Search Constraints
Search Results
- Description:
- Herbert Heinz talks about his career as an electrician at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1951 to 1974. He discusses REO products, plant safety issues, exporting trucks around the world, and the union and various labor actions. Heinz also recounts management abuses and irregularities, alleging that managers used REO workers to build their cottages in Northern Michigan and that as the plant died at the time of the 1975 bankruptcy, managers began stripping parts and equipment from the plant. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-03-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Randy recalls being hired in June 1973 at age 17 for summer work before he went to General Motors Institute (GMI) now Kettering University in Flint. He talks about his education and coming to Fisher in 1985 following the reorganization to BOC, merging with Oldsmobile, the different cultures and working with two UAW locals and contracts. Randy talks about the salaried cafeteria at Fisher, pranks, firing Rusty Ziegler, the conversion to small cars and the Lansing work ethic. He discusses working his way up through various positions to plant manager in Doraville, GA. before coming back to Lansing and being named the Lansing Delta Township Plant Manager.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-06-29T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Leslie Mitchell remembers REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, as a great place to work, in this interview conducted by historian Shirley Bradley. Mitchell discusses growing up across from the REO plant where both of his parents worked, starting his work life at the General Motors Oldsombile plant and later moving to REO. Mitchell describes a tragic death at the plant during his tenure which led to UAW Local 650 successfully organizing REO workers. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Lansing autoworker Gary Watson, president of UAW Local 652, discusses his career at the General Motors Oldsmobile Main Plant in Lansing, MI. He talks about being born near Lansing, starting at the GM Fisher Body plant in 1957, moving to Oldsmobile after a series of layoffs and recalls, becoming a journeyman tinsmith and active in the union, efforts to desegregate the skilled trades, and bringing women into the trades. Watson also talks about being a local president, training new committee people, teaching existing members about unionism and the UAW, how his local and the international UAW function, how decisions are made, and why the union conducts political action efforts, and community projects. Watson is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor of Labor and Industrial Relations.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-04-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Richard recalls walking along Verlinden St. and having the workers call names from the windows at which point Richard and his friends threw rocks and mud at the windows. He talks about the gardens, running track in the parking lot, and life in the neighborhood. Richard remembers the UAW organizing in 1936-37. He discusses racism in the factories and the union and meeting Walter Reuther.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-03-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Herbert Heinz talks about his career as an electrician at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, from 1951 to 1974. He discusses REO products, plant safety issues, exporting trucks around the world, and the union and various labor actions. Heinz also recounts management abuses and irregularities, alleging that managers used REO workers to build their cottages in Northern Michigan and that as the plant died at the time of the 1975 bankruptcy, managers began stripping parts and equipment from the plant. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-03-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Randy recalls being hired in June 1973 at age 17 for summer work before he went to General Motors Institute (GMI) now Kettering University in Flint. He talks about his education and coming to Fisher in 1985 following the reorganization to BOC, merging with Oldsmobile, the different cultures and working with two UAW locals and contracts. Randy talks about the salaried cafeteria at Fisher, pranks, firing Rusty Ziegler, the conversion to small cars and the Lansing work ethic. He discusses working his way up through various positions to plant manager in Doraville, GA. before coming back to Lansing and being named the Lansing Delta Township Plant Manager.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-06-29T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Leslie Mitchell remembers REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI, as a great place to work, in this interview conducted by historian Shirley Bradley. Mitchell discusses growing up across from the REO plant where both of his parents worked, starting his work life at the General Motors Oldsombile plant and later moving to REO. Mitchell describes a tragic death at the plant during his tenure which led to UAW Local 650 successfully organizing REO workers. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Lansing autoworker Gary Watson, president of UAW Local 652, discusses his career at the General Motors Oldsmobile Main Plant in Lansing, MI. He talks about being born near Lansing, starting at the GM Fisher Body plant in 1957, moving to Oldsmobile after a series of layoffs and recalls, becoming a journeyman tinsmith and active in the union, efforts to desegregate the skilled trades, and bringing women into the trades. Watson also talks about being a local president, training new committee people, teaching existing members about unionism and the UAW, how his local and the international UAW function, how decisions are made, and why the union conducts political action efforts, and community projects. Watson is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor of Labor and Industrial Relations.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-04-30T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Richard recalls walking along Verlinden St. and having the workers call names from the windows at which point Richard and his friends threw rocks and mud at the windows. He talks about the gardens, running track in the parking lot, and life in the neighborhood. Richard remembers the UAW organizing in 1936-37. He discusses racism in the factories and the union and meeting Walter Reuther.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-03-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection