16 | AUGUST 10 • 2023 

S

ince the 1930s, 
Michigan has been 
a state with a robust 
labor movement. Indeed, for 
most of the 20th century, many 
observers often referred to 
Detroit as the “Labor Capital” 
of America. This was largely, 
but certainly not entirely, 
due to the powerful United 
Automobile Workers Union, 
the UAW
, which as late as 
1980 had nearly 1.5 million 
members. Although the labor 
movement is smaller today, 
Michigan still has strong 
unions in many sectors.
Historically, Jewish men 
and women were instrumental 
in building unions in Michi-
gan, and many became 
prominent union leaders. 

To name just a very few, Irv 
Bluestone and Martin Gerber 
were vice presidents of the 
UAW
, and Maurice Sugar 
was the union’s first general 
counsel. Sam Fishman was 
the longtime president of 
the Michigan AFL-CIO, and 
Bernie Firestone, although the 
head of a very small union, 
the Michigan Amalgamated 
Clothing and Textile Workers 
Union, was a legendary, highly 
visible labor leader and social 
activist in Michigan. Likewise, 
Myra Wolfgang was a historic 
and prominent leader of 
Detroit retail workers.
This past June, another 
longtime prominent 
Jewish labor leader retired: 
David Hecker, president 

of the Michigan American 
Federation of Teachers (AFT). 
He has been the ranking 
Jewish union leader in the state 
over the past two decades and 
a key leader for Michigan’s 
labor movement.
Hecker led the Michigan 
AFT for 22 years, since 
his election to the post in 
2001 after serving as union 
secretary-treasurer. He was 
also a vice president of the 
national AFT and served as 
a trustee of the Metropolitan 
Detroit AFL-CIO and a 
member of the Michigan State 
AFL-CIO’s executive council. 
From 1986-1996, Hecker 
served as executive assistant 
to the president of the Metro 
Detroit AFL-CIO. 
To say the least, Hecker is 
also an extremely active social 
activist. He serves with various 
civic organizations such as the 
Metropolitan Affairs Coalition, 
on the boards of New Detroit, 
the Michigan League for Public 
Policy and the Education 
Alliance, and he chairs the 
board of Communities in 
Schools Michigan. Indeed, 
Hecker can often be found 

at various events promoting 
women’s rights, rallies to end 
gun violence, and in support 
of Democratic political 
candidates, along many other 
political and social causes.
Hecker and his wife, Alice 
Audie-Figueroa, who is also 
a well-known activist, are 
longtime members of Shir 
Tikvah in Troy.
One of the busiest people in 
Michigan — at least, until the 
end of June — David made 
time for an interview with me 
about his career and pending 
“retirement.”
 
Tell me about your family 
background in New York.
DH: I was born in the Bronx. 
When I was 11 years old, 
we moved to Yonkers. My 
paternal grandparents came 
from Zamosc, Poland. My 
grandfather worked in the 
unionized needle trades in 
New York and was very active, 
with my grandmother, in 
the Workers Circle, a Jewish, 
Socialist, labor fraternal 
organization. 
 My mom worked, including 
as a substitute teacher and, 
at other times, she was a 
stay-at-home mom. Later, 
she worked at Montefiore 
Hospital in the Bronx, where 
she was a member of District 
1199 [now Service Employees 
International Union 1199]. She 
was promoted to management 
but honored her former 
union’s picket line when they 
struck. 
 My father worked as one 
of the few insurance workers 
who were unionized. He was 
a leader of the union in his 
Manhattan office. Along with 
many Jews of the era, he and 
my mother were supportive 
of progressive politics. So, you 
might say that I inherited my 
support for labor. 

Longtime Labor 
Leader Retires

OUR COMMUNITY

David Hecker, president of the 
Michigan American Federation of 
Teachers, ends a productive career.

David Hecker at 
a “Build Schools, 
Not Walls” rally 
in Detroit

MIKE SMITH CONTRIBUTING WRITER

