Strong Arabic heritage
“Steve always felt strongly about his Arabic heritage. He would always talk to us about going to an Arabic church, being raised by his grandparents, all of that, Arabic food, the things that Arab Americans were going through in this country. Every time we would sit and talk he would mention those things.
“He had concerns about Arab- Americans and labor. He thought the coalition was strategic and thought the community should be a part of that.
“He was active in the Arab community and did things he didn’t have to do. He went to Arab community and political meetings at the grassroots level. He always made sure of the presence of Arab Americans on the statewide Democratic slate or made sure a fair number of delegates were at the statewide Democratic convention. And he often supported Arab Americans running for office.
“He chaired ACCESS’ very first capital campaign. He went with us to the auto companies to get them to support it. He did the same thing in the most recent one. He was chair of the capital campaign to build a new Arab-American museum.
“He felt it was important that contributions of Arab Americans to this society be acknowledged.
“One day I asked Steve, ‘What can we do for you?’ He said, ‘Make me some grape leaves.’ Our CFO here at ACCESS, Maha Freij, volunteered to make them. We brought in a gigantic pot of grape leaves one day. I never saw Steve happier in my whole life.”
Ismael Ahmed is director of the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in Dearborn, Mich.
Shrewd negotiator, heart of gold
UAW Vice President Cal Rapson was Steve Yokich’s top administrative assistant in the General Motors Department from 1989 to 1995.
“You got an invaluable education,” he said. “Steve was a shrewd negotiator. He always thought it through and had a definite strategy.”
Rapson said Yokich was particularly skillful at “finishing it,” that is, getting a good agreement. “Even during the difficult 1998 GM Flint strikes, Steve worked hard to bring it to a conclusion, despite the company’s hard line,” Rapson said. “He made sure that we came away with an honest agreement.”
Rapson recalled breaking for lunch with Yokich during the tough 1990 GM negotiations. Puzzled, he told Yokich he couldn’t figure out “where we were going with our issues.”
“Good,” said Yokich, then vice president of the union’s GM Department, “that means the company doesn’t either.”
Steve was hardest on those closest to him, but, “He had a heart of gold.”
And a devilish sense of fun.
“We were fishing for yellow fin tuna out in California once and used pieces of squid for bait. By the time I was finished, my white jacket was covered in blue squid ink, much to Steve’s delight,” Rapson said. “I also got seasick, so he never invited me again.”
Cal Rapson is a UAW vice president.
He never missed a beat
In 1999, UAW Vice President Jack Laskowski passed away right before Big Three negotiations were set to begin. Laskowski had served as director of the UAW Chrysler Department, and Chrysler was set to be the lead company in negotiations.
Steve Yokich stepped in to lead the UAW team, recalls Mike Allen, who was chairman of the 1999 UAW-Chrysler National Negotiating Committee:
“Steve set up his office, and he was there from morning until night. He talked to the committee; he negotiated with the corporation. He had more energy than anyone I’d ever seen.
“He reassured the bargaining committee that things were going to be OK, that he was at the helm. And he dealt with the corporation from a position of authority. He knew what he wanted, he went after it, and he didn’t take no until he got it.”
“He was there morning noon and night, and he never missed a beat. I would get tired, but Steve was still going.”
Mike Allen is now administrator for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler Region 9 Family Training Center and was chairman of the UAW-DaimlerChrysler Negotiating Committee in 1999 .
