UAW Black History Month Spotlight: Ben Gross

Ben Gross was not only a leader in the labor movement, but also an icon in the civil rights movement and in the fight for racially integrated housing. His accomplishments eventually led him to elected office and then positions within UAW leadership. When Gross passed away in 2012, the city of Milpitas held a memorial

UAW Black History Month Spotlight: Ben Gross

Gross became a UAW member in 1949 when he joined UAW Local 560 at Ford  Motor Co. in Richmond, California, and began a 62-year long affiliation with the UAW that included  a string of groundbreaking positions. In 1950, he became the first African-American elected to the local’s bargaining committee. Four years later, as chair of

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