BIEBER, OWEN (FREDERICK)

born Dec. 28, 1929, North Dorr, Mich., U.S. American labour leader and president, since 1983, of the United Automobile Workers (UAW; formally the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America). Bieber, after leaving high school, took a factory job at a company making seats for Hudson and Chevrolet cars. Within a year, at age 19, he was a union shop steward; and by 1956, at age 26, he was president of Local 687 in the Grand Rapids area. In 1980 he was elected a vice president of the entire Uaw and became chief of the General Motors department, which traditionally has been a springboard to the presidency. In 1982 he was nominated and in 1983 elected president of the union, succeeding Douglas A. Fraser.