Irving Bluestone

Chief negotiator for General Motors employees in the 1970s and advocate of worker participation in management. Bluestone first landed a job with General Motors at their Harrison, N.J. plant and immediately became involved in union activities. In 1946, he was noticed by the president of the United Automobile Workers, Walter Reuther, who appointed him to the union’s G.M. staff. Bluestone went on to become vice president of the General Motors department of the union from 1970 to 1980. He led negotiations for G.M. and led strikes at individual plants. He was an early advocate for Quality of Worklife programs, which involved workers in discussions about rules and improving the cars they manufactured.