Fraser led an inspirational life
By Ron Gettelfinger
Union leader. Teacher. Scholar. Citizen. Activist.
There is no shortage of words to describe the countless ways in which Doug Fraser, the sixth United Auto Workers president, served others during his extraordinary life. But somehow, all the words fall a little short.
As a labor leader, Doug negotiated with titans of industry, but he always kept his focus on the rank-and-file workers who had chosen him as their representative. He was a fierce advocate for UAW members and families and was known to raise his voice a decibel or two when confronted with an injustice.
But no matter how tense the negotiations, he never lost the ability to bring things into perspective with his engaging sense of humor.
Everyone who had the privilege of working with Doug remembers his rare talent for analyzing the many facets of complex situations and arriving at solutions that worked for everyone.
Doug was just 26 when his co-workers at UAW Local 227, at Chrysler's DeSoto plant in Detroit, elected him as local union president. Management was equally impressed, and the young Fraser was offered a supervisory position. But Doug wasn't interested. He chose to make his life and career in the labor movement. The work he did in the years since then made life better for thousands and thousands of workers: in our union, throughout the United States, and around the globe.
Doug Fraser is probably best known for his role in the Chrysler turnaround of the late 1970s and early 1980s. His leadership and political savvy were indispensable in rescuing a great corporation and saving tens of thousands of American jobs. But Doug never sought credit for himself, and he always bristled when the spotlight was shined anywhere other than where he believed it rightfully belonged. "It was Chrysler workers," Doug said on more than one occasion, "who saved the Chrysler Corp."
But it is impossible to define Doug by what he accomplished at any one company, no matter how dramatic. His life and career are a testament to a broad social vision that encompassed a wide range of concerns with a single theme: Bringing people together to solve problems.
As president of our union, Doug had the foresight, 30 years ago, to pressure the American auto industry to build safer, more fuel-efficient vehicles. Doug believed his mission as a labor leader included fighting for the rights of consumers, and he led members of our union to battle against big oil companies, fighting high energy prices. A passionate believer in justice for all, Doug was a leading advocate of the Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution and a crusader against apartheid in South Africa. He practiced what he preached by promoting women and people of color to leadership positions within our union.
Even before he became president of the UAW, Doug's reputation as a political and community leader was such that he was frequently mentioned as a possible candidate for the U.S. Senate. A lifelong Democrat, he was known in the 1960s and 1970s for reaching across party lines to work closely with Republican Gov. William Milliken.
And when Coleman Young was elected as the first African-American mayor of Detroit, at a time when police-community relations were especially challenging, he turned to Doug Fraser to serve as the chairman of the Detroit Police Commission. To unite the city, the new mayor needed someone whose judgment and integrity were universally respected. Doug was the perfect choice.
Of all the words that fall short in describing Doug's life, "retirement" might fall the shortest, because he never retired. After serving two terms as UAW president from 1977 to 1983, he joined the faculty of Wayne State University and became a teacher and mentor to a generation of students, who benefited enormously from his contagious passion for life, learning and scholarship.
It wasn't just students who benefited. Doug never left our union, and never stopped caring about the issues that confront working people; he was an important mentor and adviser to so many of us in the UAW. Even up until the last weeks of his life, he continued to encourage and inspire us though his counsel, his insights and his humor. It was always a delight to pick up the phone and hear Doug on the other end. His voice became a bit softer as the years wore on, but he could still raise it when the occasion required.
Soft or loud, Doug's voice continues to ring out everywhere that workers gather together to fight for a better life. We miss you, Doug, and we'll do our best to remember the lessons we learned from you and apply them as we confront the issues of today and tomorrow.
This article originally appeared in the Detroit News' Labor Voices column on March 7, 2008.