Nelson "Jack" Edwards facts for kids
Nelson "Jack" Edwards (1917–1974) was Vice President of the UAW (United Auto Workers), and a founder of CBTU, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.
Early life and career
Nelson Edwards was born in 1917 on a farm in Lowndes County, Alabama. In 1937 he moved to Detroit and worked at the Chrysler plant, where he became active in the local union. Inspired by his brother John, Edwards began his union career during the union growth of the 1930s. He was elected UAW Union steward to represent workers in Chrysler's Foundry plant. He was laid off from Chrysler in 1941, and later obtained a job at the Ford Lincoln Plant on Detroit’s west side. Immediately, Edwards became active in his new union, Local 900, at that time freely-recognized by the Ford Motor Company. He served on the local’s education, citizenship, and by-laws committee and in 1944 was chosen to be chairman of that committee. Jack was involved in the civic and political life of Detroit, the State of Michigan, as well as the Nation for many years where he made substantial contributions.
Civil rights activism
An ardent and persistent fighter in the struggle for civil rights, he was one of the founders of the Trade Union Leadership Council (TULC) in 1957 and now TULC_MDLCA; one of the founders of the Negro labor Council (NALC) in 1959, Headed by Philip Randolph; and one of the founders of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist (CBTU) in September 1972.
As Vice President of the UAW, he headed the following Departments and Councils: Alcoa, Allen Industries; Bendix; Borg-Warner; Budd; Die Cast; Doehler-Jarvis; Donaldson; Drop Forge and Heat Treat; Eaton; Electric Storage Battery; Ex-Cell-O; Federal Mogul; Foundry; FMC-Food Machinery; Heating-Air Conditioning-Radiation and Refrigeration; Hoover; Houdaille; Independents-Parts and Suppliers; Indian Head; Kelsey-Hayes; Koehring; McQuay-Norris; Midland-Ross; Modine; Motor Wheel; Purolator; Standard Products; Sundstrand Council; and Teledyne. He was also Co-Director of the Manpower Training and Development Department and Chairman of UAW's Southeastern Michigan Community Action Program Council (SEMCAP). Jack was a member of many organizations including: NAACP (life member), Detroit Labor Action Council, New Detroit, Inc., Metropolitan Fund, Inc. United Foundation, COBTUU, Citizens Crusade Against Poverty, American Civil Liberties, Union Wayne County Stadium Authority, etc.
Nelson Jack Edwards advocated for collective bargaining programs, personal paid time off, pension programs, on-the-job medical examinations for family and workers at no cost to the worker, and the federal law of pension reinsurances of private pension programs.
Death and legacy
Nelson Jack Edwards, 57, the first black man to become a vice-president of the UAW and long-time civil rights champion, was killed by a gunman, November 2, 1974.
In March 1975, a special memorial was held in honor of the late UAW Vice President and Foundry Department Director. As a tribute to the lasting memory of Nelson Jack Edwards, the International Union dedicated to him one of the buildings at the Walter and May Reuther UAW Family Education Center at Black Lake.
