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About the UAW

UAW Region 1D

Region 1D covers 62 counties, which span western, central and northern Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula. The region includes the cities of Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo, Traverse City, Saginaw, Muskegon, Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Escanaba and Marquette.

Director: Don Oetman

Headquarters:

3300 Leonard N.E.
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49525-3363
TEL: (616) 949-4100
FAX: (616) 949-6866

Sub Regional Offices:

3030 S. 9th Street, Suite 2GB
Kalamazoo, MI 49009
TEL: (269) 353-2887
FAX: (269) 353-3204

500 Shattuck Road
Saginaw, MI 48604
TEL: (989) 753-2475
FAX: (989) 753-6463

703 Rose Street
Traverse City, MI 49686
TEL: (231) 941-0660
FAX: (231) 941-1115

1010 Ludington Street
Escanaba, MI 49829
TEL: (906) 786-2895
FAX: (906) 786-7200

15802 Hoffman Road
Three Rivers, MI 49009
TEL: (269) 279-9776
FAX: (269) 279-7778

Region 1D Local Unions on the Web

Local 383
More than 600 active members of Local 383 make brake components for the automotive and heavy truck industries at the Bosch Chassis plant in St. Joseph, Mich. The local also includes 700 retired members.

Local 413
The Menominee, Mich., local represents 300 of the finest casual furniture craftsman in the world.

Local 699
This local represents the working men and women of Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems in Saginaw, Michigan.

Local 730
Local 730 represents 2,200 members who make stampings for General Motors vehicles at the Grand Rapids (Mich.) Metal Center. The local also includes 3,500 retirees.

Local 1950
The local that represents clerical and technical workers at Northern Michigan University.

Local 1981 - Southeast Michigan Chapter of the National Writers Union
The National Writers Union (NWU) is the trade union for freelance writers of all genres who work for American publishers or employers. They are committed to improving the economic and working conditions of freelance writers through the collective strength of their 6,500 members in 17 local chapters throughout the country. The Southeast Michigan chapter has about 140 members located around the state.

Local 2093
The 1,100 members of local 2093 make axles and prop shafts for GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler at American Axle's Three Rivers, Mich., facility. The local also includes over 150 retirees.

Local 2151
The 670 active members of Local 2151 work at the Delphi Corp. plant in Coopersville, Mich., where they make and test world-class fuel injectors for many automotive, motorcycle, marine and agricultural manufacturers. The local also has 200 retirees.

Local 2403
The 900 members of this amalgamated local work at two Lear facilities in Traverse City, Mich.

Local 6000
This site comes from the state workers of Michigan. It not only tells you what the union's up to, but keeps you up to date with what's going on in Michigan and Michigan government, raising public issues that involve us all.

Local 6888
Local 6888 represents approximately 350 office professionals at Central Michigan University in Mt. Pleasant, Mich. The school's office professionals first organized as an independent union in 1968. They joined the UAW in 1988.

Director: Don Oetman

Don OetmanDonald (Don) Oetman was elected director of Region 1D in June 2002 at the 33rd UAW Constitutional Convention. He was re-elected on June 14, 2006, at the union's 34th Constitutional Convention in Las Vegas.

Oetman, a member of the UAW since 1965, had previously served for seven years as assistant director of Region 1D.

Oetman became a UAW member when he helped organize his workplace, Micromatic Textron in Holland, Mich. He began working there in 1963, at the age of 18, shortly after graduating from high school.

In 1965, Oetman was one of the original members of the in-plant organizing committee which came together to form their own UAW local union. Union supporters won the organizing drive and successfully negotiated a first contract.

Despite his relative youth, Oetman's co-workers expressed confidence in his leadership abilities and elected him as vice president of the newly formed UAW Local 1502.

In 1967, Oetman became president of Local 1502 when the incumbent president retired. The next year, he won election to a full term in the post, and he was also chosen as bargaining chairperson of his local. He served in those capacities until he was appointed to the International Union staff by then-UAW President Owen Bieber and Director Robert Fliearman in 1984.

He was a service representative of the Region 1D staff until he became assistant director of the region in 1995.

A veteran community and political activist, Oetman, Don served as vice chairperson of the Allegan-Ottawa CAP Council. He was also a Local Union Discussion Leader for the Stewards/ Committeemen training and for high school labor studies classes for several years.

Oetman served on the board of directors of several community and labor organizations in western Michigan, including the Labor Participation Committee of Greater Kalamazoo United Way, the Holland United Way, the Michigan Association of United Ways, the Red Cross, the Michigan State University Labor Studies Program, the Holland United Labor Building Corporation and the Private Industry Council of Allegan and Ottawa counties.

In addition, Oetman serves on the Muskegon and Kalamazoo Labor/Management Joint Participation Committees and the Workforce Development Board (Michigan Works) for Allegan and Kent Counties.

He is active in the Allegan County Democratic Party, and the State Democratic Party. Oetman was a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in 2000, and participated in the Electoral College that year as Elector for the State of Michigan in 2000 to elect Al Gore.

Oetman is also a member of the Coalition for Labor Union Women (CLUW).

Don and his wife, Corlyn, are the parents of two daughters and one son and have five grandchildren.

 

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