Photo credits

A special thanks to the UAW Research Library and the Reuther Library for their assistance in producing this issue of Solidarity.

Unless otherwise noted below, all photos are from the UAW Photo Library.

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Voices of Leadership: UAW Presidents Past and Present

1935-1936

First UAW convention opens in Detroit with 200 delegates; AFL President William Green appoints Francis Dillon first UAW president.

1936-1939

Homer Martin elected second UAW president.

1939-1946

R.J. Thomas elected third UAW president. “Labor is the only force that looks after the interests of the common people of this country.”

1946-1970

Walter Reuther elected fourth UAW president.“There is no greater calling than to serve your brother. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to have done it well.”

1970-1977

Leonard Woodcock becomes UAW’s fifth president. “The essence of democracy is not simply to listen with pleasure to the things with which you agree, but to listen with civility to the things with which you disagree.”

1977-1983

Douglas A. Fraser elected sixth UAW president. “In every single democracy in the world you will find a vibrant, vital labor movement. The reason is that in a democratic society, where you have a system of checks and balances, a labor movement is absolutely indispensable. … There will always be unions as long as there are bosses.”

1983-1995

Owen Bieber elected seventh UAW president. “This fight over Social Security privatization … is a fight over what kind of people we are – and what kind of America we want. Do we want an America that’s simply a collection of individuals with no connection to one another? Or do we want an American where we care about each other and care about the common good?”

1995-2002

Stephen P. Yokich elected eighth UAW president. “I know this union’s vision has never been limited to the collective bargaining table or the workplace. It’s a vision of dignity, freedom, social and economic justice for all Americans.”

2002-2010

Ron Gettelfinger elected ninth UAW president. “We don’t accept the notion that America is a country where a privileged few live well while the rest of us struggle to meet our daily expenses. We’re going to fight for something better.”

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