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UNION LABEL

A 1960s Jewish radical has been elected a UAW plant chairman.

ALAN ABRAMS
Special to the Jewish News

R

ichard "Rick" Feldman has
put his life on the line
every day for the past 26
years.
To Feldman, that means working
on the assembly line while advocating
for the rights of his co-workers at the
sprawling Ford Michigan Truck Plant
in the western suburb of Wayne.
Now, the 48-year-old activist has
brought to fruition the dream he has
nurtured since his college days as a
radical at the University of .
Michigan. Since mid-August, he has
been plant chairman (under the aus-
pices of United Automobile Workers
Local 900) at the facility where Ford
manufactures two of its best-selling
vehicles, the Explorer and the
Navigator.
Feldman is not only the first Jew to
be plant chairman since the factory
opened in 1963, but he is also the first

published author to be elected to that
tions, and to "basically and fundamen-
position.
tally make sure people have the respect
"Basically, I'm responsible for
that they deserve as human beings
upholding the contract that affects
working in an auto factory," said
4,000 people in the plant," said
Feldman.
Feldman, sitting in the enclave of
Feldman's responsibilities include
union offices on the second floor
communicating with the mem-
of the plant, overlooking the vast
bership, creating a union team
Rick
parking lot. The local's headquar-
strategy
and "bargaining in
Feldman
ters, further down Michigan
good
faith
with management
leads UAW
Avenue, sports a large sign in
Local 900. for the betterment of the work
front warning drivers that no for-
force to produce a quality unit.
In this case, it is one of the
eign-made automobiles are
allowed in the parking lot.
most profitable vehicles at Ford and
Feldman is also responsible for
one of the best vehicles on the market
right now, the Expedition and
upholding the union constitution,
which provides guidelines for the 28
Navigator."
The success of these sport utility
appointed and elected union bargain-
vehicles, which some automotive writ-
ing and district committeemen that
work with him.
ers have even compared in quality to
They deal with a steady flow of
Mercedes Benz, has led to a redefini-
work-related issues: health and safety
tion of the factory. To many of those
concerns, proper work standards, job
who work in it, the facility is not just
responsibilities, the amount of work
a "truck plant" anymore. And the
people can do within a day, shop
product has become something the
rules, overtime pay, seniority classifica-
work force is proud to produce.

Feldman was elected Aug. 14. It
was actually a second election for the
post, because of management's
involvement in the first. Feldman lost
the first election by 73 votes, out of
2,300 cast. He won the second by 140
votes out of 2,900 cast.
"This was a very scary election for
some people," said Feldman. "While
most people obviously were ecstatic
that I won, there are also people that
are just looking for something now
"What my election showed was
people wanting a change, not wanting
business as usual, wanting unions to
walk on two legs — to work for job
security as well as increased dignity
and involvement in the workplace.
"And there's a growing number of
people who have never been raised
with unions who are coming into
plants.
"There's a hunger out there for
defining what the agenda of the union
will be in the 21st century," said
Feldman. He cited Berlin Scott in End

10/3
1997

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