Victor Reuther
| Victor G. Reuther | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Victor George Reuther January 1, 1912 Wheeling, West Virginia |
| Died | June 3, 2004 (aged 92) Washington DC |
| Occupation | International labor organizer |
Victor G. Reuther (January 1, 1912 – June 3, 2004) was a prominent international labor organizer. Along with brothers, Walter Reuther, and Roy Reuther, he helped make the labor movement a powerful force in the lives of millions of working people around the world. His older brother Walter became the president of the United Auto Workers union (UAW) and Victor became the head of that union's Education Dept. and an organizer on the international level. Throughout his life Victor strived for the betterment and the continuing education of the working classes and as a powerful advocate of social democracy.
Victor Reuther was born in Wheeling, West Virginia, the son of Anna (Stocker) and Valentine Reuther, a socialist brewery worker who had immigrated from Germany. His father was a union activist and supporter of Eugene Debs, a socialist candidate for the United States Presidency. Victor attended college as a freshman at West Virginia University in Morgantown.
Later, at the urging of his brother, Walter, he attended what is now Wayne State University. Subsequently, he then joined Walter on an extended trip to Europe and Asia, during which time the brothers worked in a Russian automobile factory. The Reuthers were eventually blacklisted and expelled from the U.S.S.R. after leading a strike demanding safer working conditions.
Returning to the United States in 1936, Victor took a job at the Kelsey-Hayes Wheel Company, in Flint, Michigan. It was there that he started to organize the workers into a union that would eventually become the UAW. During this time Reuther lent his support and leadership to the 1936 General Motors Strike where he faced down the billy clubs and tear gas of the violent pro-company police. He was famous during this strike for driving around Flint in a car with a loudspeaker mounted on the roof, encouraging the striking workers who were occupying the factories. Reuther was 24 years old at the time. General Motors (GM) workers in Flint took action, and the strike eventually spread to over 100 other production facilities. During this strike, 90% of GM production was stopped due to the shortage of parts and labor.
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