Description: This biography of Roy Reuther examines his tumultuous life, including the triumphs and tragedies in the labor and civil rights movements. It also serves as a cautionary tale about the dangers that activists may face as they confront entrenched powers in society. As the brother of famed labor leader Walter Reuther, Roy was a key figure in many historic union battles, including the Flint sit-down strike that gave birth to the United Auto Workers.
Brief description: Alan Reuther is the son of Roy Reuther and the nephew of famed labor leader Walter Reuther. He received a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School in 1977. Following in his father's and uncles' footsteps, the author spent his career working for the United Auto Workers (UAW). In 1977 he began as a lawyer in the union's legal department, litigating in federal district and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. In 1982 he transferred to the UAW's Washington office to work on legislative matters. He became legislative director in 1991 and supervised the union's activities lobbying Congress and the executive branch on health care, pensions, worker rights, and other issues.
Review Quotes: "Roy Reuther and the UAW is the gripping story of Roy Reuther, one of the famed Reuther brothers, who played a huge and historic role in building America's labor movement and lifting millions of workers, creating the middle class. This book, written by Roy Reuther's son, Alan, fills an important gap by detailing the life and achievements of Roy, the least known of the Reuther brothers. Walter Reuther, the UAW's long-time president, was more famous, while Roy played a big but largely unsung role in some of labor's proudest episodes: the Flint sit-down strike and getting unions to back throw their weight behind the civil rights movement as well as Cesar Chavez and the United Farm Workers."-Steven Greenhouse, author of Beaten Down, Worked Up: The Past, Present, and Future of American Labor