Generations of Auto Workers: Anderson, Indiana, 1930-1982
A Guide to the Collection of Oral History Interviews at Indiana University
Bloomington
Finding aid prepared by the staff of the Center for
the Study of History and Memory with a grant from the National Endowment for the
Humanities Division of Preservation and Access, 2000-2002
Overview of the Collection
Repository
Indiana University Center for Documentary Research and Practice
Indiana University
Franklin Hall 0030B
601 E. Kirkwood Avenue
Bloomington, IN 47405
Phone: 812/855-2856
Fax: 812/855-0002
E-mail: ohrc@indiana.edu
https://cdrp.mediaschool.indiana.edu
Creator
Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory
TitleGenerations of Auto Workers: Anderson, Indiana, 1930-1982
Project No.
ohrc042
Interviews
28 interviews. Audiotapes, transcripts, and collateral
materials.
Physical Location
Interviews are housed in Franklin Hall, Room 0030B. Copies of interview transcripts are also held by the IU Libraries University
Archives.
Contact archives@indiana.edu for more information. For other locations housing the interviews
from this project, please contact the Center for Documentary Research and Practice office.
Language
Materials are in English
Abstract
This project examines the impact of unionization on Guide Lamp and
Delco Remy, two automobile plants in Anderson, Indiana, between the years of
1930 and 1982. It details the events of the 1937 sit-down strike at Guide Lamp
and the various improvements in working conditions, wages, job security, and
benefits that the United Auto Workers helped to influence at the two plants.
The project highlights changes in policy towards women, minority groups, and
retirees in the factory workplace, and it offers descriptions of the evolving
roles of management and the union and changing relationships among workers in
the two plants. Finally, the project details the history of the two plants
within the community of Anderson at large, and it offers commentary on the
then-current problems and challenges facing the automobile industry as a
whole.
Scope and Content Note
This collection contains twenty-eight interviews over the course of one year. Interviews range from about forty minutes to
two hours and fifteen minutes. All of the interviews consist of audio tapes and most have typed transcripts.
Administrative Information
Acquisition Information
Oral history interviews conducted by the Indiana University Center for the
Study of History and Memory from 1968 to the present, with particular focus on the
history of twentieth-century America and the Midwest.
Usage Restrictions
The archive of the Center for Documentary Research and Practice at Indiana University is open
to the use of researchers. Copies of transcript pages are available only when such copies
are permitted by the deed of gift. Scholars must honor any
restrictions the interviewee placed on the use of the interview. Since some of our earlier
(pre-computer) transcripts do not exist in final form, any editing marks in a transcript
(deletions, additions, corrections) are to be quoted as marked. Audio files may not be copied for
patrons unless the deed of gift permits it, and a transcript is unavailable for that
interview. The same rules of use that apply to a transcript apply to the audio interview.
Interviews may not be reproduced in full for any public use, but excerpted quotes may be
used as long as researchers fully cite the data in their research, including accession
number, interview date, interviewee's and interviewer's name, and page(s).
Preferred Citation
[interviewee first name last name] interview, by [interviewer first name last
name], [interview date(s)], [call number], [project name], Center for Documentary Research and Practice, Indiana University,
Bloomington, [page number(s) or tape
number and side if no transcript; if digital audio and no transcript, cite time when quote occurs].
Interview List
Interviewee
Alexander, Donald L.
June 19,
1982
Call Number
82-056
Physical Description
46 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 25 minutes; no
index; 4 letters, original photograph of interviewee
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Donald L. Alexander, born on April 13, 1934 in Anderson,
Indiana, recalls his family life growing up during the Great Depression and
compares his youth to that of his own children. He talks about his working
experiences at Guide Lamp in Anderson, including the different jobs he had in
both production and the skilled trades as well as his extensive United Auto
Workers (UAW) participation in several leadership positions. He discusses
several aspects of his work over the years, including discrimination towards
women and minority groups, relationships between various groups of workers
within the plant, and issues surrounding wages and job security at Guide Lamp.
Alexander gives insight into union politics and elections and offers commentary
on the importance of labor education and the Quality of Work Life Program.
Finally, he highlights the major issues facing the automobile industry and the
union at the time, including negative public opinion, reaction to the current
union contract, the global economy, and rampant unemployment.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Chrysler Corporation
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Emge Packing Company
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- JC Penney Company
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers Black Lake Labor Education
Center
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- United Way of America
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Fraser, Douglas
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Onaway, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- civil rights
- community activism
- community life
- Content Bill
- discrimination
- education
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- foreign cars
- global economy
- Great Depression
- international unions
- job security
- layoffs
- local unions
- minority groups
- parenting
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- seniority
- sit-down strikes
- skilled trades
- standard of living
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- trade readjustment allowance
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union elections
- union politics
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- World War II
Interviewee
Armstrong, Joe
March 20,
1982
Call Number
82-020
Physical Description
41 pages; 1 cassette, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 25 minutes; no
index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Joe Armstrong, born September 10, 1922, talks about living and
working before, during, and after the Civil Rights Movement. He describes his
work history, first in non-unionized jobs, then as a janitor at Guide Lamp in
Anderson, Indiana, and finally in production and semi-skilled jobs there. He
details the discriminating practices, harassment, and bad working conditions
that minority groups and women were subject to in the plant and his own
personal struggle to get the union to help him advance. Armstrong also recalls
his own active participation in the United Auto Workers (UAW) in several
leadership positions and describes how member attitudes have changed over the
years. Finally, he offers an assessment of the changes that have occurred
nationally as a result of the Civil Rights Act and suggests several political,
social, and economic areas where the union's influence would be useful in the
future.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- EEOC
- Emge Packing Company
- Federal Housing Administration
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- NAACP
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Bannister, George
- Brown, Rob
- Connoly, Bill
- Hodson, John E.
- Hurt, Bill
- King, James Lee
- King, Norman E.
- Lamb, Bob
- Needler, Gerald E.
- Nevin, Charles David
- Nunn, Paul
- Park, Stan
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roberts, Rex
- Rose, Mary
- Shook, Bernard
- Wallace, George C.
- Williams, Bob
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Montgomery, Alabama
-
-
Subjects
- 1945 auto worker Strike
- 1957 Civil Rights Act
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- busing
- civil rights
- community activism
- community life
- conservatism
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- inflation
- integration
- job security
- Korean War
- layoffs
- liberalism
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- racism
- religion
- seniority
- state politics
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union elections
- union grievance procedures
- union politics
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Bennett, Randy L.
March 11,
1982
Call Number
82-022
Physical Description
55 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 35 minutes; no
index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Randy L. Bennett, born on October 4, 1954, discusses his own
work history and plant life at Delco Remy in Anderson, Indiana during the
nineteen seventies. He details what he sees as management's blatant disregard
for product quality at the plant. He discusses the adversarial relationships
that often exist between supervisors and their workers. These situations
commonly lead to increased rates of substance abuse, depression, and
absenteeism in the work force, according to Bennett. He also talks about the
ways that the union is an advocate for the workers, the feeling of support
workers get from each other and from the local Anderson community. Bennett
comments on the effects that frequent layoffs have had on his career and how
workers are responding to widespread unemployment. He also discusses what he
thinks must be done by the United Auto Workers (UAW), corporations, and
government to improve working conditions.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- International Association of Fire Fighters
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 662
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Fraser, Douglas
- McMahon, Tom
- Rohrer, Frank
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- absenteeism
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community life
- depression
- disciplinary action
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- equal rights
- factory favoritism
- factory work
- family life
- federal government
- international unions
- job security
- layoffs
- local economy
- local government
- local politics
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- national unions
- parenting
- public opinion
- recession
- standard of living
- state government
- state politics
- substance abuse
- suicide
- unemployment
- union contracts
- union elections
- union grievance procedures
- union politics
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- women's roles
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Berkebile, George; Berkebile, Loma
March 11,
1982
Call Number
82-021
Physical Description
51 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 35 minutes; no
index; 4 letters, original photograph of interviewees
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Scope and Content Note
George and Loma Berkebile, born on November 22, 1904 and
September 13, 1910, respectively, recall their working experiences and the
birth of the union at Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana, including the social,
political, and economic climates surrounding it. They describe the working
conditions in the plant prior to and during unionization, including
discrimination against women and minority groups, lack of job security,
substandard wages, and management harassment of workers, and they detail ways
in which the United Auto Workers (UAW) helped to improve these areas and built
a sense of solidarity among workers. The Berkebiles also thoroughly discuss the
1937 sit-down strike, including its organization, the reaction of plant workers
and the community to it, and their own particular roles in the strike. Finally,
they talk about the effect of internal conflict over the years on the UAW and
offer suggestions on how the union can work with corporations to aid the
rampant unemployment facing the United States at the time.
Access Status
Open
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- AFL-CIO
- Beta Theta Pi
- Chrysler Corporation
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Democratic Party
- Emge Packing Company
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- General Motors Corporation
- Indiana University
- National Labor Relations Board
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- Warner Gear
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Barbre, Omer
- Carmichael, Hoagy
- Etchison, Roy
- Fraser, Douglas
- Hall, Ed
- Hoffman, Claude
- Hughes, Charles Evans, Jr.
- Martin, Homer
- Reuther, Victor
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roof, Charlie
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Muncie, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- buffers union
- class conflict
- community life
- company unions
- Crystal Theater
- discrimination
- employment benefits
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- factory work
- family life
- federal government
- gender roles
- Great Depression
- Guide 2000 Loyal Employees
- international unions
- job security
- liberalism
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- pensions
- point system
- public opinion
- racism
- sit-down strikes
- skilled trades
- socialism
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union elections
- union politics
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Clark, Ron
March 20,
1982
Call Number
82-031
Physical Description
39 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 15 minutes; no
index; 4 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ron Clark, born on August 25, 1927, recalls his family life and
his early employment growing up in Indiana, and he describes how this
influenced his own parenting. He discusses his work life at Guide Lamp in
Anderson, Indiana, including his opinion of factory work, his various jobs in
the skilled trades, and his participation in the United Auto Workers (UAW). He
also describes several aspects of plant life there, including details of
discrimination towards women and minority groups and relationships between both
skilled and unskilled workers and between workers and their supervisors. Clark
goes on to talk about the issues surrounding widespread unemployment, including
expansion of the global economy, and cites the need for changes in attitudes
among General Motors and union leadership in order to bring the automobile
industry out of the crisis. Finally, he discusses the role of the union within
the local community and sees education of the union membership and community
activism as key methods of improving support.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- AFL-CIO
- American Motors Corporation
- Chrysler Corporation
- Democratic Party
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Indiana University
- Republican Party
- Socialist Labor Party of Canada
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- United States Congress
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- brick mason
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Anderson, John
- Bayh, Birch E.
- Fraser, Douglas
- Mahoney, Ronald L.
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
- Reuther, Victor
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Woodcock, Leonard
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Detroit, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1970 auto worker strike
- African-Americans
- apprenticeship
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- brick masons union
- civil rights
- Community Action Program
- community activism
- community life
- Content Bill
- cost of living allowance
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- federal government
- foreign cars
- global economy
- international unions
- job security
- labor movement
-
The Lampmaker
- layoffs
- local economy
- local politics
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- parenting
- pensions
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- radio broadcasting
- seniority
- sit-down strikes
- skilled trades
- standard of living
- strike benefits
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union politics
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Davis, Ted
March 5,
1982
Call Number
82-012
Physical Description
31 pages; 1 cassette, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour; no index; 4
letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ted Davis, born on May 31, 1913, recalls his family life growing
up during the Great Depression in Anderson, Indiana and compares his youth to
that of his own children and modern families in general. He describes the
impact of layoffs and lack of job security on his career at Guide Lamp during
the nineteen thirties and forties, and he details other aspects of plant life
at the time, including the poor working conditions and discrimination towards
women and minority groups. Davis discusses the role of the union at Guide Lamp
from its inception, including its organization and goals, the events of the
1937 sit-down strike, and the reaction of the community and non-union workers
to it. Finally, he discusses the widespread unemployment facing the automobile
industry at the time, including its causes, worker responses to it, the United
Auto Workers' (UAW) role in correcting the problem, and what it means for the
future of General Motors in Anderson.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Church of God
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- Works Progress Administration
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- coal miner
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Davis, Cleo
- Etchison, Riley
- Hoffman, Claude
- Lewis, John L.
- Wilson, Joseph R.
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Detroit, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- buffers union
- civil rights
- communism
- community life
- company unions
- Crystal Theater
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- federal government
- foreign cars
- gender roles
- global economy
- Great Depression
- Guide 2000 Loyal Employees
- job security
- layoffs
- local economy
- local politics
- minority groups
- national economy
- parenting
- pensions
- point system
- public opinion
- recession
- seniority
- sexual harassment
- sit-down strikes
- socialism
- unemployment
- union contracts
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Everitt, Raymond
June 10,
1982
Call Number
82-053
Physical Description
62 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45 minutes; no
index; 3 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.; Bodnar, John E.
Scope and Content Note
Raymond Everitt, born on December 25, 1907 in Scottsburg
Indiana, recalls his family life growing up on a farm, his personal ambitions
for education and employment, and his aspirations for his own children. He also
recollects his early work life up to, during, and immediately following the
Great Depression, including his work in steel mills and his education in
several trades. He discusses early unionization at the steel mills and at Delco
Remy and Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana, including worker responses to
independent unions and the companies' attempts to stop them. Everitt talks
about work life during the years he was at Guide Lamp, including issues
surrounding discrimination towards women and minority groups, relationships
between different groups of workers in the plant, strikes, and ways the United
Auto Workers (UAW) changed working conditions for the better. Finally, he
discusses worker attitudes, including his own opinions, workers' perceptions of
the union, General Motors, and work in general.
Access Status
Open
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- AFL-CIO
- American Sheet and Tin Plate Company
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- International Correspondence School
- Indiana Shovel Works
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
- farmer
- steelworker
- tinsmith
-
-
Personal Names
- Fraser, Douglas
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Elwood, Indiana
- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
- Scottsburg, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- African-Americans
- apprenticeship
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- civil rights
- community life
- company unions
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- equal rights
- factory favoritism
- factory work
- family life
- farming
- federal government
- Great Depression
- immigrants
- inflation
- job security
- labor movement
- layoffs
- leisure activities
- minority groups
- parenting
- pensions
- sit-down strikes
- skilled trades
- sorghum molasses
- standard of living
- steel mills
- strike benefits
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union elections
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Goodwin, Norman
June 19,
1982
Call Number
82-057
Physical Description
55 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45 minutes; no
index; 3 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Norman Goodwin, born on May 25, 1926, recalls his childhood
growing up in Anderson, Indiana, his military service as a teenager and young
man, and how his early life shaped his own parenting. He describes his work
life at Guide Lamp in Anderson, including his job as a buffer, the
relationships he had with his supervisors, and the many leadership positions he
held in the United Auto Workers (UAW). Goodwin cites that, as a union leader,
he helped bring about a safer and cleaner working environment, better job
security, and equal opportunity for women and minority groups at the plant. He
talks about the development and growth of the union in Anderson, detailing the
impact of strikes, technology, foreign imports, and community reaction on its
history. Finally, he discusses existing problems at Guide Lamp and prevailing
negative attitudes among workers, management, and the union there, but states
that he sees potential for the Quality of Work Life Program and greater
political involvement to help the situation.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- AFL-CIO
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Republican Party
- Salvation Army
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- United States Army
- United States Navy
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- buffer
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Burringame, Dick
- Gross, Dick
- Mahoney, Ronald L.
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Shelton, Gussy
- Smith, Carl
- Stuart, Byron
- Wilson, Joseph R.
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Detroit, Michigan
- Mansfield, Ohio
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1947 Taft-Hartley Act
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- 1967 two-day strike
- 1970 auto worker strike
- absenteeism
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- civil rights
- community activism
- community life
- Content Bill
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- federal government
- foreign cars
- international unions
- job security
- Korean War
- layoffs
- leisure activities
- local politics
- local unions
- martial law
- military service
- minority groups
- national economy
- parenting
- pensions
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- recession
- seniority
- sit-down strikes
- skilled trades
- socialism
- state politics
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- technology
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union elections
- union grievance procedures
- union politics
- unions
- wages
- work ethic
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Hensley, James L.
April 6,
1982
Call Number
82-058
Physical Description
54 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 1hour 40 minutes; no index; 4
letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
James L. Hensley was born on May 14, 1936. He moved with his
family to Anderson, Indiana in the nineteen forties because of the factory work
available, including at the General Motors plant. He began working at Guide
Lamp in 1954 and began a machine repair apprenticeship program there in 1955.
Hensley became an active member of the union in 1965, serving in various
capacities for the next seventeen years. He talked extensively about the
working standards at Guide Lamp for white male apprentices and workers, women,
and minority groups, standards that were upheld until the United Auto Workers'
(UAW) changes took effect in the early nineteen eighties. He also spoke
extensively about worker and community discontent with then-current union
leadership and policies and about the need for active changes on the union's
part in order to revive member involvement.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Subjects
- African-Americans
- apprenticeship
- auto worker strikes
- Content Bill
- factory work
- family life
- foreign cars
- layoffs
- local politics
- minority groups
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- skilled trades
- unions
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- working conditions
Interviewee
Hodson, Jerry L.
June 10,
1982
Call Number
82-051
Physical Description
36 pages; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 40 minutes; no index; 2
letters
Interviewer
Hodson, John E.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Jerry L. Hodson was born in Anderson, Indiana on October 2,
1941. He hired on at Guide Lamp in 1963, beginning an apprenticeship program as
a tinsmith there the same year. He became active in the United Auto Workers
(UAW) in 1972, and in 1974 he received an international appointment as a health
and safety representative. Hodson discusses working conditions for workers in
the skilled trades, including women and minority groups, during the nineteen
sixties and seventies and how the UAW helped improve them. He also discusses
the then-current status of the automobile industry from both political and
economic standpoints. Hodson speaks extensively about opinions of the union
held at that time by union factory workers, management workers, and the
community and the need for compromise on all sides in order to improve union
support and involvement.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Hodson, John E.
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- African-Americans
- apprenticeship
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- Content Bill
- foreign cars
- layoffs
- local politics
- minority groups
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- skilled trades
- unions
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- working conditions
Interviewee
Hodson, John E.
March 19,
1982
Call Number
82-029
Physical Description
39 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 2 hours; index; 3 letters,
copy of
Guide Light, xeroxed photograph of
interviewee
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
John E. Hodson was born on October 15, 1917 and as a young boy
moved with his family to Anderson, Indiana. In April 1941, Hodson hired on at
Guide Lamp and held a variety of positions, eventually beginning an
apprenticeship program as a pipefitter. After obtaining seniority there, he
became active in the United Auto Workers (UAW) where he served in a variety of
capacities, including president of the local union and chairman of the retirees
committee. He talks about working conditions for the average automobile factory
worker, including women and minority groups, and how they began to change in
the early nineteen sixties because of various union policies, including Equal
Pay for Equal Work and supplemental unemployment benefits. Hodson also
discusses relationships over the years between union factory workers,
management workers, the community, and the union; speicifically, how they were
impacted by large events such as World War II and the strikes of 1945 and 1970
and where they stood at the time of the interview.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Barber Manufacturing Company
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Fraser, Douglas
- Hall, Ed
- Hodson, Jerry L.
- Miller, Carroll "Bud"
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1945 auto worker strike
- 1970 auto worker strike
- African-Americans
- apprenticeship
- auto worker strikes
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- factory work
- family life
- Great Depression
- layoffs
- minority groups
- pensions
- public opinion
- retirement benefits
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment benefits
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
King, James Lee
March 20,
1982
Call Number
82-018
Physical Description
63 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 55 minutes; no index;
2 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
James Lee King was born on October 14, 1953. He began working at
Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana in April 1973 where he held a variety of
positions before beginning an apprenticeship program as an electrician there in
June 1976. He became active in the United Auto Workers (UAW) the same year,
serving in several positions during his career, including Benefit Plans
Representative. He discusses the relationships between union factory workers,
management workers, and the union and how union programs such as Quality of
Work Life were meant to improve them. King describes the many ways that union
advances such as supplemental unemployment benefits improved the lives of the
average factory workers, and how union policies in general aided in the United
States' economic growth. He comments on the economic problems plaguing the
automobile industry at the time and the need for improvements in community and
worker attitudes towards the union.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Anderson College
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Salvation Army
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Alexander, Donald L.
- Hodson, John E.
- King, Norman E.
- Miller, Carroll "Bud"
- Reuther, Victor
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roberts, Rex
- Shook, Bernard
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- apprenticeship
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- Church of God
- employment benefits
- factory work
- layoffs
- national economy
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
-
Sit-Down in
Anderson
- skilled trades
- standard of living
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- trade readjustment allowance
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- unions
- wages
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
Interviewee
Lee, Judith
June 10,
1982
Call Number
82-052
Physical Description
Transcription incomplete; 20 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 1
hour 15 minutes; no index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Judith Lee was born on January 14, 1942 in Anderson, Indiana.
She details much of her personal life and its effect on her career, including
the influence of her parents' opinions in childhood and the impact of her
marriages and family life. She was employed in various places before hiring on
at Guide Lamp in 1973, where she held a several positions over the years,
including assembly operator. She describes her work life experiences, comparing
the dangers of her non-unionized job at Firestone to her working conditions at
Guide Lamp with the union. Lee also talks about worker attitudes there towards
management and towards factory work in general, as well as worker interaction
with the United Auto Workers (UAW) at Guide Lamp.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Firestone Tire Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- factory work
- family life
- layoffs
- unions
- women workers
- women's roles
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Mahoney, Ronald L.
March 19,
1982
Call Number
82-030
Physical Description
49 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 2 hours 15 minutes; index; 2
letters, original copy of
Ammo
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Ronald L. Mahoney was born on January 11, 1945 and as a young
boy moved with his family to Anderson, Indiana. He talks a lot about his
childhood there, comparing his life to his own children's, and he comments
frequently about his aspirations for them. He also relates the details of his
early working experiences at Guide Lamp, where he was hired on September 25,
1963. Mahoney became active in the union in 1970 and served in a variety of
positions over the years, including president of the local union. He cites the
many ways that the United Auto Workers (UAW) helped the common worker in the
past and the ways its role continued to expand with programs such as Quality of
Work Life, created to improve relations between the union and management.
Mahoney became involved in the UAW in order to help change its negative image
in the community and to improve worker involvement with the union through
education. He discusses the situation of the automobile industry at the time
from political and economic standpoints, commenting on the current contract
then under negotiation, worker responses to unemployment, and what needed to be
done to improve the outlook of the industry.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- General Motors Corporation
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- Ford Motor Company
- Teamsters union
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Alexander, Donald L.
- Bayh, Birch E.
- Fraser, Douglas
- Hoffa, James R.
- Hoffman, Claude
- Humphrey, Hubert H.
- Lugar, Richard G.
- McCurry, William M.
- Nevin, Charles David
- Pickett, Beverly
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roberson, Johnie L.
- Roberts, Rex
- Smith, Roger
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- Content Bill
- education
- employment benefits
- factory work
- family life
- foreign cars
- job security
- layoffs
- local economy
- local politics
- national economy
- national politics
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
-
Sit-Down in
Anderson
- sit-down strikes
- standard of living
- state politics
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- unions
- wages
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Matthews, Tom
April 6,
1982
Call Number
82-025
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 5 minutes; no
index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Tom Matthews was born on October 20, 1948 in Anderson, Indiana.
He was hired by Guide Lamp in the nineteen sixties in the skilled trades, and
he details his working experiences there as well as his United Auto Workers
(UAW) participation in such positions as vice-president of the local union. He
also discusses the UAW's role at Guide Lamp, management attitudes towards the
union, and union policies such as Quality of Work Life that were meant to
improve relations between the union and management.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- factory work
- Quality of Work Life Program
- skilled trades
- unions
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
Interviewee
McCurry, Margaret A.
April 12,
1982
Call Number
82-034
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 15 minutes; no
index; 1 letter
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Margaret A. McCurry was born on January 30, 1920 in Anderson,
Indiana. She gives an overview of her family and personal background. She then
describes her work at Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana, detailing the working
conditions there, particularly for women, the impact of unemployment on the
workers, and the United Auto Workers' (UAW) role there.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- factory work
- family life
- unemployment
- unions
- women workers
- working conditions
Interviewee
McCurry, William M.
April 6,
1982
Call Number
82-032
Physical Description
65 pages; 2 tapes, 1 7/8 ips, 2 hours 15 minutes; no index;
2 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
William M. McCurry was born on December 6, 1944 in Anderson,
Indiana. He talks extensively about his childhood and teenage years in
comparison to those of his own children, and he speaks about his aspirations
for them. He hired on at Guide Lamp in 1964 and was elected to the union there
in 1969, serving in several positions over the years, including chairman of the
Bargaining Committee. He talks about the changes in working conditions that the
United Auto Workers (UAW) helped initiate, paricularly for women and minority
groups, and he gives an analysis of the union's role as it has changed over the
years. McCurry discusses the complex relationships between skilled and
unskilled workers, older and younger workers, and union and management workers,
and he elaborates on how union policies such as Quality of Work Life were meant
to improve them. He also speaks about prevailing attitudes towards the union
among workers and in the community, and how they had developed and changed over
the years. He describes the automobile industry at the time from political and
economic standpoints, commenting on the current contract then under
negotiation, and what was needed from the government, corporations, and the
union to improve the economic outlook.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Anderson College
- Church of God
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Teamsters union
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Fraser, Douglas
- Hodson, John E.
- Mahoney, Ronald L.
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community activism
- employment benefits
- factory work
- family life
- layoffs
- local economy
- local politics
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- sit-down strikes
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- unions
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Miller, Carroll "Bud"
June 19,
1982
Call Number
82-054
Physical Description
57 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45 minutes; no
index; 5 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Carroll "Bud" Miller, born on June 26, 1932, recalls the
hardships of growing up during the Great Depression in Indiana, comparing his
childhood to that of his own children. He talks about his working experiences
in the skilled trades at Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana, including his active
roles in both the local and international United Auto Workers (UAW) and the
many changes the UAW helped to usher in for the average worker, particularly
women and minority groups. He discusses the complex relationships at Guide Lamp
between skilled and unskilled workers, average workers and the union, as well
as between the union and management, and he elaborates on programs, such as
Quality of Work Life, meant to improve relationships. Finally, he discusses the
futures of both the automobile industry and the union, commenting at length on
the recently negotiated contract, the expanding role of the union, and what was
needed from government, corporations, and the union to improve the industry's
economic outlook.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers Local 663
- United Way of America
- Works Progress Administration
-
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Bieber, Owen
- Fraser, Douglas
- Goodwin, Norman
- Nevin, Charles David
- Reuther, Sophie Good
- Reuther, Victor
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roberts, Rex
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1933 National Industrial Recovery Act
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1957 Civil Rights Act
- African-Americans
- automobile industry
- community activism
- Content Bill
- debt
- discrimination
- employment benefits
- factory work
- family life
- foreign cars
- Great Depression
- guaranteed income stream
- international unions
- job security
- labor movement
- layoffs
- local politics
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- polio
- Quality of Work Life Program
- sit-down strikes
- skilled trades
- state politics
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- unions
- wages
- welfare
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Needler, Gerald E.
February 19,
1982
Call Number
82-011
Physical Description
38 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 15 minutes; no
index; 3 letters, original photograph of interviewee, xeroxed photograph of
interviewee
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Gerald E. Needler, born on January 26, 1915, recalls the
hardships of living during the Great Depression in Indiana and compares his
young life to that of his own children. He talks about his working experiences
in production at Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana, including the interaction
between the union and management, his own active role in the United Auto
Workers (UAW), and the many changes in working conditions the UAW helped bring
about for the average worker, particularly for women and minority groups. He
elaborates on the history of the UAW's role in Anderson, Indiana from its
inception, the development of its various policies and procedures, and its
current role in the local power structure, including its negative image in the
community. Finally, he discusses the factors which contributed to the weakening
of the automobile industry and the national economy in general, and he talks
about union and worker responses to the unemployment that resulted.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- American Motors Corporation
- Anderson College
- Chrysler Corporation
- Church of God
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Democratic Party
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Republican Party
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- United Way of America
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Alexander, Roy
- Charmolue, Jules
- Ellis, Evert
- Hoover, Herbert C.
- McCrocklin, Murray
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
- Roberts, Rex
- Shook, Bernard
- Wallace, Dan
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community activism
- community life
- company unions
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- family life
- Great Depression
- international unions
- job security
- job sharing
- layoffs
- local politics
- local unions
- minimum wage
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- point system
- public opinion
- sit-down strikes
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union elections
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Nevin, Charles David
February 19,
1982
Call Number
82-004
Physical Description
51 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 32 minutes; no
index; 3 letters, original photograph of interviewee, xeroxed photograph of
interviewee
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Charles David Nevin, born on August 31, 1945 in Anderson,
Indiana, recalls aspects of his childhood and teenage years, comparing them to
those of his own children. He discusses his early days at Guide Lamp, including
his experiences as a foreman, how and why he became active in the union, and
how the United Auto Workers (UAW) helped to change working conditions there for
the average worker, particularly women and minority groups. He speaks
extensively about the problems facing the automobile industry at the time from
both political and economic standpoints, commenting on the contract then-under
negotiation, the negative impact on gains made by women and minority groups,
and the various worker responses to unemployment and uncertain job security. He
elaborates on the past and present roles of General Motors and the UAW in the
Anderson community, the changing relationships between the union and management
and among workers at Guide Lamp, and the uncertain futures facing both General
Motors and the UAW at the time.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Church of God
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Professional Air Traffic Controllers Union
- Republican Party
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers Black Lake Labor Education
Center
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- United Way of America
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Alexander, Donald L.
- Dobos, Carl
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
- Reuther, Victor
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roberts, Rex
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Onaway, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- Affirmative Action
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- civil rights
- community activism
- community life
- company unions
- Content Bill
- discrimination
- education
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- foreign cars
- international unions
- inverse seniority
- job security
- labor movement
- layoffs
- leisure activities
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- parenting
- propaganda
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- sit-down strikes
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Pickett, Beverly
March 11,
1982
Call Number
82-016
Physical Description
29 pages; 1 cassette, 1 7/8 ips, 40 minutes; no index; 3
letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Beverly Pickett, born on June 24, 1944, recalls her experiences
working in production at Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana, particularly the
impact of layoffs on her career, and she elaborates on the ways that the United
Auto Workers (UAW) improved work life for the average worker. Pickett speaks at
length about the troubled economic situation facing the automobile industry at
the time, the contract then under negotiation, and worker responses to
unemployment and uncertain job security. Finally, she discusses the positions
of General Motors and the UAW in the Anderson community, commenting on their
past and present roles and the uncertain futures facing them then.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Church of God
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Democratic Party
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Carter, James Earl, Jr.
- Mahoney, Ronald L.
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community activism
- discrimination
- employment benefits
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- factory work
- family life
- job security
- job sharing
- layoffs
- national economy
- national politics
- public opinion
- sexual harassment
- sit-down strikes
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
Interviewee
Poteet, George F.
June 19,
1982
Call Number
82-055
Physical Description
46 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 17 minutes; no
index; 3 letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
George F. Poteet, born on April 6, 1924, recalls his childhood
and young adult life living and working on a farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky,
and he compares his experiences with those of his own children. In the early
nineteen fifties, he began a job in production at Guide Lamp in Anderson,
Indiana. He describes his working experiences there, including his many
appointed and elected positions with the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the ways
in which the union helped improve work life for the average worker,
particularly women and minority groups. Poteet discusses the relationships
between the union and management and among workers at Guide Lamp, prevailing
worker attitudes there, and the past, present, and future roles of the UAW in
the Anderson community. He comments on the troubles facing the automobile
industry at the time from both political and economic standpoints, the recently
negotiated contract, and worker responses to unemployment and uncertain job
security.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Democratic Party
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- farmer
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Bowling Green, Kentucky
-
-
Subjects
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community life
- education
- equal rights
- factory work
- family life
- farming
- federal government
- job security
- layoffs
- leisure activities
- local economy
- local government
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- sit-down strikes
- unemployment
- union contracts
- unions
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Roberson, Johnie L.
June 10,
1982
Call Number
82-050
Physical Description
53 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 25 minutes; no
index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Johnie L. Roberson, born October 21, 1945, recalls his life
growing up in rural southern Indiana on a farm and his first jobs working in
non-unionized factories. He talks about his work in several production jobs at
Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana as well as his various experiences as a union
representative there. Roberson comments on the United Auto Workers' (UAW)
history, its policy and procedure, and its expanding roles in the Anderson
community and at the national level. He discusses several aspects of plant life
at Guide Lamp, including relationships between different groups of workers,
issues surrounding discrimination towards women and minority groups, and worker
responses to the troubled times facing the automobile industry and the recently
negotiated contract. Finally, he talks about the changing relations between
management, the union, and workers at Guide Lamp, citing the Quality of Work
Life Program as an example of the promising direction the relationships were
taking.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Anderson College
- Chrysler Corporation
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- United Way of America
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
- farmer
-
-
Personal Names
- Armstrong, Joe
- Etchison, Ed
- Fraser, Douglas
- Haig, Alexander
- McCurry, William M.
- McMahon, Tom
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community activism
- community life
- discrimination
- education
- factory work
- family life
- farming
- federal government
- international unions
- job security
- layoffs
- local politics
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- sit-down strikes
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- trade readjustment allowance
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- union elections
- unions
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
Interviewee
Tierney, David L.
April 12,
1982
Call Number
82-033
Physical Description
77 pages; 3 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 2 hours 10 minutes; no
index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
David L. Tierney, born on May 10, 1942, recalls his early family
life and community living where he grew up in Brockton, Massachusetts,
including his work in non-unionized factories there and his first union
experiences in a brief membership with the Teamsters union. He talks about his
work life in production at Delco Remy in Anderson, Indiana from the nineteen
sixties until his layoff in 1981, and he discusses aspects of plant life during
that time such as discrimination towards women and minority groups; the
relationships between workers, management, and the union; and worker responses
to unemployment, uncertain job security, and the recently negotiated contract.
Tierney also talks about his participation in the United Auto Workers (UAW),
elaborating on several of its policies and procedures, the local chapter's
position within the Anderson community, and the need to educate people about
the UAW's history. Finally, he talks about the problems facing the automobile
industry at the time, and he discusses the need to train workers in new
technologies, attract more women into leadership positions, and improve the
union's image.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Anderson College
- Chrysler Corporation
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Emge Packing Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- IUPUI
- NAACP
- Occupational Safety and Health Administration
- Teamsters union
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers Black Lake Labor Education
Center
- United Auto Workers, Local 662
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Marciano, Rocky
- Tierney, Jim
- Smith, Mike
- Hayson, Bill
- Haag, Shorty
- Thorn, Odell
- Hoover, Bob
- Fraser, Douglas
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Hastings, Bill
- Mahoney, Ronald L.
- Matthews, Tom
- Fry, Tom
- Wallace, Jim
- Nevin, Charles David
- Waters, Jim
- Pitts, Gene
- Pitts, Bill
- Nisson, Bruce
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Brockton, Massachusetts
- Onaway, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
-
The Brothers
Reuther
- civil rights
- Community Action Program
- community activism
- community life
- discrimination
- education
- Equal Rights Amendment
-
Eugene V. Debs
- factory work
- family life
- federal government
- Industrial Revolution
- international unions
- job security
-
Labor History
- labor movement
- layoffs
- local economy
- local unions
- minority groups
- national economy
- national politics
- national unions
- public opinion
- Quality of Work Life Program
- regional unions
-
The Sit Down
Strike
- skilled trades
- state government
- technology
- transportation
- unemployment
- union contracts
- union elections
- union grievance procedures
- unions
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- World War II
Interviewee
Wilson, Joseph R.
February 19,
1982
Call Number
82-010
Physical Description
49 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 20 minutes; no
index; 3 letters, original photograph of interviewee
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Joseph R. Wilson, born on November 8, 1911, recalls his family's
early struggles when they moved to Anderson, Indiana in the years just before
the Great Depression and the many types of work he and his father did to earn a
living, including work in various factories. He talks about his own experiences
during the thirty-six years he worked for Guide Lamp in Anderson, including
different jobs he performed, how his wages and benefits changed as a result of
the United Auto Workers (UAW), and his often tumultuous relationships with
various foremen and supervisors. He discusses several aspects of plant life at
Guide Lamp over the years, including early union-led improvements in the areas
of working conditions and job security, the impact of World War II on
production, and issues surrounding discrimination towards women and minority
groups. Wilson also elaborates on topics affecting work life there, namely the
widespread unemployment, its root causes at the corporate level, and negative
worker responses to the situation.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Bell Telephone
- Central Indiana Gas Company
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Midwest Box Factory
- Midwest Container Company
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers Black Lake Labor Education
Center
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Allis, Frank
- Barnett, Red
- Hull, Kenny
- Roberts, Rex
- Thatcher, Frank
- Wagner, Bob
- Wilson, Naomi J.
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Onaway, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1957 Indiana Right to Work Law
- African-Americans
- automobile industry
- community activism
- Content Bill
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- factory work
- family life
- foreign cars
- Great Depression
- international unions
- job security
- layoffs
- local politics
- local unions
- minority groups
- public opinion
- skilled trades
- technology
- unemployment
- union contracts
- union grievance procedures
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Wilson, Joseph R.
March 19,
1982
Call Number
82-015
Physical Description
44 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 45 minutes;
index
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Joseph R. Wilson, born on November 8, 1911, recalls his family's
early struggles to make a living in farming in Bowling Green, Kentucky as well
as their various pursuits, including bootlegging, factory work, and several odd
jobs, after moving to Anderson, Indiana in the early nineteen twenties. He
discusses the important events of the United Auto Workers' (UAW) history at the
Guide Lamp plant there starting with the 1937 sit-down strike, describing its
impact on worker relationships within the plant, public opinion in the Anderson
community, and the recognition of the union as a powerful entity. Wilson also
details subsequent strikes there, elaborating on the manner in which they were
organized, the benefits gained from them, the changing role of women at the
picket line, and the feeling of solidarity such events built among workers. He
comments on the troubled times facing the automobile industry then, which
caused a rise in unemployment levels, and he cites specific root causes at the
federal government and corporate levels, as well as in the negative responses
of some union members. Finally, he talks about the current and future roles of
the UAW in Anderson, specifically its position in the local power structure and
its expanding role as an agent for change in the community.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Chrysler Corporation
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- Ford Motor Company
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- Harley-Davidson
- Midwest Container Company
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers Black Lake Labor Education
Center
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- Works Progress Administration
-
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- coal miner
- factory worker
- farmer
-
-
Personal Names
- Allis, Frank
- Berkebile, George
- Carney, Bill
- Davis, Ted
- Heaton, Earl
- Hoffman, Claude
- Jourdan, Jack
- Mahoney, Ronald L.
- Nevin, Charles David
- Park, Stan
- Pugh, Dale
- Pugh, Owen
- Reagan, Ronald Wilson
- Reuther, Victor
- Reuther, Walter Phillip
- Roberts, Rex
- Rose, Mary
- Thatcher, Frank
- Wilson, Naomi J.
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
- Bowling Green, Kentucky
- Flint, Michigan
- Onaway, Michigan
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- bootlegging
- buffers union
- coal mining
- community activism
- community life
- company unions
- factory work
- family life
- farming
- federal government
- Great Depression
- home remedies
- international unions
- job security
- layoffs
- local economy
- local politics
- local unions
- national economy
- national politics
- public opinion
- regional economy
- sit-down strikes
- standard of living
- state politics
- strike fund
- supplemental unemployment benefits
- traditional medicine
- unemployment
- unemployment benefits
- union contracts
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Wilson, Naomi J.
February 19,
1982
Call Number
82-003
Physical Description
31 pages; 2 cassettes, 1 7/8 ips, 75 minutes; index; 2
letters
Interviewer
Gatz, Karen L.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Naomi J. Wilson, born on August 29, 1917, recalls her family's
life when she was growing up during the Great Depression, as well as her own
working experiences at Guide Lamp in Anderson, Indiana before and after the
plant was unionized. She describes at length the 1937 sit-down strike at Guide
Lamp, including its organization and goals, women's roles during the strike,
and public reaction to it. Wilson also details how the United Auto Workers
(UAW) influenced gradual improvements in working conditions, job security,
wages, and benefits at the plant, highlighting specific changes for women,
minority groups, and retirees. Finally, she talks about the evolving attitudes
of management, the average worker, and the public towards the union at Guide
Lamp; the changing nature of relationships among workers there; and the impact
of technology on the unemployment plaguing the automobile industry at the time.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- General Motors Corporation
- General Motors Guide Lamp Division
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 663
- YWCA
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
- factory worker
-
-
Personal Names
- Holland, Paul
- Hutchley, Ed
- Nevin, Charles David
- Wilson, Joseph R.
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- 1937 sit-down strike
- African-Americans
- auto worker strikes
- automobile industry
- community life
- company unions
- discrimination
- education
- employment benefits
- Equal Pay for Equal Work
- factory work
- family life
- Great Depression
- job security
-
The Lampmaker
- layoffs
- local economy
- local politics
- local unions
- minority groups
- Pearl Harbor
- pensions
- point system
- public opinion
- recession
- sexual harassment
- sit-down strikes
- Social Security
- technology
- unemployment
- union contracts
- union elections
- union grievance procedures
- unions
- wages
- women workers
- women's roles
- worker attitudes
- worker relationships
- working conditions
- World War II
Interviewee
Wood, Danny Lee
March 19,
1982
Call Number
82-019
Physical Description
Not transcribed; 1 tape, 1 7/8 ips, 1 hour 10 minutes; no
index; 2 letters
Interviewer
Warren, Greer T.
Access Status
Open
Scope and Content Note
Danny Lee Wood was born on April 21, 1950 in Anderson, Indiana.
He details his working experiences, and worker attitudes in general, at both
Delco Remy and Delco Electronics from 1970 to 1982.
-
Keywords
-
-
Corporation Names
- Delco Remy International, Incorporated
- General Motors Corporation
- United Auto Workers
- United Auto Workers, Local 662
-
-
Occupation Names
- auto worker
-
-
Place Names
- Anderson, Indiana
-
-
Subjects
- factory work
- layoffs
- unions
- worker attitudes