William B. Gould IV UAW Files and Correspondence

William B. Gould IV (born July 16, 1936) is an American lawyer currently the Charles A. Beardsley Professor of Law, Emeritus at Stanford Law School. Professor Gould was the first black professor at Stanford Law School. He also served as the Chairman of the National Labor Relations Board from 1994 to 1998. He was responsible for the publication of the diary of his great grandfather William B. Gould I, an escaped slave who served in the Union Navy during the United States Civil War.

Gould was born on July 16, 1936 in Boston, Massachusetts.

The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) is one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy. UAW-represented workplaces range from multinational corporations, small manufacturers and state and local governments to colleges and universities, hospitals and private non-profit organizations. The UAW has more than 400,000 active members and more than 580,000 retired members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. There are more than 600 local unions in the UAW. The UAW currently has 1,150 contracts with some 1,600 employers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. A unique strength of the UAW is the solidarity between its active and retired members. A solid majority of the union's retirees stay actively involved in the life of their union, participating in retiree chapters and playing a vital role in the UAW's community action program. Since its founding in 1935, the UAW has consistently developed innovative partnerships with employers and negotiated industry-leading wages and benefits for its members. UAW members have benefited from a number of collective bargaining breakthroughs, including: The first employer-paid health insurance plan for industrial workers. The first cost-of-living allowances. A pioneering role in product quality improvements. Landmark job and income security provisions. Comprehensive training and educational programs.