Friends in battle
“The Detroit newspaper strike and lockout started July 13, 1995, and lasted six years. It was during this battle with the Gannett and Knight-Ridder media giants that strikers became keenly aware of the UAW’s passionate president, Stephen P. Yokich.
“Our first impression was unforgettable — Yokich called on UAW members to boycott the Detroit papers. Tens of thousands canceled their subscriptions. Newspaper coin boxes were removed from every local auto plant. In 1997 he gave a fiery speech to AFL-CIO board members that helped convince them to approve Action Motown! an international march that brought 100,000 newspaper strike supporters to Detroit.
“He also directed the UAW to issue holiday benefit checks to newspaper strikers — not just once or twice, but throughout our long dispute. One Thanksgiving I picked up my check and walked to my car with tears in my eyes. I kept my head down as I walked, and put on sunglasses. I sat in the car for a long while.
“You can feel pretty low in a long strike. People yell, ‘Get a job,’ as they drive past your picket line; others argue that unions are ‘dead’ so you should cross the picket line. At those times you need something to keep you going. That’s what I thought about that day in the car – how somebody had just given me what I needed to keep going. In the midst of battle, you need friends as much as you need to pay bills. Steve Yokich and the union he loved were the best friends a striker could have.”
Kate DeSmet was a striking Detroit newspaper worker.
Restoring Black Lake
The initial vision of the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center — as a place where UAW members and their families can study unionism in a carefree, natural setting — belongs to Walter Reuther. But today’s Black Lake might not exist if not for Steve Yokich.
Yokich is responsible for rebuilding Black Lake. When he was elected UAW president in 1995, Black Lake “needed remodeling,” recalled then-Local 155 President Bob Reidt. Yokich soon appointed Reidt as Black Lake’s director. Yokich wanted “direct contact” so he could be involved in all aspects of the transformations at Black Lake.
Yokich shared Reuther’s philosophy about Black Lake, which emphasized both education and recreation.
“He was always stressing education, bringing new members to Black Lake, getting the young members involved, and not just for the present, but far into the future as well. Steve agreed with Walter Reuther that recreation was also part of that, so our members could have an enjoyable stay at their facility.
“The golf course was a huge undertaking,” Reidt said. But Yokich insisted that the course be environmentally friendly and one that the membership could be very proud of. And that was accomplished.
Black Lake Golf Club was recently certified by Audubon International under its Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System, a program designed to protect wildlife and preserve natural resources. Golf Digest and Golf Magazine also lauded the course as one of the country’s best public courses.
“Steve was a great leader, a fun person to be around, and a true friend,” said Reidt, who knew Yokich for 30 years. “When we were away hunting, it was good to see him relax, even though he had his phone with him and could be in touch with anyone at any given time. I always razzed him that that was why he didn’t shoot as many deer; he was always on the phone.
“Countless times,” Reidt continued, “even in the remotest areas of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, it was not uncommon for people to come up to Steve and ask if he was Steve Yokich, then shake his hand and thank him for what he’s done for them. That was always uplifting and made me even prouder to be there with him.
“On the other hand, I’ve seen Steve approach people he’d met casually 25 to 30 years prior, call them by name, shake their hand, and ask how they were doing.
Reidt added that Yokich “never changed his ways. He never forgot where he came from. And that was one of the things he always told us, ‘Don’t forget where you came from and do the best you can for the membership.’
“As I walk around Black Lake and look at the facility, I see all of his accomplishments and the impact he had on the center and the membership. Today, more members are coming to Black Lake than in the past; close to 11,000 visit each year. I attribute the improvements — from remodeling, the golf course and the general updating, to him.
“I’m very honored to have had the opportunity to work for him and to be his close friend,” Reidt said. “I’ve learned a lot. I share with everyone the loss of this great and honorable man.”
Bob Reidt is director of the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center.
