Dorothy Haener (December 18, 1917 – January 6, 2001) was a union activist for the

United Auto Workers The United Auto Workers (UAW), fully named International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, is an American labor union that represents workers in the United States (including Puerto Rico) and sou ...

International Union's Women's Department and a founder of the

National Organization for Women The National Organization for Women (NOW) is an American feminist organization. Founded in 1966, it is legally a 501(c)(4) social welfare organization. The organization consists of 550 chapters in all 50 U.S. states and in Washington, D.C. It ...

Early life and union work

Dorothy Haener was born on December 18, 1917, in

Detroit, Michigan Detroit ( , ) is the List of municipalities in Michigan, most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is situated on the bank of the Detroit River across from Windsor, Ontario. It had a population of 639,111 at the 2020 United State ...

. After graduating high school the prior year, Haener got a spot welder position at Wayne Wire Cloth Company in 1937. She lost her job there after the company's poor working conditions provoked her into campaigning for unionization. In 1941, Haener was hired at Ford's newly constructed bomber plant,

Willow Run Willow Run, also known as Air Force Plant 31, was a manufacturing complex in Michigan, United States, located between Ypsilanti Township and Belleville, built by the Ford Motor Company to manufacture aircraft, especially the Consolidated B-24 ...

. While she started as a department clerk, she eventually got training at the Ford Trade School for inspection with help from the

union. Haener worked there as an inspector until

Kaiser-Frazer The Kaiser-Frazer Corporation (1947–1953 as Kaiser-Frazer) was an American automobile company. It was founded jointly by industrialist Henry J. Kaiser and automobile executive Joseph W. Frazer.Walter Reuther Walter Philip Reuther (; September 1, 1907 – May 9, 1970) was an American leader of organized labor and civil rights activist who built the United Automobile Workers (UAW) into one of the most progressive labor unions in American history. He ...

. During this time she helped technical and office workers unionize under the UAW. While in her position she also helped develop a separate women's department within the UAW and pressured all levels of the UAW to increase women's opportunities there. In 1961 she left the UAW organizing staff and joined the UAW Women's Department. While in the UAW Women's Department, she helped figure out ways to push more women into higher-paying jobs, such as by having them file grievances and negotiating. Haener retired from the UAW in 1982.

National Organization of Women

In June 1966, Haener was one of 28 women who created the National Organization of Women. While Haener and UAW initially supported NOW, UAW had to stop supporting the National Organization of Women after NOW declared support for the UAW-opposed

Equal Rights Amendment The Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) was a proposed amendment to the Constitution of the United States, United States Constitution that would explicitly prohibit sex discrimination. It is not currently a part of the Constitution, though its Ratifi ...

in their second meeting in 1968. During this period, Haener continued to pay personal dues but was otherwise inactive. This changed in 1970 when UAW changed their position on the Equal Rights Amendment and could support NOW.

Personal life and other accomplishments

In 1971, Haener was one of the many women who helped create the

National Women's Political Caucus The National Women's Political Caucus (NWPC) is an organization which was founded in 1971 by leaders of the women's liberation movement to promote women's participation in government. The group describes itself as a multi-partisan grassroots or ...

. In 1983, Dorothy Haener was inducted into

Michigan Women's Hall of Fame The Michigan Women's Hall of Fame (MWHOF) honors distinguished women, both historical and contemporary, who have been associated with the U.S. state of Michigan. The hall of fame was founded in 1983 by Gladys Beckwith and is sponsored by the Michi ...

. Haener never married, as she claimed herself to be too independent to get married. Haener was a member of the democratic party and was a delegate at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. Haener died on January 6, 2001.

References

Bibliography

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Haener, Dorothy 1917 births 2001 deaths United Auto Workers people National Organization for Women people Activists from Detroit American women trade unionists Michigan Democrats Trade unionists from Michigan American women founders American founders