Douglas Fraser
| Douglas Fraser | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| 6th President of the United Auto Workers | |
|
In office 1977–1983 |
|
| Preceded by | Leonard Woodcock |
| Succeeded by | Owen Bieber |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
December 18, 1916 Glasgow, Scotland, UK |
| Died | February 23, 2008 (aged 91) Southfield, Michigan, U.S. |
Douglas Andrew Fraser (December 18, 1916 – February 23, 2008) was an American union leader. He was president of the United Auto Workers from 1977 to 1983, and an adjunct professor of labor relations at Wayne State University for many years. He is best remembered for helping to save Chrysler from bankruptcy in 1979 by heavily lobbying Congress for a financial loan.
Fraser was born in Glasgow, Scotland, in 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. Samuel Fraser moved to Detroit, Michigan, when he was a young boy. In 1922, his mother, with Douglas and his sister and brother, sailed to New York City aboard the SS Cameronia and were inspected at Ellis Island on April 23, 1923. They travelled to their new home in Detroit by train.
He was deeply influenced by the Great Depression. His father was out of work for long periods, and Fraser admitted that the poverty and social disorder he witnessed changed his life.
He dropped out of high school when he was 18, worked in a machine shop, and took several jobs in the auto industry. Fraser eventually found work as a metal finisher in one of Chrysler's DeSoto factories, where he became active in the union in 1936. He was twice fired for his union beliefs and activities, and participated sitdown strikes at Chrysler. Fraser was elected president of UAW Local 227 in 1943, and served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
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 skill. He joined the personal staff of UAW President Walter Reuther in 1951, where he was a personal administrative assistant to the president. 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 the international union in 1970.
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