IN MEMORIAM
UAW mourns passing of 'dean of labor law'
Benjamin Aaron, a distinguished professor of law at UCLA and a member of the UAW’ s Public Review Board (PRB) for 32 years, died Aug. 25, 2007, one week short of his 92nd birthday.
“Professor Aaron served with distinction and pride on the PRB, and he was a valuable asset to the leadership and membership of our union,” said UAW President Ron Gettelfinger. “He will be greatly missed by everyone who had the good fortune to know him and work with him.”
Aaron was president of the National Academy of Arbitrators, the Industrial Relations Research Association and the International Society for Labor and Social Security Law.
He was called upon by Presidents Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson and George H. W. Bush as an adviser and to serve on several national boards and commissions, including the National War Labor Board and the National Wage Stabilization Board. Since 1946 Aaron served as an arbitrator of labor disputes in virtually every major industry, and he was a major figure in the field of comparative labor law.
Aaron was known as “the dean of labor law,” according to PRB Chair Theodore St. Antoine, professor of law emeritus at the University of Michigan Law School.
“Ben’s rare combination of intellectual excellence, genuine modesty and personal charm will long be an inspiration for all of us,” he said.
Aaron remained fully active on the PRB until he suffered a stroke in August.
The appeals board was established in 1957 by delegates to the union’s 16th Constitutional Convention to safeguard the democratic rights of UAW members. Board members are nationally recognized experts in ethics, labor law and labor-management relations. They are independent of the UAW, and their decisions are binding.
The UAW extends its heartfelt sympathy to Eleanor, Aaron’s wife of 66 years, their family, and his many friends and colleagues.
