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- Description:
- Two Ford "Servicemen" push a person to the ground behind a chain link fence while others watch during the "Battle of the Overpass" in Dearborn, Michigan. “Walter Reuther decided that the UAW had to make a bold move to show the workers that the union was as strong and powerful as the Ford regime, an initial attempt involving flying low over the plant in a plane with a loudspeaker was ineffectual, Reuther decided to make a stand, and scheduled a massive leaflet campaign at the Rouge plant for May 26, 1937, he got a license from the city of Dearborn, opened two union halls nearby, and made two reconnaissance trips to the Miller Road Overpass at Gate 4 … an hour before shift change, just before 2 p.m., Walter Reuther, Richard T. Frankensteen, in charge of the overall Ford drive, Robert Kanter, and J.J. Kennedy, the UAW's East Side regional director arrived, the Detroit News photographer, James E. (Scotty) Kilpatrick, thought the backdrop of the Ford sign would make a great picture, and obligingly, the union men walked up the two flights of iron stairs to the overpass … facing the photographers, Reuther and his partners had their backs to the thugs that were approaching them, the newsmen's warnings were too late, they were attacked brutally: punched and kicked repeatedly … [The Dearborn Police] stood by and said the Ford men were protecting their private property, the Battle of the Overpass was a turning point, Ford won the battle but lost the war for public opinion, the NLRB castigated Ford and Bennett for their actions, in the next election the Labor candidates in Detroit won more than twice as many votes as they had ever gotten, three years later Ford signed a contract with the UAW,” from the Detroit News article: The Battle of the Overpass, by Jenny Nolan.
- Notes:
- Collection located at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. To schedule an appointment to view the original image, order high resolution copies, or seek permission to use an image, contact the Walter P. Reuther Library Audiovisual Department at reutherreference@wayne.edu., Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, and This metadata was created by Wayne State University Library system based on original description by the Walter P. Reuther Library
- Date Issued:
- 1937-05-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and Walter P. Reuther Library
- Collection:
- Virtual Motor City
- Description:
- Two Ford "Servicemen" push a person to the ground behind a chain link fence while others watch during the "Battle of the Overpass" in Dearborn, Michigan. “Walter Reuther decided that the UAW had to make a bold move to show the workers that the union was as strong and powerful as the Ford regime, an initial attempt involving flying low over the plant in a plane with a loudspeaker was ineffectual, Reuther decided to make a stand, and scheduled a massive leaflet campaign at the Rouge plant for May 26, 1937, he got a license from the city of Dearborn, opened two union halls nearby, and made two reconnaissance trips to the Miller Road Overpass at Gate 4 … an hour before shift change, just before 2 p.m., Walter Reuther, Richard T. Frankensteen, in charge of the overall Ford drive, Robert Kanter, and J.J. Kennedy, the UAW's East Side regional director arrived, the Detroit News photographer, James E. (Scotty) Kilpatrick, thought the backdrop of the Ford sign would make a great picture, and obligingly, the union men walked up the two flights of iron stairs to the overpass … facing the photographers, Reuther and his partners had their backs to the thugs that were approaching them, the newsmen's warnings were too late, they were attacked brutally: punched and kicked repeatedly … [The Dearborn Police] stood by and said the Ford men were protecting their private property, the Battle of the Overpass was a turning point, Ford won the battle but lost the war for public opinion, the NLRB castigated Ford and Bennett for their actions, in the next election the Labor candidates in Detroit won more than twice as many votes as they had ever gotten, three years later Ford signed a contract with the UAW,” from the Detroit News article: The Battle of the Overpass, by Jenny Nolan.
- Notes:
- Collection located at the Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan. To schedule an appointment to view the original image, order high resolution copies, or seek permission to use an image, contact the Walter P. Reuther Library Audiovisual Department at reutherreference@wayne.edu., Walter P. Reuther Library, Archives of Labor and Urban Affairs, Wayne State University, and This metadata was created by Wayne State University Library system based on original description by the Walter P. Reuther Library
- Date Issued:
- 1937-05-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Wayne State University. Libraries and Walter P. Reuther Library
- Collection:
- Virtual Motor City
- Description:
- Clifton Wharton, former president of Michigan State University, talks about his role in the creation of the university's Faculty Grievance Policy (FGP) and Faculty Grievance Official (FGO). Wharton says that he was comfortable with labor unions and that the FGP was not created to thwart faculty unionization efforts. In fact, he says, most MSU faculty preferred the grievance model he proposed to unionization. Wharton also talks about the structure of the land grant institution he inherited in 1969, some of the innovations he implemented during a time of tremendous social change, his relationship with MSU Board of Trustees and the uproar over the public disclosure of MSU faculty and staff salaries. Wharton is interviewed by Robert Banks, former MSU associate provost and associate vice president for Academic Human Resources and John Revitte, MSU professor emeritus of Labor Studies.
- Date Issued:
- 2018-12-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Dr. Robert F. Banks, associate provost and associate vice president for academic human resources, and professor emeritus of the James Madison College at Michigan State University, continues with his discussion about the MSU Faculty Grievance Policy and his career at MSU. Banks begins by recalling how his interest in Jazz music developed and his role in establishing a solid Jazz program at MSU. Returning to the grievance process, Banks suggests other administrators who might be potential interviewees. He shares his perspective on the several attempts to organize a faculty union on campus, the complications, the arguments for and against, the competition between AFT and AAUP, areas of support and opposition in the university, and union organizing efforts with other staff and graduate students. Banks reflects on union successes at other universities, the number of different unions trying to organize on campus, and issues with the process of negotiations. He concludes by revisiting some points with the grievance procedure recommendations. Banks is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor of Labor and Industrial Relations. Sixth of six interviews.
- Date Issued:
- 2008-10-07T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Harry E. Lester, a former district director for the United Steelworkers of America, talks about his labor and political activism in southeast Michigan, his childhood in West Virginia, coming to Michigan in 1953 to work for Ford, later working at Mclouth Steel and joining union Local 2659. He talks about why he became active in the union, receiving labor law training at Michigan State University, establishing a teachers union in Gibraltar, MI, and labor education programs at several state universities. He says that he had a difficult time transitioning from being a "gladiator type" of fighter for the workers to becoming a bridge builder. Lester is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor emeritus of Labor and Industrial Relations.
- Date Issued:
- 2013-07-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Keith Groty, former MSU Assistant Vice President of Personnel and Employee Relations, talks about his involvement with the university's Faculty Grievance Procedure (FGP). Groty says that he supported the FGP because he saw it as a mechanism for heading off faculty unionization, but that he really didn't have a role in the development of the FGP or the position of Faculty Grievance Official (FGO). Groty also says that MSU's FGP has worked through the years because it found an appropriate balance between the administration's power and faculty concerns. He talks about the failed faculty attempts at unionization and says that the main issue at MSU was always the disparity in faculty pay. Groty is interviewed by Robert Banks, former Associate Vice President for Academic Human Resources and professor emeritus of the James Madison College at MSU, and John Revitte, MSU professor emeritus of Labor and Industrial Relations. Via telephone.
- Date Issued:
- 2018-06-11T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Michigan State University Professor Emeritus E. James Potchen, M.D. amd former chair of the MSU Radiology Department, talks about representing the university administration in the faculty grievance process. Potchen says that ninety-nine percent of the problems presented to the Grievance Office were the result of misunderstandings and that he didn't have to prepare very much for individual cases because there was so much redundancy in the type of grievances filed. Potchen also talks about why MSU created the faculty grievance process, attempts to unionize MSU faculty, the attitude of MSU President Peter McPherson toward MSU faculty having a voice, the move of the medical school to Grand Rapids, the changes MSU President Cecil Mackey made at MSU, his own role in the development of medical programs at MSU and his career as a professor and administrator at the university. Potchen is interviewed by retired MSU Professor of Labor Studies and former Faculty Grievance Officer John Revitte.
- Date Issued:
- 2011-01-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Norman Abeles, professor of Psychology at Michigan State University, discusses his life and career and his experiences as MSU Faculty Grievance Officer. Abeles talks about his childhood in Austria, his education and coming to MSU in 1957. Abeles tells anecdotes about several MSU Presidents and talks about attempts by MSU faculty to unionize, cases he handled as MSU Faculty Grievance Officer, and legendary MSU Economics Professor Charles "Lash" Larrowe. Abeles is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor emeritus of Labor and Industrial Relations.
- Date Issued:
- 2009-09-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Olga "Jo" Beltrame, with her husband Ed Beltrame, discusses her career as a union officer and organizer with the United Packinghouse Workers Organizing Committee and UPWOC Local 69. Beltrame talks about her childhood in Montreal, her father's union activity, coming to Detroit to find work at the age of 14, her experiences working at the Swift meat packing plant and what she later did to help organize meat packing plants, especially Swift's Detroit Hammond-Standish plant. The Beltrames both discuss unions and their shared union activities through the years, including their work in organizing meat packing plants across several states, the wage improvements and benefits which were won for workers, and their elected positions in the union. Ends abruptly. The Beltrames are interviewed by John Revitte, Michigan State University professor of Labor and Industrial Relations, and Joan Kelly, editor of the Michigan AFL-CIO newspaper. The first of two interviews.
- Date Issued:
- 1982-06-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Nationally renowned folk singer John McCutcheon delivers a performance entitled, "Culture and community: organizing hearts and minds". McCutcheon weaves together music and discussion to highlight both culture and community as a way to organize He reflects on his youth, his relationship with his parents and explains how he got his start in music. Question and answer concludes the session. McCutcheon is introduced by Professor John P. Beck, Associate Director, Michigan State University School of Human Resources and Labor Relations. Part of the "Our Daily Work/Our Daily Lives" Brown Bag series sponsored by the MSU School of Human Resources and Labor Relations, and cosponsored by the MSU Libraries Colloquia Series. Held at the MSU Library.
- Date Issued:
- 2012-02-17T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection