An ardent conservationist: Walter Reuther and environmentalism in the United Auto Workers in the United States

This article explores the environmental activism of the United Auto Workers (UAW) in the United States under its long-serving president Walter Reuther.While Reuther has been recognised as a powerful figure in post-war liberalisman industry opponent dubbed him 'the most dangerous man in Detroit' due to the union's bargaining power-important aspects of his environmental activism have been overlooked.In the 1960s, the UAW was America's largest industrial union, and its members worked in an industry that was a major polluter, making Reuther an unlikely environmentalist.Despite this, Reuther-who described himself as an 'ardent conservationist'-carried out pioneering environmental work, reflecting his global travels and commitment to social unionism.Drawing on detailed research in Reuther's papers, this article explores how in the 1960s the UAW fought for expanded public space, particularly national parks, and pressed for clean air and water.In doing so, it often stressed its members' increasing recreational needs.It also established a landmark environmental department and pushed the industry to make small cars at a time when it had little interest in doing so.While there were limits, this article argues that the union was ahead of its time on many issues, especially in supporting stronger government regulation of pollution.For Reuther, environmentalism was a lifelong passion, and he died in 1970 in a plane crash while organising a UN conference on 'Man's Living Environment'.