Bieber, Owen

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.

Sam Fishman Papers

drice — Fri, 03 May 2013 12:40:58 -0400

Sam Fishman was born January 24, 1924 and spent the majority of his adult life involved with the labor movement in Michigan. He was originally an assembler and machinist for the Ford Motor Company and eventually became an official in UAW Local 400. He later was elected Vice-President of UAW Local 99 and then President of UAW Local 36 at the Ford Assembly Plant. Fishman would go on to serve as head of the UAW Community Action Program (CAP) for 12 years until his election as president of the Michigan State AFL-CIO in 1983. Fishman was heavily involved with the Democratic Party and was a dominant figure in not only Michigan, but also national politics during the late 1970s and 1980s. Fishman passed away in 1987.

The materials in the collection represent Fishman’s time in the UAW and AFL-CIO. There are also materials related to the Democratic Party in local, state and national elections. The bulk of the materials range from 1980 to 1984, when Fishman headed the UAW CAP and the MI AFL-CIO, and correspond to the 1980, 1982 and 1984 elections. Additionally there are materials related to Fishman’s interests in the Social Democrats and Israel.

NALC Office of the President: Vincent Sombrotto Records

kschmeling — Tue, 10 Jul 2018 11:31:50 -0400

Vincent R. Sombrotto was elected the 16th president of the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) in 1978, serving nearly 24 years until his retirement in December 2002. Bolstered by the rank and file movement in the early 1970s, Sombrotto was overwhelmingly elected president following the adoption of reforms he advocated to make the union leadership more responsive to its members. His accomplishments included wage increases, improving working conditions, passing reform of the Hatch Act, and actively promoting community service and charity fund raising including the annual NALC Food Drive.

Parts 1 and 2 of NALC President’s Office: Vincent R. Sombrotto Records document his presidency, beginning with his first term in 1979. The materials in the collection create a cohesive picture of his time in office, detailing day-to-day activities and administration, organizational affiliations, political action, community service, and interaction with the union membership.

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 President's Office: Owen Bieber Records

drice — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 16:30:58 -0400

Owen Bieber began his career with the United Auto Workers in Michigan and went on to hold numerous regional and national positions before he was elected the UAW's sixth president in 1983, serving four terms. During his presidency, Canadian auto workers pulled out of the union, American auto companies downsized, and competition from foreign auto companies increased. He is credited with diversifying the UAW by inviting new members from areas outside industrial sectors. As president, Bieber also served on many state, local, and national committees, including presidential committees.

His records provide extensive documentation of UAW policies, programs, and activities largely during his tenure in office. Part 2, in particular, provides documentation of his work on various committees, as well as his role as second UAW President to serve on the Chrysler Board of Directors. These records also reflect Bieber’s role in the UAW re-alliance with the AFL-CIO, and include minutes of the International Executive Board, and UAW and AFL-CIO conventions.

UAW President's Office: Stephen P. Yokich Records

gstrassel — Fri, 19 May 2023 09:16:34 -0400

Stephen Phillip Yokich was President of the UAW from 1994-2002. As president of the union during a time of great change to the auto industry, he oversaw negotiations for increased benefits, expanded the union into new fields, and helped navigate autoworkers through a period of job cuts. The UAW President's Office: Stephen Yokich Records reflect the activities of the union’s offices of President and Vice-President during Yokich’s respective tenures. These records are critical to understanding the activities of the International Union during the late twentieth century, as well as metro Detroit’s labor movement during that same period.

UAW Public Relations Department Photographs and Sound and Video Recordings

mwallace — Fri, 25 Oct 2013 14:01:25 -0400

Since the United Automobile Workers of America (UAW) was established as an affiliate of the American Federation of Labor (AFL) in August 1935, the union has maintained an office to deal with public relations. At that time, a "Committee on Publication" was formed, which became the "Publication Committee" in April 1936. The Committee subsequently became the "Publicity Department" in August 1936, when the UAW became an independent union affiliated with the Congress of Industrial Organizations (CIO). This became the UAW's Public Relations Department some years later. The primary purpose of the original Committees and Department was the production of the union's national newspaper, the United Automobile Worker, which became Solidarity in 1957. Over the years, as the UAW grew into a large, powerful union, the P.R. department played an increasingly important role in writing speeches and producing various publications. It also generated large numbers of photographic images, created television advertisements, and issued press releases, delivering the union’s official stance on nearly all issues. In recent years, the P.R. Department has also been responsible for maintaining the union’s social media presence. The collection consists of Audio-Visual material, including photographic prints and contact sheets, videotapes, and audio recordings.

African Americans and the UAW

mosmith — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 11:53:30 -0500

The Reuther Library celebrates African American History Month with a brief review of the important role that African Americans have played in the formation and growth of the United Automobile Workers of America (UAW), one of the most powerful unions in American history, and the influence of black UAW members within the polity of Detroit. read more »

In Memoriam: Owen Bieber (1929-2020)

gstrassel — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 16:58:40 -0500

UAW President Emeritus Owen Bieber passed away yesterday, on February 17, 2020. Bieber was a respected figure in the labor movement, known for his commitment to civil rights and steady leadership during turbulent times for organized labor. read more »

Podcast: Jessica Levy on "Black Power, Inc.: Global American Business and the Post-Apartheid City"

mcourtney — Mon, 09 Jul 2018 11:00:15 -0400

Check out the latest episode of Tales From the Reuther Library, our bi-weekly podcast! This episode, Jessica Levy explains how American corporations and black entrepreneurs worked together to forge a new politics linking American business with black liberation at home and abroad, focusing particularly on Leon Howard Sullivan, read more »

(2931) Shoppers, Central Business District, Detroit, Michigan

eclemens — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 11:46:39 -0400

A staff member of the Central Business District Association enjoys a cup of coffee during the Downtown Detroit Days celebration, Detroit, Michigan.

(2945) Parades, Labor Day, Detroit, 1988

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 09:02:10 -0400

Regional and national political and labor leaders guide the annual Labor Day parade down Woodward Ave, Detroit, Michigan.

Left to right: Highland Park Mayor, Martha Scott; Detroit Councilwoman Maryann Mahaffey; Tom Turner, President of Metropolitan AFL-CIO; Lane Kirkland, President AFL-CIO; Frank Garrison, President of Michigan AFL-CIO; UAW President Owen Bieber; UAW Vice-President Don Ephlin; Michigan Secretary of State Richard Austin and Michigan Attorney General Frank Kelley.

(3058) Portrait, Owen Bieber, 1988

eclemens — Tue, 18 Feb 2020 11:07:41 -0500

Portrait of Owen Bieber, President of the United Auto Workers Union.

(11472) Mandela, Stepp, Bieber, Tiger Stadium, Detroit, Michigan, 1990

eclemens — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:16:02 -0400

Nelson Mandela addresses the crowds at Tiger Stadium during his visit to Detroit, Michigan. Directly behind him stands his longtime supporter, UAW president Owen Bieber. At left is UAW vice-president Marc Stepp.

NOTE: No reproduction without the permission of the owner
Image copyrighted by Daymon J. Hartley
www.daymonjhartley.com

(11474) Mandela, Young, Keith, Bieber, Wonder, Detroit, Michigan, 1990

eclemens — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:20:30 -0400

Nelson Mandela stands on the dais during his visit to Detroit, Michigan. Left to right: UAW president Owen Bieber, Judge Damon Keith, Mayor Coleman Young, Stevie Wonder, Nelson Mandela, and Winnie Mandela.

(11475) Mandela, Young, Bieber, Detroit, Michigan, 1990

eclemens — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:22:42 -0400

Nelson Mandela dons a Detroit Pistons hat and jacket during his visit to Detroit, Michigan, June 1990. Left to right: Unknown, UAW president Owen Bieber, Winnie Mandela, Mayor Coleman Young, and Nelson Mandela.

(11476) Owen Bieber, Marc Stepp, Arrests, South African Embassy, Washington, DC

eclemens — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 10:40:14 -0400

Owen Bieber, president of the United Auto Workers (UAW), and Marc Stepp are arrested during an anti-apartheid demonstration outside of the South African Embassy, Washington, DC.

(11477) Tutu, Bieber, Robinson, Shell Boycott, Washington DC, 1986

eclemens — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:23:17 -0400

UAW president Owen Bieber and TransAfrica president Randall Robinson, flanked by other labor and civil right leaders, urge support for the boycott of Shell products at a Washington DC news conference held in January 1986.

(11483) Desmond Tutu, Owen Bieber, Demonstration, Washington DC, 1986

eclemens — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:13:53 -0400

Bishop Desmond Tutu and UAW president Owen Bieber share words while participating in an anti-apartheid in Washington, DC.

(24762) Bieber Remembers King

jruss — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 16:06:18 -0400

UAW President Owen Bieber speaks at an event commemorating the twentieth anniversary of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. He speaks at the Memphis Mason Temple where Dr. King gave his “I have been to the mountaintop” speech.

[Podcast] The UAW’s Southern Gamble in Foreign-Owned Factories

teller — Mon, 26 Feb 2024 09:32:50 -0500

Dr. Stephen Silvia explains how the UAW built a cooperative relationship with workers’ councils and unions at foreign automotive companies, but has nevertheless struggled to organize those companies’ vehicle factories in the southern United States since the 1990s due to anti-labor politics and the companies’ shared anti-union playbooks. read more »