Wayne L. Horvitz
Encyclopedia
See Wayne Horvitz
for the musician.
Wayne Louis Horvitz (October 8, 1920 – June 17, 2009) was an American
labor negotiator, who served as director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
, where he played a major role in resolving and preventing major strikes
in business and industries nationwide.
, Illinois
, the only child of Gertrude Wayne Horvitz and Aaron Horvitz, who had himself been a prominent labor negotiator and was the first president of the National Academy of Arbitrators
. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York
and attended Bard College
, graduating in 1942. Horvitz served in the United States Army
during World War II
in North Africa
and Italy
. Following the completion of his military service, Horvitz attended the MIT Sloan School of Management
, where he earned a Master of Science
degree in 1953 in industrial management.
as a labor-management arbitrator, and then was employed by the Matson Navigation Company
in San Francisco as its vice president for industrial relations from 1960 to 1967. After several years working independently in the field in Washington, D.C.
, Horvitz was hired by the supermarket industry in 1974 to serve as chairman of its labor-management committee.
Jimmy Carter
in April 1977 to serve as director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Averting a nationwide strike that would have started at midnight on August 7, 1977, Horvitz assisted in negotiations between the Communications Workers of America
and the American Telephone & Telegraph
. The $3.3 billion agreement would have wages and benefits increase 31% over the three-year life of the contract. AT&T's Bell Telephone System reached a similar agreement with the Telecommunications International Union and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
. Horvitz called the agreement "a victory for collective bargaining" and an "example of what can be done when two responsible parties sit down together with the will to reach an agreement".
As part of the Carter Administration
's efforts to avert a strike, Horvitz helped the United Mine Workers
replace several senior positions of officials who had been fired by union president Arnold Miller
, an action described by The New York Times
as a "highly unusual move" that was intended to ensure that negotiations could only proceed successfully if the union had the organization it needed. Horvitz worked to negotiate an agreement between the UMW and coal industry to end the 110-day Bituminous Coal Strike of 1977–1978, in which workers would receive an increase of $2.35 per hour over their prior hourly base rate of $7.80, with combined wages and benefits increasing by 37% over the three-year contract. Later that year, Horvitz convinced Postmaster General
William F. Bolger
to present the Postal Service's final offer to the unions representing postal workers, with the parties reaching an agreement within an hour of Bolger's direct participation.
Horvitz played an active role in negotiating a new master freight agreement between the trucking inustry and the Teamsters
, ending a 10-day strike and lockout
that had 300,000 drivers and other union employees out of work. As part of the agreement reached in April 1979, workers received an additional $1.50 per hour, with wages and benefits rising 30% in the three years of the contract. Horvitz served as mediator from the start of negotiations and praised both sides for resisting internal and external pressures to prolong the work stoppage. Later that year, Hrvitz also played a direct role in "very difficult and complicated" negotiations towards reaching an agreement to end a 12-week long strike by grain handlers the 600 workers represented by Local 118 of the American Federation of Grain Millers that brought an estimated $1 billion in losses to the farmer industry in the Upper Midwest.
Horvitz was sent by president Carter to mediate between the Metropolitan Opera
and the American Guild of Musical Artists
in a strike that had led the Met to announce the cancellation of its 1980–81 opera season. Horvitz described that "[b]oth sides are dug in now in ways that make it almost impossible to see dayight." The two sides reached an agreement after negotiating for three days after Horvitz became involved in the process.
due to complications of cancer
. His wife died in 2002, and a son died in 2005. He was survived by his companion, Judy Peabody, as well as three sons and three grandchildren.
Wayne Horvitz
Wayne Horvitz is an American composer, keyboardist and record producer.-Biography:Horvitz, a "defiant cross-breeder of genres", has led the groups The President, Pigpen, Zony Mash, and the Four Plus One Ensemble...
for the musician.
Wayne Louis Horvitz (October 8, 1920 – June 17, 2009) was an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
labor negotiator, who served as director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service (USA)
The Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service is an independent agency of the United States government, founded in 1947, which provides mediation services to industry, community and government agencies worldwide. One of its most common tasks is to help to mediate labor disputes around the country....
, where he played a major role in resolving and preventing major strikes
Strike action
Strike action, also called labour strike, on strike, greve , or simply strike, is a work stoppage caused by the mass refusal of employees to work. A strike usually takes place in response to employee grievances. Strikes became important during the industrial revolution, when mass labour became...
in business and industries nationwide.
Early life and career
Horvitz was born on October 8, 1920 in ChicagoChicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, the only child of Gertrude Wayne Horvitz and Aaron Horvitz, who had himself been a prominent labor negotiator and was the first president of the National Academy of Arbitrators
National Academy of Arbitrators
The National Academy of Arbitrators is a not-for-profit 501 honorary and professional organization of labor arbitrators in the United States and Canada founded in 1947....
. He grew up in Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon is a city in Westchester County, New York, United States. It lies on the border of the New York City borough of The Bronx.-Overview:...
and attended Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, graduating in 1942. Horvitz served in the United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
and Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Following the completion of his military service, Horvitz attended the MIT Sloan School of Management
MIT Sloan School of Management
The MIT Sloan School of Management is the business school of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, in Cambridge, Massachusetts....
, where he earned a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
degree in 1953 in industrial management.
Labor negotiation
His opened an office in Phoenix, ArizonaPhoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
as a labor-management arbitrator, and then was employed by the Matson Navigation Company
Matson Navigation Company
The Matson Navigation Company, a subsidiary of Alexander & Baldwin, is a private shipping company with roots extending into the late 19th century...
in San Francisco as its vice president for industrial relations from 1960 to 1967. After several years working independently in the field in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, Horvitz was hired by the supermarket industry in 1974 to serve as chairman of its labor-management committee.
Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service
He was named by President of the United StatesPresident of the United States
The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....
Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
in April 1977 to serve as director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service.
Averting a nationwide strike that would have started at midnight on August 7, 1977, Horvitz assisted in negotiations between the Communications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America
Communications Workers of America is the largest communications and media labor union in the United States representing about 550,000 members in both the private and public sectors. The union has 27 locals in Canada via CWA-SCA Canada representing about 8,000 members...
and the American Telephone & Telegraph
American Telephone & Telegraph
AT&T Corp., originally American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is an American telecommunications company that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agencies. AT&T is the oldest telecommunications company...
. The $3.3 billion agreement would have wages and benefits increase 31% over the three-year life of the contract. AT&T's Bell Telephone System reached a similar agreement with the Telecommunications International Union and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is a labor union which represents workers in the electrical industry in the United States, Canada, Panama and several Caribbean island nations; particularly electricians, or Inside Wiremen, in the construction industry and linemen and other...
. Horvitz called the agreement "a victory for collective bargaining" and an "example of what can be done when two responsible parties sit down together with the will to reach an agreement".
As part of the Carter Administration
Presidency of Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter served as the thirty-ninth President of the United States from 1977 to 1981. His administration sought to make the government "competent and compassionate" but, in the midst of an economic crisis produced by rising energy prices and stagflation, met with difficulty in achieving its...
's efforts to avert a strike, Horvitz helped the United Mine Workers
United Mine Workers
The United Mine Workers of America is a North American labor union best known for representing coal miners and coal technicians. Today, the Union also represents health care workers, truck drivers, manufacturing workers and public employees in the United States and Canada...
replace several senior positions of officials who had been fired by union president Arnold Miller
Arnold Miller
Arnold Miller was a miner and labor activist who served as president of the United Mine Workers of America , AFL-CIO, from 1972 to 1979.-Early life and mining career:...
, an action described by The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
as a "highly unusual move" that was intended to ensure that negotiations could only proceed successfully if the union had the organization it needed. Horvitz worked to negotiate an agreement between the UMW and coal industry to end the 110-day Bituminous Coal Strike of 1977–1978, in which workers would receive an increase of $2.35 per hour over their prior hourly base rate of $7.80, with combined wages and benefits increasing by 37% over the three-year contract. Later that year, Horvitz convinced Postmaster General
United States Postmaster General
The United States Postmaster General is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Postal Service. The office, in one form or another, is older than both the United States Constitution and the United States Declaration of Independence...
William F. Bolger
William F. Bolger
William F. Bolger was the 65th Postmaster General of the United States from March 15, 1978 to January 1, 1985. He was the second career postal employee to attain the rank of Postmaster General....
to present the Postal Service's final offer to the unions representing postal workers, with the parties reaching an agreement within an hour of Bolger's direct participation.
Horvitz played an active role in negotiating a new master freight agreement between the trucking inustry and the Teamsters
Teamsters
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters is a labor union in the United States and Canada. Formed in 1903 by the merger of several local and regional locals of teamsters, the union now represents a diverse membership of blue-collar and professional workers in both the public and private sectors....
, ending a 10-day strike and lockout
Lockout
Lockout may refer to:* Lockout , a type of work stoppage* Lockout * Lockout chip, a computer chip in a video game system to prevent use of unauthorized software* Lock-out device, part of a signaling system used on game shows...
that had 300,000 drivers and other union employees out of work. As part of the agreement reached in April 1979, workers received an additional $1.50 per hour, with wages and benefits rising 30% in the three years of the contract. Horvitz served as mediator from the start of negotiations and praised both sides for resisting internal and external pressures to prolong the work stoppage. Later that year, Hrvitz also played a direct role in "very difficult and complicated" negotiations towards reaching an agreement to end a 12-week long strike by grain handlers the 600 workers represented by Local 118 of the American Federation of Grain Millers that brought an estimated $1 billion in losses to the farmer industry in the Upper Midwest.
Horvitz was sent by president Carter to mediate between the Metropolitan Opera
Metropolitan Opera
The Metropolitan Opera is an opera company, located in New York City. Originally founded in 1880, the company gave its first performance on October 22, 1883. The company is operated by the non-profit Metropolitan Opera Association, with Peter Gelb as general manager...
and the American Guild of Musical Artists
American Guild of Musical Artists
The American Guild of Musical Artists, AFL-CIO is the American labor union that represents 8,000 current and retired opera singers, ballet and other dancers, opera Directors, backstage production personnel at opera and dance companies, and figure skaters.-Jurisdiction:According to its website it...
in a strike that had led the Met to announce the cancellation of its 1980–81 opera season. Horvitz described that "[b]oth sides are dug in now in ways that make it almost impossible to see dayight." The two sides reached an agreement after negotiating for three days after Horvitz became involved in the process.
Personal
Horvitz died at age 88 on June 17, 2009, at his home in Washington, D.C.Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
due to complications of cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. His wife died in 2002, and a son died in 2005. He was survived by his companion, Judy Peabody, as well as three sons and three grandchildren.