William Usery Jr. facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Usery
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|---|---|
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| 15th United States Secretary of Labor | |
| In office February 10, 1976 – January 20, 1977 |
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| President | Gerald Ford |
| Preceded by | John T. Dunlop |
| Succeeded by | Ray Marshall |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Willie Julian Usery, Jr.
December 21, 1923 Hardwick, Georgia, U.S. |
| Died | December 10, 2016 (aged 92) Eatonton, Georgia, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouses |
Gussie Mae Smith
(m. 1942; died 2005)Frances Pardee
(m. 2006) |
| Education | Mercer University |
| Military service | |
| Branch/service |  United States Navy |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
William Julian Usery Jr. (born December 21, 1923, died December 10, 2016) was an American labor leader. He also worked for the government. He was the Secretary of Labor for President Gerald Ford.
Even though his birth name was Willie, many official papers called him William. Most people knew him as "W.J." or "Bill."
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
William Usery was born in Hardwick, Georgia, on December 21, 1923. His parents were Willie J. Usery and Effie Mae Williamson. He went to Georgia Military College from 1938 to 1941.
From 1941 to 1942, he worked as an underwater welder. He helped build Liberty ships in Brunswick, Georgia. In 1942, Usery married Gussie Mae Smith.
Serving in World War II
During World War II, more welders were needed for the Navy. Usery joined the United States Navy. From 1943 to 1946, he worked on a Navy repair ship in the Pacific Ocean.
After the war, Usery worked as a steamfitter, welder, and machinist in Georgia. He attended Mercer University, but he did not finish his degree.
Career in Labor and Government
On March 1, 1952, Usery helped start a local union. It was Local Lodge 8 of the International Association of Machinists (IAM). He worked as a machinist at the Armstrong Cork Company at the time.
He was elected to different roles within the union. Eventually, he became the president of Local Lodge 8.
Working with Space Centers
While at Armstrong Cork, Usery was a special representative for the IAM. He worked at the U.S. Air Force Cape Canaveral Air Force Missile Test Center.
In 1956, Usery left Armstrong Cork. He became a Grand Lodge Representative for the IAM. In 1961, he joined the President's Missile Sites Labor Commission. He led talks and managed union contracts at several space centers. These included Cape Canaveral, John F. Kennedy Space Center, and Marshall Space Flight Center.
In 1967, Usery was chosen for a labor-management council at Kennedy Space Center. He became the council's leader in 1968.
Assistant Secretary of Labor
In February 1969, President Richard Nixon chose Usery for a new role. He became the Assistant Secretary of Labor for Labor-Management Relations. This was part of the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). Usery made sure the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act was followed.
Usery helped create and put into action Executive Order 11491. This order gave union rights to two million federal workers. It also set up ways to solve disagreements. This was a big step for labor unions. It made federal worker rights similar to those in private companies.
Solving Strikes
During his time at the DOL, Usery helped stop several big strikes. In April 1969, he worked non-stop to prevent a national strike by railroad workers. He also helped solve problems between railways and other transportation unions.
However, some strikes could not be stopped. Usery was part of a team that could not prevent the national postal service strike. This strike began on March 18, 1970, in New York City. Over 210,000 postal workers stopped working.
President Nixon ordered the workers back to their jobs. But this made more workers join the strike. The strike stopped mail delivery across the country. It affected pension checks, tax refunds, and draft notices. Businesses had to use planes and trucks to send mail. Nixon then ordered military forces to deliver the mail. But the military was not very effective.
Usery played a key role in talks that ended the strike in two weeks. Postal unions and government officials reached an agreement. This agreement gave unions most of what they wanted. It also led to the Postal Reorganization Act of 1970. Under this act, postal unions could negotiate wages and working conditions. In 1971, five postal unions joined to form the American Postal Workers Union. This became the largest postal workers union in the world.
Usery was important in the Nixon administration. But he could not stop the president from pausing the Davis-Bacon Act in 1971. This act set wages for construction workers on federal projects. The Vietnam War was causing construction wages to rise too fast. Nixon paused the act, but Usery convinced him to bring it back. A new group was formed to review union contracts. This group helped lower wage increases on these projects from 14 percent to 6 percent.
Leading the FMCS
In March 1973, Nixon appointed Usery to lead the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (FMCS). This agency helps employers and unions solve their disagreements.
In October 1973, a major labor group, the AFL-CIO, asked Usery to lead one of their departments. Usery accepted, but President Nixon asked him to stay. Usery then decided to decline the AFL-CIO's offer.
To thank Usery for his loyalty, Nixon gave him a new role in January 1974. Usery became Special Assistant to the President for Labor-Management Affairs. He advised the president on labor issues. He also helped solve big labor disputes that could affect the country. This role ended when Nixon resigned. But President Gerald Ford re-appointed Usery in January 1975. Usery continued to lead the FMCS until he became Secretary of Labor in 1976.
Secretary of Labor
On February 10, 1976, President Gerald Ford chose Usery to be the United States Secretary of Labor.
Usery's time as Secretary of Labor was short. President Ford lost the election in November 1976. The new president, Jimmy Carter, chose someone else for the job. Usery left office on January 20, 1977.
Later Career and Contributions
After leaving government, Usery started his own company. It was called Bill Usery Associates, Inc. This company helped businesses and unions with their labor relations.
Helping Auto Industry
In 1983, Usery's company helped with talks in the car industry. This involved the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, General Motors (GM), and Toyota Motor. Usery helped them create a special agreement. They formed a new company called New United Motor Manufacturing, Inc. (NUMMI). NUMMI used Toyota's production methods in the U.S. The UAW agreed to support this if they were recognized at the NUMMI plant in Fremont, California.
Usery helped GM, Toyota, and the UAW agree to a unique partnership. The UAW accepted Toyota's production ways. Toyota agreed to make the UAW an equal partner in managing the plant. This agreement was signed in June 1985. This partnership won many awards for teamwork and quality.
Also in 1983, Usery helped solve a strike by 38,000 teachers in Chicago.
Supporting Labor Relations
In 1985, Usery started the Bill Usery Labor Relations Foundation. This foundation helps unions and employers in Russia. It teaches them how to improve their labor-management relations.
Usery also served on several federal labor commissions. One was the "Coal Commission." In the 1980s, coal mining companies and the United Mine Workers (UMWA) disagreed about paying medical benefits to retired miners. In 1989, the Pittston Coal Company refused to pay. The UMWA went on strike.
Secretary of Labor Elizabeth Dole asked Usery to help. Usery got both sides to agree to form the "Coal Commission." This group studied the issue and made suggestions. Their ideas became law in the Coal Act of 1992.
From 1993 to 1995, Usery also served on the Commission on the Future of Worker-Management Relations. This was known as the "Dunlop Commission."
In 1994, President Bill Clinton asked Usery to help solve a major league baseball strike.
In 1997, Georgia State University opened the W.J. Usery Jr. Center for the Workplace. This center studied good labor-management relations. It also helped employers and workers solve problems. Usery spent most of his time working at the center after 2000. The center closed in early 2010.
Awards and Recognition
In May 1975, Usery received an honorary degree from the University of Louisville.
He was a member of the Labor and Employment Relations Association. In 1999, he received their Lifetime Achievement Award.
In 2004, Georgia State University approved the W.J. Usery Jr. Chair of the American Workplace. This was a special teaching position named after him.
In 2010, a new building at the Georgia Military College campus was named "Usery Hall." This was thanks to a large donation Usery made. The building is used by middle school and high school students.
Personal Life
William Usery died on December 10, 2016. He passed away just eleven days before his 93rd birthday.
