Staff

Tracey Dye has been on staff with the Center for Labor and Community Studies since December of 2021, though her time with CLCS began long before that. Before coming to our team, Tracey also worked for Chrysler for 44 years as a member of UAW Local 889 before retiring in May 2021. In her career at Chrysler, Tracey held many positions, but the one she is proudest of is her active years with the UAW. For two terms she served as Steward, representing her salaried sisters & brothers at the MOPAR facility. During her time at Chrysler, Tracey used her union negotiated tuition assistance program (TAP) benefits to further her education by going back to school, where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration and a Master’s Degree in Human Resource Management from Central Michigan University. After receiving these degrees, Tracey went on to receive her Labor Studies Certificate from Wayne State University, which was also paid for by TAP benefits.

In 2009, Tracey got a UAW International appointment to become the Joint Activities Representative (JAR) for UAW Local 889. One of her many duties was to take on the role of TAP Rep. In that capacity, she got 12 years of experience helping her members to go on to further their educations, just like she did.

As a member of UAW Local 889, Tracey also was the editor of the quarterly newsletter, “The White Collar News”. After being in the role for approximately 10 years, Tracey was asked to be the Region One Advisory Council representative for LUCA (Local Union Communication Association), a position she holds to this day. Tracey was also an elected Delegate to the UAW Convention from 2006 to 2016. In 2020, she attended the convention again in her capacity as a LUCA delegate. 

Outside of her work as Program Administrator at CLCS, Tracey is actively involved as the Recording Secretary of the Detroit Chapter of CBTU (Coalition of Black Trade Unions). She also belongs to CLUW and APRI Detroit Downriver.

In her spare time, Tracey is an avid golfer and enjoys spending time with her husband of 50 years, John, along with her two children, John R & Alison, along with her three grandchildren, Mikyla, Amir, & Kenzie.

Michelle has been a Union Representative and Labor Educator for over 35 years. Prior to becoming director of CLCS in 2022, Michelle worked at Wayne State University where she served as the Executive Director of the American Association of University Professors-AFT from 2007-2022 and as a Labor Educator at WSU’s Labor Studies Center from 1996 until 2007. Before working at the university, Michelle worked as a Union Rep and Organizer for UFCW Local 951, and SEIU Local 79. She also worked as a Health and Safety Specialist for the ILGWU and RWDSU at the international level. For her education, Michelle received both her Master's and Bachelor's Degrees from Michigan State University: dual Bachelor's of Science Degrees in Employment Relations and Political Science with a concentration in Women's Studies, and a Master's of Labor & Industrial Relations.

Michelle has also been active in public service and in 2012 was elected to the Michigan State Board of Education, retiring in 2020. In 2021, she was appointed to Michigan’s Teacher Tenure Commission. She is a strident activist for the rights of workers, unions, people with disabilities, those in the foster care system, as well as those in the LGBTQ+ community. Her activism is rooted in her family experiences. Her father was a president of his teachers’ union.  She and her husband Eddie Hejka live in Detroit and have two children by birth, their oldest with autism. They also fostered 11 children, 5 they adopted. In addition, they have parented 8 others who needed a home, outside of the foster care system.

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 44th 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! 

David Reynolds, PhD retired as the director for the Labor and Community Studies Center in 2022.  His research and teaching specialties include state and local government, labor-community coalitions, and regional strategies to build long-term progressive power. In 2021, Routledge published his book, with Louise Simmons, Igniting Change and Progressive Power:  The Partnership for Working families Cities. His previous book, A New Deal: How Regional Activism Will Reshape the American Labor Movement, was coauthored with Amy Dean. 

In his spare time David plays all kinds of strategy board games, paints miniature figures, accompanies his wife and singer Shirley with guitar, and likes to go out into the woods to throw round discs at baskets.