"Nelson "Jack" Edwards"(1917-1974)

Was Vice-President of the UAW (United Auto Workers), and founder of  CBTU, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists.Nelson was born on a farm in Lowndes County Alabama.In 1937 he moved to Detroit and worked at the Chrysler Plant, where he became active in the local union.Inspired by his brother John who had told him the union was doing good things, Nelson, began his union career during the union growth of the 1930s.He was elected UAW union steward to represent workers in Chrysler's Foundry plant.  Nelson was laid off from Chrysler in 1941,and later obtained a job at the Ford Lincoln Plant on Detroit's west side. Immediately,he became active in his new union, Local 900,at that time  freely-recognized  by the Ford Motor Company. Nelson served on the local's education, citizenship, and by -laws  committee  and in 1944 was chosen to be chairman  of that committee .Nelson  was involved in the civic and political life  of Detroit,  state of  Michigan , as  well  as  the  Nation  for many years where he made substantial contributions.  In 1947,Nelson became  an international  Representative assigned to Region 1A  Detroit's  westside.His first major  assignment  was as an organizer  in the UAW's drive  to win Caterpillar workers (PeoriaiL.) into UAW,  and away from the Farm Equipment Workers. Following that successful campaign  to swell  UAW  ranks  with  agricultural implement workers, Nelson returned to his region  and  became a serving  representative.  He helped  handle plant problems  in Ford Lincoln,  Helsey-Hayes and several malleable iron plants.He completed 14 years as an international  Representative.A dedicated  union  activists,  he rose  through  the union ranks,starting as a line steward  to become  the first  African-American man elected  elected  to the UAW's Executive board,  May 1962.A year  later,   in  May 1963,he was asked by UAW President Walter P. Reuther to go to Birmingham,  Alabama  to assist African-Americans in their struggle  for equality.  He was  re-elected  to that executive board  position three times and in 1970  was elected union vice president.  Nelson held this position  for 15 years,  when delegates  appointed  him to UAW's International Executive Board.  An ardent persistent fighter in the struggle  for civil rights , he was one of the founders of the Trade Union Leadership Council  (TULC) in 1957 and now Tulc _ MDCLA; one of the founders of the Negro Labor Union Council (NALC) in 1959,headed by Asa Philip Randolph;  and  one of the founders of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionist (CBTU)  in September 1972.As Vice President of the UAW ,Nelson headed  the following  Departments  and  Councils: Alcoa,  Allen Industries,  Bendix;  Borg-Warmer;   Budd;  Die Cast;Doehler-Jarvis; Donaldson; Drop Forge and Heat Treat;Eaton;   Electric Storage Battery;Ex-Cell-O; Federal Mogul;Foundry; FMC-Food Machinery;Heating-Air Conditioning-Radiation and Refrigeration;Hoover;Houndaille;Independents-Parts and Suppliers;Indian-Head;Kelsey-Hayes;Koehring;Mcquay-Norris;Midland Ross;Modine;Motor Wheel;Purolator;Standard Products;Standard Products;Sunstrand Council; and Teledyne.He was also Co-Director of the Manpower Training and Development and Chairman of UAW's Southerneastern Michigan Community Action Program Council (SEMCAP).Nelson was a member of many organizations including:NAACP (life member) Detroit Labor Acton Council, New Detroit, Inc., Metropolitan Fund,Inc. United Foundation, COBTUU,Citizens Crusade Against Poverty,American Civil Liberties,Union Wayne County Stadium Authority,ETC.Nelson and the UAW Foundry Conferences were synonymous since its founding inthe City of Milwaukee,inte year of 1948.It was under the affirmative leadership of Nelson that the Foundry Conference which gave birth to a new concepts bargaining programs,personal paid time off,the special Foundry pension program of 25 and out, on-the-job medical examinations for family and forge workers at no coast to the worker,and the federal law of pension reinsurances of private pension programss all on the initiative of Nelson and his pursuit for its enactment by Congress.Freedom Road remained his personal goal for all mankind;the right to live,leran, work,and play in accordance to the quality of the man and not the color of his skin, religion,ethnic background,or sex,we can well remember the clarion call on the much needed changes in collective bargaining agreements and within our society as a whole.With his own special conveyance,only nelson could delivered in that compassionate voice:"The Foundry Conference has been a pacesetter on many occasions.By its efforts on the collective bargaining front and in the legislative field,it has won many for foundry workers that have,in many cases,been extended to other workers in the union,"With great and warm feelings for his fellow man,he would pleed.Within this Great Society of ours rests an abundance and liberty for all.It demands an end to poverty and racial injustice-a place where every child can find knowledge to enrich his mind and to enlarge his talents...It is a place where man more concerned with the quality of his goals than quantity of his goods.Most of all the Great Society is not a safe harbor,a resting place,a final objective,a finished product it is a challenge constantly