Olga Madar
Encyclopedia
Olga M. Madar was the first woman to serve on the United Auto Workers
(UAW) International Executive Board.
Born in Sykesville, Pennsylvania
, Madar moved to Detroit, Michigan
during the Great Depression
. After graduating from Northeastern High 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
(formerly Michigan Norman School) with a degree in physical education. In 1941, she joined the UAW Local 50 while working at Ford’s Willow Run bomber plant.
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
(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.
United Auto Workers
The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, better known as the United Auto Workers , is a labor union which represents workers in the United States and Puerto Rico, and formerly in Canada. Founded as part of the Congress of Industrial...
(UAW) International Executive Board.
Born in Sykesville, Pennsylvania
Sykesville, Pennsylvania
Sykesville is a borough in Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, United States. The population was 1,246 at the 2000 census.Sykesville is the birthplace of Olga Madar , first woman to be a vice-president in the United Auto Workers and founder of the Coalition of Labor Union Women in...
, Madar moved to Detroit, Michigan
Detroit, Michigan
Detroit is the major city among the primary cultural, financial, and transportation centers in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people. As the seat of Wayne County, the city of Detroit is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and serves as a major port on the Detroit River...
during the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
. After graduating from Northeastern High School in 1933, Madar started her career in the auto industry in 1933 on the Chrysler
Chrysler
Chrysler Group LLC is a multinational automaker headquartered in Auburn Hills, Michigan, USA. Chrysler was first organized as the Chrysler Corporation in 1925....
assembly line. In 1938, she graduated from Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University
Eastern Michigan University is a comprehensive, co-educational public university located in Ypsilanti, Michigan. Ypsilanti is west of Detroit and eight miles east of Ann Arbor. The university was founded in 1849 as Michigan State Normal School...
(formerly Michigan Norman School) with a degree in physical education. In 1941, she joined the UAW Local 50 while working at Ford’s Willow Run bomber plant.
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
Coalition of Labor Union Women
The Coalition of Labor Union Women is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization of trade union women affiliated with the AFL-CIO.CLUW has four goals:*Promoting affirmative action in the workplace*Strengthening the role of women in unions...
(CLUW), a nonprofit organization for trade union women affiliated with AFL-CIO
AFL-CIO
The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations, commonly AFL–CIO, is a national trade union center, the largest federation of unions in the United States, made up of 56 national and international unions, together representing more than 11 million workers...
. 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.