Bernard Kleiman
Encyclopedia
Bernard Kleiman was a prominent labor lawyer and the general counsel to the United Steelworkers of America for over 30 years and an adviser to 5 of the union’s presidents during years of turmoil in the steel industry.
He interrupted his studies at Purdue University
to enlist in the Army. He toured with the Army basketball team and served in Korea. His military service was cut short by scarlet fever. He returned to Purdue and graduated in 1951, having majored in metallurgical engineering. He then attended the Northwestern University School of Law, from which he graduated in 1954.
. He spearheaded a successful lawsuit that forced Illinois to reapportion its legislature to assure it followed the principle of one person one vote.
Impressed by Mr. Kleiman’s accomplishments, I. W. Abel, the union’s president, named him the union’s general counsel in 1965. As general counsel Mr. Kleiman often served as the union’s chief negotiator, helping make the nation’s steelworkers some of the highest-paid blue-collar workers in the world.
During his tenure as general counsel, Kleiman negotiated a 1973 agreement that barred strikes in the steel industry for a decade. The agreement was designed to curb steel imports, because six months before every contract deadline, the nation’s automakers and other steel users began greatly increasing their purchases from abroad.
Kleiman negotiated contracts that helped keep several steel companies afloat during the 1980s, when the industry was traumatized by recession and surging imports. He also helped negotiate an affirmative action
agreement for the steel and aluminum industries, paving the way to hire more minority workers. The aluminum agreement was upheld in a landmark Supreme Court
case, United Steelworkers v. Weber
.
He negotiated with many leading companies, including United States Steel, Kaiser Aluminum, Bethlehem Steel, Goodyear and Bridgestone Firestone.
Leo W. Gerard, the USWA's president, was quoted as saying that “It is difficult to overstate his impact on the union....His role with the union was much broader then the typical duties of general counsel.”
In the 1980s, Mr. Kleiman negotiated deals with two companies that were close to bankruptcy, the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation and the Allegheny Ludlum Corporation, allowing them to pay smaller compensation packages than steelmakers in better financial shape. When the industry rebounded in the late 1980s, Mr. Kleiman spearheaded efforts to restore a pattern in which all steelmakers provided similar wages and benefits.
Mr. Kleiman stepped down from the general counsel’s position in 1997, but remained special counsel to the union’s president. He officially retired in the summer of 2006, but continued working, most recently in the union’s two-month-old strike against Goodyear.
Early life
Although born in Chicago, Bernard Kleiman grew up in Kendallville, Indiana, where his father was a scrap metal dealer. He played center on the varsity basketball team in high school, and graduated in 1944.He interrupted his studies at Purdue University
Purdue University
Purdue University, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S., is the flagship university of the six-campus Purdue University system. Purdue was founded on May 6, 1869, as a land-grant university when the Indiana General Assembly, taking advantage of the Morrill Act, accepted a donation of land and...
to enlist in the Army. He toured with the Army basketball team and served in Korea. His military service was cut short by scarlet fever. He returned to Purdue and graduated in 1951, having majored in metallurgical engineering. He then attended the Northwestern University School of Law, from which he graduated in 1954.
Legal career
In 1960, Kleiman became counsel for District 31 of the union, covering Illinois and IndianaIndiana
Indiana is a US state, admitted to the United States as the 19th on December 11, 1816. It is located in the Midwestern United States and Great Lakes Region. With 6,483,802 residents, the state is ranked 15th in population and 16th in population density. Indiana is ranked 38th in land area and is...
. He spearheaded a successful lawsuit that forced Illinois to reapportion its legislature to assure it followed the principle of one person one vote.
Impressed by Mr. Kleiman’s accomplishments, I. W. Abel, the union’s president, named him the union’s general counsel in 1965. As general counsel Mr. Kleiman often served as the union’s chief negotiator, helping make the nation’s steelworkers some of the highest-paid blue-collar workers in the world.
During his tenure as general counsel, Kleiman negotiated a 1973 agreement that barred strikes in the steel industry for a decade. The agreement was designed to curb steel imports, because six months before every contract deadline, the nation’s automakers and other steel users began greatly increasing their purchases from abroad.
Kleiman negotiated contracts that helped keep several steel companies afloat during the 1980s, when the industry was traumatized by recession and surging imports. He also helped negotiate an affirmative action
Affirmative action
Affirmative action refers to policies that take factors including "race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation or national origin" into consideration in order to benefit an underrepresented group, usually as a means to counter the effects of a history of discrimination.-Origins:The term...
agreement for the steel and aluminum industries, paving the way to hire more minority workers. The aluminum agreement was upheld in a landmark Supreme Court
Supreme Court of the United States
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest court in the United States. It has ultimate appellate jurisdiction over all state and federal courts, and original jurisdiction over a small range of cases...
case, United Steelworkers v. Weber
United Steelworkers v. Weber
United Steelworkers of America v. Weber, 443 U.S. 193 , was a case regarding affirmative action in which the United States Supreme Court held that the Civil Rights Act of 1964 did not bar employers from favoring women and minorities...
.
He negotiated with many leading companies, including United States Steel, Kaiser Aluminum, Bethlehem Steel, Goodyear and Bridgestone Firestone.
Leo W. Gerard, the USWA's president, was quoted as saying that “It is difficult to overstate his impact on the union....His role with the union was much broader then the typical duties of general counsel.”
In the 1980s, Mr. Kleiman negotiated deals with two companies that were close to bankruptcy, the Wheeling-Pittsburgh Steel Corporation and the Allegheny Ludlum Corporation, allowing them to pay smaller compensation packages than steelmakers in better financial shape. When the industry rebounded in the late 1980s, Mr. Kleiman spearheaded efforts to restore a pattern in which all steelmakers provided similar wages and benefits.
Mr. Kleiman stepped down from the general counsel’s position in 1997, but remained special counsel to the union’s president. He officially retired in the summer of 2006, but continued working, most recently in the union’s two-month-old strike against Goodyear.