Reuther, Victor G. The Brothers Reuther and the Story of the UAW: A Memoir.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1979. 523 pages.
Victor Reuther (1912-2004) and his more prominent brother Walter
Reuther (1912-1970) were labor leaders in the U.S. automotive industry
beginning in the 1930s. This book is basically a family autobiography
and labor-movement history. It begins with memories of his working-class,
immigrant parents who were dedicated to the cause, and more or less
ends with Walter's death in a plane crash in 1970. Walter survived an
assassination attempt in 1948, and Victor survived one in 1949. These
attempts were carried out by organized crime thugs with shotguns,
apparently hired by corporate interests. Walter Reuther was president
of the United Auto Workers from 1946-1970.
One of the most interesting chapters describes Victor and Walter's
trip to Germany in 1933, just as Hitler was coming to power, to meet with
labor organizers there. Then they went to Gorky, Russia and spent two
years as advisors and guest workers at a new auto factory that received
substantial aid from Ford Motor Company. Other chapters describe conflicts
with George Meany and the AFL-CIO. The international activities of the
AFL-CIO were thoroughly compromised by the CIA in the 1960s. Victor spoke
out about this as early as 1966, but no one took him seriously until
these and other CIA activities became general knowledge in the 1970s.
ISBN 0-395-27515-6
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