Olga M. Madar (May 17, 1915 – May 16, 1996) was the first woman to serve on the

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

(UAW) International Executive Board.

Early life

Born in

Sykesville, Pennsylvania Sykesville is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,157 at the time of the 2010 census. Named for Jacob B. Sykes, an early resident, Sykesville was the birthplace of Olga Madar (1915–1996), the firs ...

, Madar moved to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at t ...

Michigan Michigan () is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest, upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the List of U.S. states and ...

during the Great Depression. After graduating from Northeastern High School School in 1933, Madar started her career in the auto industry in 1933 on the Chrysler assembly line. In 1938, she graduated from

Eastern Michigan University Eastern Michigan University (EMU, Eastern Michigan or simply Eastern), is a public research university in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School, the school was the fourth normal school established in the United Sta ...

(formerly Michigan Normal School) with a degree in physical education. In 1941, she joined the UAW Local 50 while working at

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

’s Willow Run bomber plant. Her brother was Elmer Madar.

Union work

According to Doug Fraser, former UAW president, Madar “was a trailblazer in the struggle for equal rights,” fighting to end racial discrimination and a champion of women’s rights. In 1947, Madar led a crusade to end racial discrimination in the men and women’s bowling association. Victory came in 1952 when the white-only membership policy was removed. She was also active in organizing community recreation programs. Madar was named to the UAW International Executive Board in 1966. She was also the first woman elected as the union’s vice president in 1970. In 1974, Madar was the force behind the creation of the

Coalition of Labor Union Women The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of trade union women affiliated with the AFL-CIO. The CLUW is a bridging organization that seeks to create connections between the feminist movement and the la ...

(CLUW), a nonprofit organization for trade union women affiliated with AFL-CIO. The CLUW was composed largely of women who felt disempowered in their individual unions. During the organization's first convention in 1974, Madar was elected its national president.

Environmentalism

In 1972, Madar said, "The chief victims of pollution are the urban poor, Blacks and workers who cannot escape their environment. Unless we join together now to stop those who pollute for profit, our cities will become ugly cesspools of poisonous pollutants.”

References

External links

CLUW Web siteUAW Web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Madar, Olga 1915 births 1996 deaths Eastern Michigan University alumni Trade unionists from Michigan United Auto Workers people American women trade unionists People from Jefferson County, Pennsylvania 20th-century American women