service the General Motors plant, Delco-Remy Division in Anderson, IN, absorbing the former UAW Local 146. Records reflect activities, including a women's auxilliary, that occurred mainly following the local's 1939 charter.

UAW Local 664 Records

drice — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:41:32 -0400

Established in 1939 when the International Executive Board revoked the charter of pro-Martin Local 118, United Auto Workers Local 664 serviced members at Fisher Body, Chevrolet, and Prophet Company in North Tarrytown, NY. The records reflect the Martin controversy, strikes, conferences, and other activities of the local.

UAW Local 678 Records

drice — Mon, 04 May 2009 11:32:25 -0400

United Auto Workers Local 678 originally serviced the Chevrolet plant and parts warehouse in Baltimore, MD. before merging in 1969 with Local 239, Fisher Body. The records relate to activities and operations prior to the merger.

UAW President's Office: Howard Young Records

drice — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 14:34:00 -0400

Howard Young began working for the UAW in 1960, as an Actuarial Consultant and later became the Director of the Social Security Department. Later in his UAW career, his main function was as Special Consultant to the President, but he also worked as a member of the Pension Research Council, Director of Social Security, Director of the Research, and Director of Information Systems. He worked for the UAW from 1960-1971 and again from 1974-1987. During that time he worked under four UAW presidents: Reuther, Woodcock, Fraser and Bieber. His work included collective bargaining, public policy on economic and social programs (job and income security, pensions, and benefits), international trade, the impact of technological change on workers, and federal policy regarding energy and automobile standards.

The UAW President’s Office: Howard Young Records consist of the chronological, subject and meeting files of Howard Young during his tenure in various positions at the UAW. The Chronological files combine the correspondence and research from his position as Special Consultant with those from his positions as Director of Social Security, Director of the Research, and Director of Information Systems. The subject files cover a range of topics with emphasis on pensions, auto emissions, international trade, technology, and Chrysler, Ford, and General Motors. The meeting files consist of the correspondence, presentations, speeches, and testimony of Howard Young to a wide range of organizations, college classes, conferences and government committees and subcommittees. A gap in the records exists from mid 1971 through late 1974, a period when he was not employed with the UAW.

UAW Unemployment Compensation Department Records

drice — Tue, 05 May 2009 12:17:17 -0400

The records of the United Auto Workers Unemployment Compensation Department document individual worker's cases.

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.

Event - GM Never Surrendered: The Paragraph 19E Controversy at UAW Local 653 during the 1960s

Public Relations Team — Wed, 22 Jun 2016 15:55:28 -0400

Please join us this July 21st for a lunchtime presentation of the work of Dr. Greg Wood as he explores the relationship between the UAW and General Motors in the generation after initial struggles for union recognition.

Utilizing records found in the UAW Region 1B Collection at the Walter P. Reuther Library, this talk examines anti-union practices on auto industry shop floors during the 1960s. Throughout the decade, UAW committeemen at General Motors in Pontiac, for example, confronted extensive management efforts to roll back the power and presence of organized labor in what was supposed to be a closed shop. read more »

Subject Focus: Remembering the Flint Sit-Down

teller — Fri, 17 Dec 2010 13:52:57 -0500

Tired of reductions in pay and jobs, increased workloads, and harassment of United Automobile Workers organizers, on December 30, 1936 automotive workers in the General Motors Fisher Number One Plant in Flint, Michigan sat down on the job. For the next 44 days workers refused to work or leave the Fisher One and Two plants, and later Chevrolet Number 4. Michigan Governor Frank Murphy refused to order the strikers out, so GM attempted to expel them by shutting off the plants’ heat and electricity and by preventing food deliveries. read more »

(WSAV002727_001) Poletown, Neighborhood Scenes, 1981