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the government to provide $ 1.2 billion in federally-guaranteed loans, which enabled
Chrysler to avoid bankruptcy. He used Reuther's "equality of sacrifice" formula to convince UAW members that major concessions were needed to save the company. Fraser then negotiated wage cuts of $ 3 an hour and waived restrictions on layoffs, which allowed Chrysler to shed nearly 50,000 jobs, about half its workforce. In an unprecedented move, Chrysler Corporation named Fraser to its board of directors, on which he served from 1980 to 1984.
46:
454:"Size alone I don't think is the only measurement for a labor union. It's vitality. Your resources are more limited, but it's how you spend those resources. If you spend them on communications and organization and political activity, you can be a very viable force with a much smaller number than we had in the past."
317:
He is best known for his role in negotiating a greater voice for the union in corporate governance with
Chrysler during the company's 1979 bankruptcy crisis and subsequent government-sponsored loan. Fraser mobilized UAW members and heavily lobbied Congress in a move that proved critical to convincing
277:
In 1959, he was elected co-director of UAW Region 1A, and a member-at-large of the international UAW board of directors in 1962. Reuther soon thereafter appointed him director of the UAW's
Chrysler, Skilled Trades, and Technical, Office and Professional Departments. He was elected a vice-president of
281:
As a key member of
Reuther's staff, Fraser was involved in a number of successful collective bargaining agreements, early retirement program in 1964, and wage parity for both US and Canadian members in 1967. Reuther died in a plane crash during the 1970 contract talks, leading many to speculate that
289:
Fraser led a nine-day strike against
Chrysler that began on September 14, 1973, the first against the automaker in decades. The collective bargaining agreement hammered out five days later and ratified on September 23 contained restrictions on mandatory overtime, a comprehensive health-and-safety
347:
Some deeply criticized Fraser's 1979 negotiations, however. They argued that the
Chrysler agreement set off a wave of concessionary bargaining among automobile manufacturers that then spread into steel, mining, trucking, meatpacking, airlines and rubber. They also claim that a thirty-year truce
438:. His time as UAW president and vice-president and as university professor are chronicled in individual collections. The archival materials include personal correspondence, administrative memoranda, photographs, and other record types. Researchers are encouraged to find the collections at the
457:"I believe leaders of the business community, with few exceptions, have chosen to wage a one-sided class war today in our country—a war against working people, the unemployed, the poor, the minorities, the very young and the very old, and even many in the middle class of our society."
269:
After the war, Fraser quickly rose through the ranks in the UAW. He was appointed an international representative in 1947. During a difficult 104-day strike at
Chrysler in 1950, he deeply impressed UAW staff with his negotiating skills. He joined the personal staff of UAW President
463:"That’s not an adequate answer. ... Business is about making money, but labor leaders are supposed to be about helping workers." (in response to AFL-CIO President John Sweeney's assertion: "There is no more corruption in unions than there is in business or in Congress.")
460:"I would rather sit with the rural poor, the desperate children of urban blight, the victims of racism, and working people seeking a better life than with those whose religion is the status quo, whose goal is profit and whose hearts are cold."
207:, on December 18, 1916. His father, Samuel, was an electrician and an active and vocal trade unionist. The family was so poor that his father, who worked at a brewery, would sometimes fuel the family stove with stolen whiskey.
290:
program, significant improvement to the early retirement plan, and a new dental care benefit. A new streamlined arbitration process was also negotiated, which reduced the time for resolving grievances.
482:
321:
He had pressed for automobile manufacturers to put UAW members on their boards in 1976. He was the first labor leader to sit on the board of directors of an important
American company.
907:
902:
812:, Executive Director, Institute of International Studies, and Raymond E. Miles, Dean, School of Business Administration. University of California at Berkeley. February 12, 1985.
314:
Fraser was president of the UAW from 1977 to 1983. He was elected president after
Woodcock had reached the mandatory retirement age of 65, according to the UAW constitution.
887:
282:
Fraser might be tapped to lead the union. However, after a deeply-divided vote of the UAW executive council voted 13-to-12 against him, Fraser withdrew his name, and
383:. Despite resistance from both staff and members, he began initiatives within the UAW and the auto industry to recruit more minorities and women. He also pushed for
867:
912:
806:"The Labor Movement, Protectionism, and the International Economy: Conversation with Douglas A. Fraser, Former President of the United Automobile Workers."
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882:
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particularly hard. To help save the company, Fraser negotiated significant wage and benefit cuts. The same wage concessions were given to
297:
Fraser (right) in his early days as an international representative for the UAW, with Andy
Kranson, UAW Local 7 (Detroit Jefferson Plant)
232:. His father was out of work for long periods, and he admitted that the poverty and social disorder that he witnessed changed his life.
816:
UAW President’s Office: Douglas A. Fraser Collection. Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. Wayne State University.
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656:
633:
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Fraser received The International Center in New York's Award of Excellence for his significant contributions to life in America.
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factories, where he became active in the union in 1936. He was twice fired for his union beliefs and activities and participated
301:
897:
597:
324:
801:
Douglas Fraser: A Union Legacy Exhibition. Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs. Wayne State University.
344:, as Fraser sought to keep wages uniform across the industry to avoid giving one company a cost advantage over another.
293:
483:"Douglas A. Fraser and Congressman John D. Dingell to receive Reuther Humanitarian Award from Wayne State University"
770:
Jerry Tucker, "U.S. Labor In Crisis: The Current Internal Debate and the Role of Democracy in its Revitalization,"
400:
214:, while his son was still a young boy, in 1922. Samuel, his mother, Douglas, his sister, and his brother sailed to
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May 11, 1970; Arthur R. Schwartz, Michele M. Hoyman, "The Changing of the Guard: The New American Labor Leader,"
431:
384:
742:
403:. A major research and study center, the Douglas A. Fraser Center for Workplace Issues, was named after him.
225:
and were inspected at Ellis Island on April 23, 1923. They travelled to their new home in Detroit by train.
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805:
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Joshua Holusha and Micheline Maynard, "Douglas A. Fraser, 91, Union Chief Who Helped Chrysler, Is Dead,"
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September 17, 1973; William K. Stevens, "View Chrysler Pact As 'Liberal' and 'Big, Fat Settlement',"
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between labor and management broke down after 1979, leading automobile manufacturers to abandon
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Fraser with Andy Kranson (UAW Local 7, second from right), Marc Stepp Awards at Local 212, 1982
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His life and professional career is documented in historical materials housed within the
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November 17, 1967; Jerry M. Flint, "Reuther's Successor in Doubt as Auto Talks Near,"
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215:
263:
236:
649:
The Most Dangerous Man in Detroit: Walter Reuther and the Fate of American Labor,
17:
849:
573:
David Runk, "Douglas Fraser, Former United Auto Workers President, Dies at 91",
184:
161:
93:
614:
Auto Slavery: The Labor Process in the American Automobile Industry, 1897-1950,
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180:
415:
700:
August 22, 1973; William K. Stevens, "Auto Talks Go On, Mood Optimistic,"
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John Gallagher, "1916-2008: Doug Fraser Steered UAW Through Hard Times",
258:
Fraser was elected president of UAW Local 227 in 1943, and served in the
176:
125:
395:
Fraser retired as UAW president in 1983. He was an adjunct professor at
332:
Fraser negotiated another round of concessionary contracts in 1982. The
259:
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in 1951, where he was a personal administrative assistant to Reuther.
247:
Fraser eventually found work as a metal finisher in one of Chrysler's
815:
746:
300:
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and seek an end to job protections and cost-of-living increases.
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from 1977 to 1983 and an adjunct professor of labor relations at
414:
Douglas Fraser died on February 23, 2008, of complications from
188:
681:
Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science,
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and convincing workers to make concessions. He received the
626:
Management and Managed: Fifty Years of Crisis at Chrysler,
235:
He dropped out of high school when he was 18, worked in a
783:
Bernard Weisberger, "Bread and Butter; Bread and Roses,"
696:
September 24, 1973; "Chrysler Picked as U.A.W. Target,"
195:
Humanitarian Award from Wayne State University in 2006.
616:
New Brunswick, N.J., l Rutgers University Press, 1986,
667:
David R. Jones, "U.A.W. Wins Gains in Chrysler Pact,"
451:"The Chrysler workers saved the Chrysler Corporation."
371:
Socially progressive, he was a vocal supporter of the
723:
The Savvy Negotiator: Building Win/Win Relationships,
708:
September 19, 1973; "Chrysler Workers Ratify Pact,"
239:, and took several jobs in the automobile industry.
157:(December 18, 1916 – February 23, 2008) was a
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108:
103:
87:
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56:
36:
651:Urbana, Ill., University of Illinois Press, 1997,
360:Fraser was active in politics his entire life. A
743:"Douglas A. Fraser Center for Workplace Issues"
487:Wayne State University Office of Communications
643:
641:
375:. He defied most UAW in his strong support of
399:for many years, teaching labor relations and
27:For the United States Air Force general, see
8:
908:United States Army personnel of World War II
903:American trade unionists of Scottish descent
628:New York, Cambridge University Press, 1986,
481:University, Wayne State (October 18, 2006).
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175:He is best remembered for helping to save
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671:September 10, 1964; "And Now for G.M.,"
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888:Scottish emigrants to the United States
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328:Fraser and UAW shop committee, ca. 1981
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868:Presidents of the United Auto Workers
228:Douglas was deeply influenced by the
7:
725:New York, Praeger Publishers, 2005,
71:May 19, 1977 – May 19, 1983
25:
440:Walter P. Reuther Library website
278:the international union in 1970.
183:in 1979 by heavily lobbying the
164:leader. He was president of the
692:"Surprise Strike at Chrysler,"
913:Vice presidents of the AFL–CIO
883:Wayne State University faculty
543:"Fraser Goes into High Gear,"
1:
893:Trade unionists from Glasgow
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418:at Providence Hospital in
26:
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836:
828:
823:
432:Walter P. Reuther Library
385:national health insurance
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99:
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286:became union president.
210:Samuel Fraser moved to
436:Wayne State University
397:Wayne State University
364:, he was an unabashed
329:
306:
298:
170:Wayne State University
898:Deaths from emphysema
721:William F. Morrison,
647:Nelson Lichtenstein,
373:Civil Rights Movement
334:early 1980s recession
327:
304:
296:
155:Douglas Andrew Fraser
57:6th President of the
824:Trade union offices
749:on February 16, 2008
602:, February 24, 2008.
426:Archival collections
420:Southfield, Michigan
377:desegregation busing
142:Southfield, Michigan
840:United Auto Workers
712:September 24, 1973.
203:Fraser was born in
166:United Auto Workers
59:United Auto Workers
785:American Heritage,
624:; Steve Jefferys,
600:Detroit Free Press
577:February 24, 2008.
518:February 25, 2008.
350:pattern bargaining
338:Ford Motor Company
330:
307:
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243:Early union career
856:
855:
847:Succeeded by
838:President of the
575:Associated Press,
212:Detroit, Michigan
205:Glasgow, Scotland
193:Walter P. Reuther
159:Scottish–American
152:
151:
135:February 23, 2008
119:December 18, 1916
29:Douglas M. Fraser
18:Douglas A. Fraser
16:(Redirected from
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844:1977–1983
832:Leonard Woodcock
829:Preceded by
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172:for many years.
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272:Walter Reuther
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137:(2008-02-23)
89:Succeeded by
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878:2008 deaths
873:1916 births
850:Owen Bieber
772:Z Magazine,
492:October 27,
218:aboard the
185:US Congress
94:Owen Bieber
77:Preceded by
862:Categories
468:References
391:Retirement
199:Early life
181:bankruptcy
115:1916-12-18
683:May 1984.
416:emphysema
222:Cameronia
67:In office
362:Democrat
336:hit the
220:SS
177:Chrysler
126:Scotland
366:liberal
262:during
260:US Army
122:Glasgow
729:
655:
632:
620:
446:Quotes
249:DeSoto
187:for a
144:, U.S.
808:With
694:Time,
673:Time,
545:Time,
410:Death
179:from
162:union
755:2017
727:ISBN
653:ISBN
630:ISBN
618:ISBN
494:2019
189:loan
132:Died
109:Born
434:at
379:in
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