Raymond E. Majerus (1924 – December 17, 1987) was an

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

labor leader who served as secretary-treasurer of 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 ...

from 1980 unti
his death
in 1987. From 1954 to 1960, Majerus was a key figure in the Kohler strike.

Biography

Majerus began working for Kohler Co. in the early 1950s. In 1952, Majerus led a

wildcat strike A wildcat strike is a strike action undertaken by unionised workers without union leadership's authorization, support, or approval; this is sometimes termed an unofficial industrial action. The legality of wildcat strikes varies between countries ...

for which he was fired. He remained involved in labor organization efforts at Kohler, however, and played a role in the decision to affiliate the company-supported Kohler Workers Association with the

United Automobile 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 ...

. When the U.A.W. won its first contract with Kohler in 1953, one of the provisions insisted that Majerus be barred from working at the plant. Despite the ban, Majerus served as a union representative and was a key figure in the Kohler strike that lasted from 1954 to 1960. The union eventually won the strike, and Kohler was forced to give workers back pay. In 1965, while working as a U.A.W. staff member in the Wisconsin-Minnesota region, Majerus traveled to

Selma, Alabama Selma is a city in and the county seat of Dallas County, in the Black Belt region of south central Alabama and extending to the west. Located on the banks of the Alabama River, the city has a population of 17,971 as of the 2020 census. Abou ...

to march for civil rights. Majerus was elected director of the Wisconsin-Minnesota region of the U.A.W. in 1972. Eight years later, in 1980, he was elected secretary-treasurer of the

, the second-highest position in the union. In 1982, Majerus sought the presidency of the

. He was an early front-runner, but ultimately lost to

Owen Bieber Owen Frederick Bieber (;Sawyer, "In Troubled Detroit, the UAW to Follow 'a Guy You Can Trust'," ''The Washington Post,'' November 22, 1982. December 28, 1929 – February 17, 2020) was an American labor union activist. He was president of the Uni ...

. In addition to his union positions, Majerus also served as a member of the

Democratic National Committee The Democratic National Committee (DNC) is the principal executive leadership board of the United States's Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party. According to the party charter, it has "general responsibility for the affairs of the ...

from Wisconsin. H
died
on December 16, 1987, of a heart attack.

Personal life

He was the father of basketball coach

Rick Majerus Richard Raymond Majerus (February 17, 1948 – December 1, 2012) was an American basketball coach and TV analyst. He coached at Marquette University (1983–1986), Ball State University (1987–1989), the University of Utah (1989–2004), and S ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Majerua, Ray 1924 births 1987 deaths United Auto Workers people American trade union leaders Democratic National Committee people