Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Wayne State University Web site honors Walter P. Reuther on 100th anniversary of his birth

"You can’t opt out of life. You’ve got to make up your mind whether you’re willing to accept things as they are, or whether you’re willing to try to change them."

– UAW President Walter P. Reuther, 1968.

Walter P. Reuther, thankfully, was not one to accept things as they are. He saw injustices and tried to right them.

Walter Reuther and Martin Luther King

Throughout his long career as a labor leader, he helped working people stand up for themselves and win dignity and fairness on the factory floor. He fought so that all workers, not just UAW members, would be able to reach for a middle-class standard of living. He stood alongside Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. to help open the eyes of white America to the injustices heaped upon African-Americans. He marched with Cesar Chavez to help stop the abuse of migrant farm workers.

This year, which marks the 100th anniversary of his birth, The Walter P. Reuther Library of Labor and Urban Affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit will honor America’s most accomplished labor leader with a Web site tribute, No Greater Calling.

Inside the Web site, you’ll find a biography, photographs, speeches, and a search engine.

Teachers will find the site exceptionally useful as there are lesson plans for students in the 5th through 8th grades.

Reuther led the UAW from 1946 until his death in 1970. He was born Sept. 1, 1907 in Wheeling, W.Va., and learned about trade unionism and social justice from his father, Valentine, an active member of the Brewery Workers union.

"No Greater Calling" refers to a quote by Reuther:

"There is no greater calling than to serve your fellow men. There is no greater contribution than to help the weak. There is no greater satisfaction than to do it well."

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