Stephen Phillip Yokich was born on August 20, 1935, and died on August 16, 2002. He was an American labor union activist who worked to support workers' rights. From 1994 to 2002, he was the leader of the United Auto Workers.
Early life and union career
Yokich was born in Detroit, Michigan, in August 1935 to Stephen and Julia Yokich, six days before the first UAW convention. He had ancestors from Germany, Lebanon, Serbia, and Syria. His grandfathers, many of his aunts and uncles, and his father were members of the UAW. When he was 22 months old, his mother (a UAW member of Local 174 who was on strike at the Ternstedt Plant) took him to his first picket line. His father brought him to a picket line when he was six years old.
He worked in the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1956, then started an apprenticeship in 1956 at the Heidrich Tool and Die Company in Oak Park, Michigan. He joined UAW Local 155, the same local where his father had once been a shop steward. Many members of his family were part of Local 155. "Working in the same local, I went to all the meetings with my father," he said. "We would take one car, and there would be four or five of us, all riding together to go to the meetings." As the youngest apprentice, he was asked to be the union's recording secretary. He was elected chair of Local 155's political action committee after a year in the union. Yokich became known for pushing and sometimes fighting with anti-union workers, managers, and others during strikes. He was arrested in the late 1950s after an argument on a picket line in Fraser, Michigan.
Walter Reuther met Yokich after his arrest. In 1962, Yokich challenged the UAW president at a public meeting: "All we hear about is the sit-down strike and what we did in '38. We are not interested in '38. We are interested in doing our part now in making this UAW stronger than it was in '38." Reuther hired him as a UAW Region 1 staff representative in 1969. Yokich was elected Director of Region 1 in 1977.
Yokich was elected an international Vice President of the UAW in 1980 (he served five consecutive terms) and led the union's Agricultural Implement Department. While leading this department, he led a strike against Caterpillar Inc. that lasted 205 days. Some people later said his strong public actions might have made the strike last longer. In 1983, Yokich was assigned to lead the UAW's Ford Department. Although he did not usually support expanded labor-management partnerships, he encouraged the UAW to participate in employee involvement programs it had already negotiated with Ford and later negotiated work rule changes to secure job stability for his members. At least one newspaper said Yokich helped create a "virtual overhaul of the factory floor." He criticized what UAW leaders called "Ephilinism"—joint labor-management teams promoted by UAW Vice President Donald Ephlin at the Saturn Corporation—for leading to many concessions but no job security.
Yokich led the UAW's General Motors Department from 1989 to 1995. Within thirty minutes of taking charge, he started removing workers he believed were not doing their jobs well. The Detroit Free Press called his impact on General Motors "astonishing"; he increased the union's presence and strength among workers at GM plants, agreed to tens of thousands of job cuts in exchange for higher wages and benefits, slowed the pace of change by calling strategically important local strikes, and built strong relationships with up-and-coming GM managers who he correctly predicted would eventually lead the company.
He studied at Wayne State University but did not finish his degree.
UAW presidency
Stephen Yokich was chosen as President of the UAW in 1994. In 1998, he led a 54-day strike against General Motors, which the news media described as difficult. This was one of five strikes the UAW took against General Motors that year. Yokich said neither side gained from the strike but believed it was necessary to secure agreements already made. He explained that the hardship for workers, communities, and others was too great. He also ended a six-year strike against Caterpillar, which helped keep the contract but required workers to accept losses and concessions.
Yokich was re-elected in 1998 and left his position in 2002. During his time as president, he focused more on negotiating strong contracts than on involving the union in national politics. He included a rule in all UAW automotive contracts that made federal election days a holiday for union members, allowing them to vote. David Cole, Director of the Center for Automotive Research, noted two major achievements during Yokich’s three terms: improving the UAW’s relationship with General Motors and helping Chrysler reduce its size, which supported the company’s survival. He also extended the length of UAW contracts with the Big Three automakers from three to four years. The Detroit Free Press highlighted Yokich’s efforts to organize workers in industries such as casinos, healthcare, and higher education as his most significant accomplishment.
Death
Yokich began experiencing coronary artery disease in the final years of his life. He had a stroke at his home in Detroit on Thursday, August 15, 2002. He was taken to St. John Hospital and passed away at 9:45 A.M. the next day.
He married Tekla Baumgartner. The couple had one son and one daughter and lived in St. Clair Shores, Michigan. His mother, wife, and children survived him. His daughter, Tracey A. Yokich, was a member of the Michigan Legislature. As of 2024, she serves as a judge on the Circuit Court in Macomb County, Michigan.
Memberships and awards
Yokich was a lifelong member of the Democratic Party. He belonged to the NAACP and the Coalition of Labor Union Women. He was part of the steering committee for the Economic Alliance for Michigan, a member of the board for the Michigan Cancer Foundation, and a board member for the Father Clement Kern Foundation. In 1993, he started the Community Caring Program.
In 1995, he received the Arab American of the Year Award from the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services. In 1998, he shared the Chairman's Award for Vehicle Quality Improvement with another person from J.D. Power and Associates.