Ghana Goodwin-Dye

​Ghana Goodwin-Dye is a proud mother of four children and a proud Grandmother of three
grandchildren. She has been a resident of Southfield, Michigan for 33 years. She retired from
UAW-General Motors after 34.5 years and started a new career with the University of
Michigan Center for Labor and Community Studies as an Education Specialist/ Coordinator.
She started her career at General Motors in 1985, working in production on the assembly line
before gaining her Journeyman’s card as an Electrician (after completing a four-year
apprentice in 3.5 years). She has an Associates degree in Business Administration and is
currently working on a Bachelors. She became involved with her union through standing
committees’ structure and volunteering for union and community activities. She was on the
Women’s committee, Union Label committee, Election Committee and Community Service
committee. She gained knowledge of the union and its purpose through the involvement on
these committees and from the brothers and sisters she worked with.
She was elected Vice-President and later President as well, elected three times to serve her
membership of 1000 members at UAW Local 909. She served on the 2011 UAW-GM National
Negotiation team. She spent several years working as a special assigned at the UAW-GM
Center for Human Resources in the Education and Training department in various capacities.
Ghana is also involved with Southfield/Lathrup Village Democratic club and holds the
position of first chair and has gained the respect of the members of the club through her
hard work and dedication to do what is right for the right reasons. She is on the board of
Detroit Downriver chapter of the A. Philip Randolph Institute which works diligently to get
out the vote and help in communities. She sits on the board of, Education Begins with Each
Gift (EBEG), an organization that sponsors labor education tuition. She is the President of her
condominium association. She also is a proud member of Coalition of Labor Union Women
(Cluw), and Canton Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) and a co-founder of One Voice
Community Activists a non-profit that works to bridge the gap between communities and
resources.
She has been blessed to participate and organize many community outreach and fundraiser
projects that help communities. One of her most memorable experiences was introducing
the 44 th  President of the United States of America Barack Obama in 2011 at the Labor Day
March in Detroit. Ghana has been blessed to help many and to meet many amazing people
that have supported, encouraged, educated, and sometimes voluntold her what she was
going to do. These are the people and experiences that made her who she is. Family, Friends,
Community and HER UNION!
Ghana has the leadership skills of self-awareness and prioritizes personal development. Her
focus is on developing others, encourage strategic thinking, innovation, and action. She is
ethical and civic minded in her daily routine. She practices effective cross-cultural
communication and the ability to connect and collaborate with others. Her passionate and
optimistic vision causes her to be capable of being agile, adaptable, and flexible. Her mother
taught her the basic principles of honesty, integrity, accountability, while having clear goals
and objectives that will motivate others, when you provide them with clear direction you can
succeed in everything you do!
Under her wise, fearless and strong-hearted leadership she has helped move her union UAW,
community organizations, the labor movement and the University of Michigan Center for
Labor and Community Studies to new heights of achievement!