The Local Union: Center of Life in the UAW

Despite some signs of middle-age spread, the United Automobile Workers Union, now over 40 years old, sustains a politically sophisticated response to issues while preserving much of the democratic spirit that distinguished its earlier years. The UAW still is known for being in the vanguard among unions, protecting the rights of minorities, devising new bargaining demands, and helping the cause of those that are denied justice. What is less known is the stormy life of the local unions that have institutionalized democracy and militancy in the UAW. It is the history of one such local, Local 7, I propose to relate here.

Local 7, UAW, has been the certified representative of the Chrysler Kercheval-Jefferson workers in Detroit since 19...