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Search Results
- Description:
- James Cataline talks about working for the REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, MI, as a timekeeper during World War Two and later becoming Parts Department General Manager in 1967 when REO became Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc. Cataline reminisces fondly about the social life at REO and the terrible emotional damage its closing had on workers and the Greater Lansing community. He also describes the demolition of the REO Clubhouse and the later fire that destroyed the plant, events which, to him, drove home the end of an era. Cataline is interviewed by Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-06T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Betty talks about her Russian-Jewish ancestry, leaving home in Toronto at 16 to avoid cultural obligations, and coming to the U.S. She hired into Fisher in 1946 and again in May 1948. Betty talks about factory life for the few women including lower pay, harder work, community restrooms, and stereotypical perceptions of factory women. Betty shares her opinion of the union and management, describes her union activity, smoking, strikes, layoffs, and paying union dues.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-09-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Dave describes the duties of an industrial hygienist and being trained to perform the job. Dave talks about beginning his career at Fisher in 1967 while pursuing a degree at MSU. He tells about being selected for a series of "non-traditional" jobs. Dave shares memories about life in the factory and concludes by giving a brief description of the replica Fisher Coach that was built by employees around 1985.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-08-24T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Joseph tells of being hired in August 1981 and working in the Body Shop and Paint Shop. He also talks about an industrial accident in 1982 that claimed the lives of three persons from a booth cleaning crew.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-06-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Debra describes being hired in September 1976, her first job, first boss, and working in the Body Shop. She talks about women in the factory, blatant sexism, and the nature of the work. Debra talks about meeting Gary, becoming friends and eventually marrying. Gary joins the interview to describe some of the operations in the plant. They talk about two serious accidents and daily life and behavior.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-23T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Linda Maxon discusses her early years at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI. She says that she started as a temporary stenographer in 1967 and stayed to work as a secretary for several managers until the plant closed in 1975. Maxon shares many experiences about company social events and institutions and describes the loss of the REO Clubhouse and the burning of the factory itself. Maxon says that in the end, she was able to draw money from the REO pension fund before it was drained and describes the terrible depression suffered by other workers who lost all of their retirement money. The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-06-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Lyle describes growing up in the neighborhood near Fisher, being hired in November 1956 and his first day on the wet deck. He reflects on segregation in the plant, the swing shift, and changeover. Lyle talks about transferring to Security in 1966, describes the duties, interactions with workers, strikes, and the 1982 deaths in the Paint Department. He also discusses GM's decision to outsource plant security to Pinkerton. Lyle also discusses his other passion - coaching baseball.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Cookie talks about college and teaching in Mississippi, coming to Lansing in 1963 and 1964 to work summers in the factory and returning south to teach in the fall. In 1965, Cookie permanently hired into Fisher. He describes a workplace with few minorities and one black supervisor. Cookie comments on the 1970 UAW strike, discrimination and race. He recalls applying and being tested for supervision but was told he failed the test. In 1971 he felt he was forced onto supervision to help GM comply with new laws. Cookie recalls that some workers would not accept their paychecks from a black. He talks about cooking a roast in the paint ovens, area dinners, the salaried dining room and retirement.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- JD shares his diverse career in the military and with several companies before coming to Fisher to assist with the conversion from big to small cars in 1984. JD talks about his friendship with the plant manager, the Conveyor Task Force, UAW-management relations, workforce dedication, working seven days a week and 10-11 hours per day. He also discusses the fatal injury of a subcontractor working in the conveyor system.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-11-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Don discusses being hired in 1972, getting laid off, and joining the Air Force. He returned to Fisher as a booth cleaner. Don discusses safety procedures and training and comments on the death of three booth cleaners in 1982. Don transferred to Oiler and he describes their work, factory life as a maintenance worker, overtime, the Emergency Response Team, and his community involvement.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Tom talks about his life prior to Fisher Body, growing up in Detroit, being hired in August 1978 and going to the Body Shop. Tom tells of deciding early he wanted to be in trades. He talks about his apprenticeship, women in trades, safety lockout, chemicals, duties in the powerhouse, relations with managers and his union activity. Tom comments on Lansing's success, people's attitude and talent.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-11-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Marilyn tells of being hired in September 1978 right out of high school. She describes working in the Trim Shop with few women on the day shift. Marilyn describes common initiations to factory life. She talks about tag relief, mass relief, contract supervisors, check pools, gate collections, dinners, and her UAW activity and being elected as Civil Rights Chair. Marilyn talks about her community involvement with the NAACP and A Philip Randolph.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-11-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Mickey talks about his life prior to being hired at Fisher Body in June 1976. He describes his first day on the job in Body Shop welding the wheelhouse, hanging 80 lbs. Toronado doors, quality inspections, and eventually becoming a city driver with a CDL license.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Sam tells of being hired in May 1971 and being put on "the worst job" - welding wheelhouses. He tells of transferring to Security seven months later. Sam talks about his duties dealing with strikes, discharges, occasional fights, and describes an industrial accident in 1982 that claimed the lives of three men. He tells about GM outsourcing Security to Pinkerton and his last years before retirement.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-12-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Frances Barnhart talks about her brief career at the REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, MI, from 1942 to 1953. Barnhart describes growing up in Lansing and going to the REO Clubhouse as a child, working at Kresge's in downtown Lansing, and finally being hired into the REO Navy Department to make make bomb fuses during the war. Barnhart describes the many family connections that brought her to the plant, earning 65 cents an hour, piece rate, safety issues, and being one of the older women to work at REO. She says that she moved to the lawn mower line after the war, met her husband, was soon laid off and declined a callback in 1959 to raise her family. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-03-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Lyle tells of being hired in August 1976 and being assigned to the Trim Shop. He tells of working on weld integrity in Quality Control, of meeting his wife, his love of music and he even plays his harmonica. Lyle also discusses the difference between hourly and salaried people, the BOC talent show, his union activity and his job as plant tour guide.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-12-15T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- Bill Faunce, professor emeritus of the Michigan State University Department of Sociology, talks about his youth, education, and what brought him to MSU in 1957 to teach industrial sociology and work in the Center for Labor and Industrial Relations which later became known as the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SLIR). Faunce also talks about his research, the structure of SLIR, the mission of the school, working in an auto plant in his younger days, and coordinating the school's move from the basement of Marshall Hall to South Kedzie Hall. Faunce is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor of Labor and Industrial Relations.
- Date Issued:
- 1996-09-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Theresa talks about being born in Lansing and raised in Missouri. She describes being hired in August 1977 after standing in line to submit an application. Theresa discusses working in the Trim Shop, seniority rights, the impact of night shift on family life, friendships in the factory, and a fatal accident.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-03-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Mark recalls serving his apprenticeship at Lindell Drop Forge, the Fisher job interview, being hired in August 1984, his first day in the Body Shop and working second shift. He talks about toolmaker duties, friendships, weekly dinners, relations with supervisors, lines of demarcation, injuries, safety, relations with production workers and his union activity.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-07-24T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- The speakers are all UAW members and workers at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI. Each offers memories, humorous stories, and descriptions of factory life during his or her time in Fisher. The speakers' experiences span from the 1950s to the 1990s. These interviews were conducted at the annual UAW Local 602 Family Picnic at Eagle Park in Eagle, MI.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-08-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Jimmy recalls being hired in February 1970 in the Body Shop. He describes being petrified and having to find restrooms and the cafeteria by himself. Jimmy talks about the 1970 strike for 30 and Out. He speaks of his transfer to Environmental Services and participating in bowling and billiard leagues with hourly and salaried coworkers.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Russ describes the hiring process where you are selected based on your size and strength, being assigned to the Body Shop where his father supervised, and eventually moving to Fisher Repair at the Oldsmobile Main Plant. Russ talks about lay offs and the Trade Readjustment Act (TRA), various pranks including spreading urethane on the supervisor's phone. He comments on friendships, hobbies, bible study groups, and general life in the factory.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-03T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Robert Fell tells of being hired in 1979, reaching 89 days and being laid off. He rehired in March 1981 and worked in the Trim Shop and eventually Paint Repair. He talks about being appointed as a night shift UAW Safety Rep. He describes the August 1982 fatalities, confined space entry, and safety lockout policies. He discusses everyday life in the factory, relations with management, changing perceptions of the safety department and joint UAW/GM programs.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-08-16T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- Sam describes being hired in September 1968, commuting from Lakeview, MI, and spending ten years on the assembly line. He talks about friction between production workers and trades, performing "government jobs," women in trades, minorities, friendships, conveyor breaks and a car pile-up, labor management relations, and the closing of the plant.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-02-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Sue Ellen Houghtalling Brown talks about her life in a REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc. family and her father's career with the company. Brown describes a worker family Christmas party at the elaborate, company owned, REO Clubhouse in Lansing, MI and discusses her father's job as a sales and distribution manager for REO, and his jobs after the REO bankruptcy in 1975. She also gives a detailed, first-hand account of the massive January 1980 fire at the plant and of taking photos of the blaze before police or firefighters had even arrived. She says that she later hid her uncensored photos and negatives because she was afraid they would be confiscated by the authorities. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-03-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Tom talks about being hired in September 1970 and going out on strike the very next day, working on Quality Control, being fired and rehired, joking with fellow workers and being charged with sexual harassment.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Randy talks about being hired at AC Spark Plug Flint (which became Delphi) in May 1994 and coming to the Fisher Body Paint Shop in January 2000 as a Delphi "flow back." He discusses commuting, his apprenticeship at AC Spark Plug, millwright work, and compares Fisher to AC Spark Plug. Randy comments on the Paint Shop, critters in the plant, relations with supervisors, and the strikes in 1995 and 1998.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Lyle tells of being hired in August 1976 and being assigned to the Trim Shop. He tells of working on weld integrity in Quality Control, of meeting his wife, his love of music and he even plays his harmonica. Lyle also discusses the difference between hourly and salaried people, the BOC talent show, his union activity and his job as plant tour guide.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-12-15T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- Frances Barnhart talks about her brief career at the REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, MI, from 1942 to 1953. Barnhart describes growing up in Lansing and going to the REO Clubhouse as a child, working at Kresge's in downtown Lansing, and finally being hired into the REO Navy Department to make make bomb fuses during the war. Barnhart describes the many family connections that brought her to the plant, earning 65 cents an hour, piece rate, safety issues, and being one of the older women to work at REO. She says that she moved to the lawn mower line after the war, met her husband, was soon laid off and declined a callback in 1959 to raise her family. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-03-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Bill Faunce, professor emeritus of the Michigan State University Department of Sociology, talks about his youth, education, and what brought him to MSU in 1957 to teach industrial sociology and work in the Center for Labor and Industrial Relations which later became known as the School of Labor and Industrial Relations (SLIR). Faunce also talks about his research, the structure of SLIR, the mission of the school, working in an auto plant in his younger days, and coordinating the school's move from the basement of Marshall Hall to South Kedzie Hall. Faunce is interviewed by John Revitte, MSU professor of Labor and Industrial Relations.
- Date Issued:
- 1996-09-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Theresa talks about being born in Lansing and raised in Missouri. She describes being hired in August 1977 after standing in line to submit an application. Theresa discusses working in the Trim Shop, seniority rights, the impact of night shift on family life, friendships in the factory, and a fatal accident.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-03-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Mark recalls serving his apprenticeship at Lindell Drop Forge, the Fisher job interview, being hired in August 1984, his first day in the Body Shop and working second shift. He talks about toolmaker duties, friendships, weekly dinners, relations with supervisors, lines of demarcation, injuries, safety, relations with production workers and his union activity.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-07-24T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- Betty talks about her Russian-Jewish ancestry, leaving home in Toronto at 16 to avoid cultural obligations, and coming to the U.S. She hired into Fisher in 1946 and again in May 1948. Betty talks about factory life for the few women including lower pay, harder work, community restrooms, and stereotypical perceptions of factory women. Betty shares her opinion of the union and management, describes her union activity, smoking, strikes, layoffs, and paying union dues.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-09-01T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- James Cataline talks about working for the REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, MI, as a timekeeper during World War Two and later becoming Parts Department General Manager in 1967 when REO became Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc. Cataline reminisces fondly about the social life at REO and the terrible emotional damage its closing had on workers and the Greater Lansing community. He also describes the demolition of the REO Clubhouse and the later fire that destroyed the plant, events which, to him, drove home the end of an era. Cataline is interviewed by Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-05-06T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- The speakers are all UAW members and workers at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI. Each offers memories, humorous stories, and descriptions of factory life during his or her time in Fisher. The speakers' experiences span from the 1950s to the 1990s. These interviews were conducted at the annual UAW Local 602 Family Picnic at Eagle Park in Eagle, MI.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-08-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Russ describes the hiring process where you are selected based on your size and strength, being assigned to the Body Shop where his father supervised, and eventually moving to Fisher Repair at the Oldsmobile Main Plant. Russ talks about lay offs and the Trade Readjustment Act (TRA), various pranks including spreading urethane on the supervisor's phone. He comments on friendships, hobbies, bible study groups, and general life in the factory.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-03T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Tom talks about being hired in September 1970 and going out on strike the very next day, working on Quality Control, being fired and rehired, joking with fellow workers and being charged with sexual harassment.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-31T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Dave describes the duties of an industrial hygienist and being trained to perform the job. Dave talks about beginning his career at Fisher in 1967 while pursuing a degree at MSU. He tells about being selected for a series of "non-traditional" jobs. Dave shares memories about life in the factory and concludes by giving a brief description of the replica Fisher Coach that was built by employees around 1985.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-08-24T00:00:00Z
- 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:
- Sam describes being hired in September 1968, commuting from Lakeview, MI, and spending ten years on the assembly line. He talks about friction between production workers and trades, performing "government jobs," women in trades, minorities, friendships, conveyor breaks and a car pile-up, labor management relations, and the closing of the plant.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-02-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Sue Ellen Houghtalling Brown talks about her life in a REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc. family and her father's career with the company. Brown describes a worker family Christmas party at the elaborate, company owned, REO Clubhouse in Lansing, MI and discusses her father's job as a sales and distribution manager for REO, and his jobs after the REO bankruptcy in 1975. She also gives a detailed, first-hand account of the massive January 1980 fire at the plant and of taking photos of the blaze before police or firefighters had even arrived. She says that she later hid her uncensored photos and negatives because she was afraid they would be confiscated by the authorities. The interviewers are Shirley Bradley and Lisa Fine. Recorded as part of the REO Memories oral history project.
- Date Issued:
- 1993-03-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Jimmy recalls being hired in February 1970 in the Body Shop. He describes being petrified and having to find restrooms and the cafeteria by himself. Jimmy talks about the 1970 strike for 30 and Out. He speaks of his transfer to Environmental Services and participating in bowling and billiard leagues with hourly and salaried coworkers.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Robert Fell tells of being hired in 1979, reaching 89 days and being laid off. He rehired in March 1981 and worked in the Trim Shop and eventually Paint Repair. He talks about being appointed as a night shift UAW Safety Rep. He describes the August 1982 fatalities, confined space entry, and safety lockout policies. He discusses everyday life in the factory, relations with management, changing perceptions of the safety department and joint UAW/GM programs.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-08-16T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Randy talks about being hired at AC Spark Plug Flint (which became Delphi) in May 1994 and coming to the Fisher Body Paint Shop in January 2000 as a Delphi "flow back." He discusses commuting, his apprenticeship at AC Spark Plug, millwright work, and compares Fisher to AC Spark Plug. Randy comments on the Paint Shop, critters in the plant, relations with supervisors, and the strikes in 1995 and 1998.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-05T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Debra describes being hired in September 1976, her first job, first boss, and working in the Body Shop. She talks about women in the factory, blatant sexism, and the nature of the work. Debra talks about meeting Gary, becoming friends and eventually marrying. Gary joins the interview to describe some of the operations in the plant. They talk about two serious accidents and daily life and behavior.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-23T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Joseph tells of being hired in August 1981 and working in the Body Shop and Paint Shop. He also talks about an industrial accident in 1982 that claimed the lives of three persons from a booth cleaning crew.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-06-09T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Linda Maxon discusses her early years at REO Motor Car Company/Diamond-Reo Trucks, Inc., in Lansing, MI. She says that she started as a temporary stenographer in 1967 and stayed to work as a secretary for several managers until the plant closed in 1975. Maxon shares many experiences about company social events and institutions and describes the loss of the REO Clubhouse and the burning of the factory itself. Maxon says that in the end, she was able to draw money from the REO pension fund before it was drained and describes the terrible depression suffered by other workers who lost all of their retirement money. The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the commemoration of REO Motor Car Company’s 100th Anniversary.
- Date Issued:
- 2004-06-25T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Sam tells of being hired in May 1971 and being put on "the worst job" - welding wheelhouses. He tells of transferring to Security seven months later. Sam talks about his duties dealing with strikes, discharges, occasional fights, and describes an industrial accident in 1982 that claimed the lives of three men. He tells about GM outsourcing Security to Pinkerton and his last years before retirement.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-12-12T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Lyle describes growing up in the neighborhood near Fisher, being hired in November 1956 and his first day on the wet deck. He reflects on segregation in the plant, the swing shift, and changeover. Lyle talks about transferring to Security in 1966, describes the duties, interactions with workers, strikes, and the 1982 deaths in the Paint Department. He also discusses GM's decision to outsource plant security to Pinkerton. Lyle also discusses his other passion - coaching baseball.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-26T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- JD shares his diverse career in the military and with several companies before coming to Fisher to assist with the conversion from big to small cars in 1984. JD talks about his friendship with the plant manager, the Conveyor Task Force, UAW-management relations, workforce dedication, working seven days a week and 10-11 hours per day. He also discusses the fatal injury of a subcontractor working in the conveyor system.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-11-02T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Don discusses being hired in 1972, getting laid off, and joining the Air Force. He returned to Fisher as a booth cleaner. Don discusses safety procedures and training and comments on the death of three booth cleaners in 1982. Don transferred to Oiler and he describes their work, factory life as a maintenance worker, overtime, the Emergency Response Team, and his community involvement.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-27T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Cookie talks about college and teaching in Mississippi, coming to Lansing in 1963 and 1964 to work summers in the factory and returning south to teach in the fall. In 1965, Cookie permanently hired into Fisher. He describes a workplace with few minorities and one black supervisor. Cookie comments on the 1970 UAW strike, discrimination and race. He recalls applying and being tested for supervision but was told he failed the test. In 1971 he felt he was forced onto supervision to help GM comply with new laws. Cookie recalls that some workers would not accept their paychecks from a black. He talks about cooking a roast in the paint ovens, area dinners, the salaried dining room and retirement.
- Date Issued:
- 2006-01-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Tom talks about his life prior to Fisher Body, growing up in Detroit, being hired in August 1978 and going to the Body Shop. Tom tells of deciding early he wanted to be in trades. He talks about his apprenticeship, women in trades, safety lockout, chemicals, duties in the powerhouse, relations with managers and his union activity. Tom comments on Lansing's success, people's attitude and talent.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-11-10T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Marilyn tells of being hired in September 1978 right out of high school. She describes working in the Trim Shop with few women on the day shift. Marilyn describes common initiations to factory life. She talks about tag relief, mass relief, contract supervisors, check pools, gate collections, dinners, and her UAW activity and being elected as Civil Rights Chair. Marilyn talks about her community involvement with the NAACP and A Philip Randolph.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-11-22T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
- Description:
- Mickey talks about his life prior to being hired at Fisher Body in June 1976. He describes his first day on the job in Body Shop welding the wheelhouse, hanging 80 lbs. Toronado doors, quality inspections, and eventually becoming a city driver with a CDL license.
- Date Issued:
- 2005-10-14T00:00:00Z
- Data Provider:
- Michigan State University. Libraries
- Collection:
- G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection