Marie Clarke (June 27, 1915 – January 2, 2020) was an African American labor leader from Ohio. She was inducted into the

Ohio Women's Hall of Fame The Ohio Women's Hall of Fame was a program the State of Ohio's Department of Job and Family Services ran from 1978 through 2011. The Hall has over 400 members. In 2019, the Hall's physical archives and online records were transferred to the ...

in 1986 by Governor

Richard Celeste Richard Frank Celeste (born November 11, 1937) is an American former diplomat, university administrator and politician from Ohio. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the 64th governor of Ohio from 1983 to 1991. Early life and career ...

. She turned 100 in June 2015. Clarke was born in Columbus, Ohio; she died in January 2020 at the age of 104.AFSCME Ohio Council 8 Leader Marie Clark Passes
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Work and organizing

In 1946 Clarke, a single mother, began work as a mechanic at the largest aircraft manufacturer in the United States at the time,

Curtiss-Wright Corporation The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is a manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation of Curtiss, Wright, and v ...

in Columbus, Ohio. Clarke soon became a labor organizer and recruiter for 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) ...

union. Her first project took on disparities between the men's and women's restrooms at the plant raising concerns that the men's restroom had many more sinks for washing after shifts than the women's. The difference added to the women's workday as they waited in long lines. It was the long wait times that allowed Clarke to raise awareness and organize women to become part of the union. Her efforts organizing workers at the plant into the

union survived a major company re-organization from

North American Rockwell North American Aviation (NAA) was a major American aerospace manufacturer that designed and built several notable aircraft and spacecraft. Its products included: the T-6 Texan trainer, the P-51 Mustang fighter, the B-25 Mitchell bomber, the F- ...

manufacturing company. After 22 years in the aircraft industry, Clarke was the first African American woman to be elected to the executive board of the UAW local 927. In 1969, she left the industry and took a job as a clerical worker at Columbus City Hall where she was supportive of a strike among the city's sanitation workers who were part of the

AFSCME The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME) is the largest trade union of public employees in the United States. It represents 1.3 million public sector employees and retirees, including health care workers, correcti ...

Local 1632 union. After the strike, Clarke was instrumental in organizing clerical workers to join the local 1632 union, a task completed by the end of 1969. From 1980–1992 Clarke served as the secretary-treasurer of the AFSCME Local 1632 union and was a member of the AFSCME Local 1632 Chapter 108 as a retiree. John Lyall, president of AFSCME Ohio Council 8 spoke of Marie Clarke noting that "when we say we are standing on the shoulders of those who came before us, we’re talking about people like Marie Clarke. She knew the power of solidarity and was a great believer in direct action. Her accomplishments should inspire us all." Clarke has said that “I have always felt that serving the public was a special kind of work. And I will always be proud to say I am an AFSCME member."

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Clarke, Marie 1915 births 2020 deaths People from Columbus, Ohio Activists from Ohio African-American activists American trade union leaders American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees people African-American centenarians Women centenarians American centenarians 20th-century African-American people 21st-century African-American people