Cal
Rapson was elected to a second term as a
vice president of the UAW on June 14,
2006, at the union's 34th Constitutional
Convention in Las Vegas.
Rapson directs the UAW's General Motors and Delphi Departments.
In his first term as vice president, Rapson directed the UAW Aerospace, Agricultural Implement and General Dynamics Departments, as well as departments representing UAW members at Guide Corp., Lear and American Axle.
In addition, Rapson headed the UAW Skilled Trades Department, the UAW Veterans' Department, the UAW Chaplaincy Program, and the UAW Conservation, Recreation, and Consumer Affairs Departments.
Rapson previously served as director of UAW Region 1C, a post he was elected to in 1998. The region, which has its headquarters in Flint, covers an 11-county area of south central Michigan.
He was a key figure in the 11-year organizing victory for Eagle Picher workers at two Southeastern Michigan plants in 2000. Rapson, an experienced and respected negotiator, also was instrumental in bargaining successful first contracts at Eagle Picher in Hillsdale and Magna Interior Systems in Brighton, Michigan.
In 1989, Rapson was appointed by then-UAW Vice President Stephen P. Yokich as an administrative assistant in the union's General Motors Department, and played a key role in negotiating the 1990 and 1993 national agreements at GM. He served as coordinator of Active Training Programs at the UAW-GM Human Resources Center in 1988, following six years as an international representative servicing various GM groups and plants. He was assistant director of Region 1C from 1995 to 1998.
Rapson has been a UAW member since 1965 when he joined Local 659 at the Chevrolet Engine plant in Flint, Michigan. He is a graduate of the UAW-GM apprenticeship program and holds a machine repair/machinist skilled trades journeyman's card.
His union activism led to various elected positions in Local 659, and in 1978 he was elected chair of the UAW-GM Skilled Trades Sub-Council 9, a post he held until his 1981 election as top negotiator of Sub-Council 9. In 1982 he was elected as chair of the negotiation team that successfully bargained the 1982 master agreement between UAW and GM.
Rapson is a staunch Michigan State
University fan. Born on December 30,
1944, he is married to wife Sandie and
the father of four daughters: Julie, a
member of UAW Local 1853; Debbie, at UAW
Local 2280; Amie, at UAW Local 2031,
Krista, and one stepdaughter, Becky. He
has six grandchildren. His motto is,
"Never give up."