Shelton Tyson, an African American, discusses his career as a production worker and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI Marilyn Coulter: Uh, Fisher Body Historical interview with Shelton Tyson. [tapping] Today is December [background conversation] 21st, 2005. The time is about 9:00 A.M. We’re at the Jobs Bank. Uh, lead interview Marilyn Coulter. Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. John Fedewa: John Fedewa. Marilyn Coulter: [0:20] Um, Mr. Tyson, can you please say and spell your last name for us? Shelton Tyson: Shelton Tyson, T-Y-S-O-N. Marilyn Coulter: [0:28] And your address? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: 824 Vine Street. Marilyn Coulter: [0:31] And that’s in? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Lansing, Michigan. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [0:35] Um, and you’re a male? Um, are you married, Mr. Tyson? Shelton Tyson: Yes. I’m married. [background noises] Marilyn Coulter: [0:40] And children? Shelton Tyson: Uh, three daughters; 23, 20, and 17. Marilyn Coulter: All right. [0:44] Were you b-, where were you born? Shelton Tyson: Detroit, Michigan. Marilyn Coulter: [0:47] And were you also raised in Detroit? Shelton Tyson: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [0:51] Um, when did you come to Lansing? Shelton Tyson: Uh, 1974. Marilyn Coulter: [background conversation] 1974. [papers rustling] [0:55] What brought you to Lansing? Shelton Tyson: Um, school. I had a uncle that was at Michigan State and I came up for school. Marilyn Coulter: Oh, okay. [1:03] So now, your education, you did some college, I take it, or? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Yes... Marilyn Coulter: [Inaudible 1:06]. Shelton Tyson: ...um, certification is for corrections officer and still studying criminal justice geared towards juvenile counseling. Marilyn Coulter: [1:14] And you’re taking that where? Shelton Tyson: Uh, Lansing Community College. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [1:18] Um, were there any military background? Shelton Tyson: No. [background conversation. Marilyn Coulter: [1:20] Um, now what did your parents do? Shelton Tyson: Um, I was raised by my [coughing] grandparents. I was raised by my grandparents. Um, my grandfather owned a restaurant and a furniture store [background conversation] and my grandmother was a, um, domestic worker. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [1:37] Um, what’d you do before you hired into Fisher Body? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: I worked for, uh, United Parcel Services for 4 years. Marilyn Coulter: [1:43] You, 4 years, and you, uh, you delivered packages... Shelton Tyson: Uh... Marilyn Coulter: ...[inaudible 1:48]. Shelton Tyson: ...it’s considered, uh, Pre-sorter, um, maintenance [clicking] person that washed and [background conversation] fueled vehicles. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [1:58] Um, [background conversation] what year did you, um, [background conversation] hire into Fisher Body? Shelton Tyson: Um, November 19th of [papers rustling] 1984. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [2:09] Um, [background conversation] why did you hire into Fisher Body? Shelton Tyson: Um, the opportunity for benefits for my family and myself. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [2:17] So, um, uh, how did you know that they were hiring? Shelton Tyson: [background conversation] Um, word of mouth, um, friends that found out that, um, they were gonna be takin’ applications. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: So what was your process [background conversation] that you had to go through? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, I went up to the, uh, [background conversation] Unemployment Office on Cedar, I believe, and, [background conversation] um, got in line and put in an application. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [2:39] How long’d you have to stand in line? [background conversation] Were there a lotta people there? Shelton Tyson: Oh yeah. Um, lotsa people and, actually, probably stood in line maybe 6 hours. Marilyn Coulter: 6 hours. [2:52] Um, how long did it take you to find out that you had a job there? Shelton Tyson: [background conversation] Um, probably 24 hours. Marilyn Coulter: 24 hours. [3:06] And so you – what was your process once they contacted you? Shelton Tyson: Uh, went in and took a physical and, [background conversation] um, went from there. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [3:15] Uh, how old were you at the time? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: 24. Marilyn Coulter: [throat clearing] [background conversation] [3:21] So once you came in, um, what department shift did you [background conversation] hire in on? Shelton Tyson: Um, I started in in Metal Finish, um, Body Shop, first shift. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [First shift 3:31] [3:31] So what was your first [background conversation] – [sighing] um, [background conversation] how do you feel? I mean, what, [clicking] uh, what’d you feel when you first walked in the Plant? Shelton Tyson: [background conversation] Um, I had grew up around General Motors factories in Detroit. Um, [background conversation] [throat clearing] and I had always said that I wouldn’t working a factory, um, [background conversation] but once I walked into one [background conversation] officially as an employee, it was a good feeling. Marilyn Coulter: It was a good feeling? Shelton Tyson: Yeah. Marilyn Coulter: [3:57] What’d you think of the Body Shop, all the metal? Shelton Tyson: Um, I was amazed of the setup, um, [background conversation] and how safe it was, considering the equipment and the material that you’re around every day. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [beeping] [4:13] So, um, [background conversation] how did they [throat clearing] give you job selection? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, we did a little training period, and the supervisor got to know, you know, the individuals that were placed in his area. He was a old-school supervisor, [Charlie Palmley 4:32], [background conversation] um, and I ended up bein’ a Relief Person for him, [background conversation] um, and he explained to me that the selection of me becomin’ a Relief Person [throat clearing] for him [background conversation] was based on, uh, my job experience and my, uh, dedication to my previous job. Marilyn Coulter: [4:54] Can you tell me what is a Utility Person? Shelton Tyson: Um, a Utility Person [sniffing – well, actually, a Relief Person is where I started. A Relief Person, um, went around and gave fellow employees, um, breaks of, uh, 15, [background conversation] 20 minutes, [background conversation] um, 2, 3 different times a day, um, for them to, ya know, [tapping] do what they needed to do to eat and use the restrooms, or just to rest. Marilyn Coulter: [5:17] Now, isn’t a Relief job considered a preferential job? Shelton Tyson: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [5:22] And how did your coworkers that they had had more time than you take to you bein’ a young person coming in fresh off the street getting a Relief job? Shelton Tyson: Great question. Um, there was a lotta animosity towards myself and the supervisor that he made in putting me in that position. Um, but over time, [background conversation] um, coworkers understood where he was comin’ from [background conversation] in trying to fit the individuals to particular jobs. Marilyn Coulter: Doreen, did you have a question? Doreen Howard: Yes. Um, Doreen Howard. [5:56] Um, [throat clearing] you’ve touched base on the Body Shop. What was the surroundings like in there? When you got into there, what was the physical surroundings of the Body Shop? What was the size and what was some a the things that you saw as, as an, uh, new employee comin’ in there? Shelton Tyson: Um, it was a large, very large area, um, set up very nicely, although it was a old facility. Um, just all the metal in itself in the Body Shop, [background conversation] um, was amazing to me, but it was [background movement] a great area; great supervision, um, good management. [background conversation] Um, I was kinda blessed that I ended up in that area first. Doreen Howard: [6:41] Also you touched base on, um, your supervisor, your first supervisor. You talked about him as being an old-school supervisor. What’s a old-school supervisor and what was some a the, the things that an old-school supervisor, uh, valued versus maybe some a the more, uh, up-and-coming supervisors may have, uh, done for their areas? Shelton Tyson: Um, what I mean by old-school, and [papers rustling] I say that in a respectful way, um, nothin’ negative. He was a individual that expected you to stand up and be accounted for, um, be on time, have your equipment ready to go, um, be responsible to yourself and your fellow employees, ya know, give respect, get respect, and I just felt from my bein’ raised by my grandparents that that was a good [sniffing] way to be. [throat clearing] Doreen Howard: Okay. Marilyn Coulter: [7:44] Um, so, Shelton – Marilyn Coulter – Shelton, what was your first day like? Shelton Tyson: Um, very excited. Um, I had a lotta anxiety, um, just feelin’ blessed and grateful to have the job. Um, [background conversation] first day was, um, ya know, getting to meet different people and, um, getting the feel for, um, such a huge facility and the conditions that you would be working under and, um, understanding what was expected of you, but it was a great experience. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [8:20] Um, when you came in there, um, do you remember who the first person that you met or I should say befriended when you came in the Plant? Shelton Tyson: Um, I had high school friends that were already employed, so I was already familiar with some people that were already established with General Motors, um, but I did meet some new people that, um, were excited as I was to, um, be a part of General Motors’ family. Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. [8:59] Um, when you first came in, was there any new-hire pranks that were pulled on you and, or did you see anyone else getting pranks pulled on them? Shelton Tyson: Yeah, um, you know, when people already knowin’ each other, they did different things like, uh, [background conversation] take an individual’s gloves when they were on break and putting glue in’m and [laughter] water or, um, particularly in the, uh, Grinding Booth in the, um, Metal Finish Department, [background conversation] um, we had to wear what we call, uh, space suits, um, that you received your oxygen through a tube. Um, people would put water in those tubes and reconnect’m to ya and you got a shower. [laughter] So there was some creative things that were done as pranks that we did to one another. Doreen Howard: Things to pass the time. [throat clearing] Shelton Tyson: Yeah, get to see how your fellow employees take things and [laughter] [background conversation], um, pass the time and just become closer. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [10:08] So, um, for the time you’ve been there, have you always worked in the Body Shop? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, no. I’ve, uh, moved around, [background conversation] um, the Body Shop, Paint, [papers rustling], Trim, [sniffing] those areas. Marilyn Coulter: [10:20] Out of those three departments, was there a department that you preferred and why? Shelton Tyson: Um, after bein’ experienced and movin’ around, um, I think I would prefer the Body Shop, Metal Finish. Um. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [10:38] Okay, out of those three departments that you worked in, [background conversation] would you say that the culture of the people was primarily the same in each department or was there a difference, and if so, what was that difference? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: I think in the Body Shop you had, uh, more individuals that were, uh, more sturdy and rugged, if I may, um, where in Paint and Trim it was more finesse and laid back. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [11:08] When you say laid back, what do you mean? Shelton Tyson: Um, in Paint and Trim, I think some a the jobs and the setups, um, people adapted to how they could, um, not really have to be physically demanding, [background movement] so it wasn’t a lot of stress or pressure on the body, so to speak, so they were kinda like relaxed jobs, so the people were kinda relaxed. Marilyn Coulter: [11:36] So, when it, when you worked in those departments, what types of things did you do for lunch and breaks? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, sometime I would go out for air and visit the bar and get food or, you know, have a beverage. Um, [background conversation] just have the family come up and sit in the car and chit chat, see how the kids are doin’ for a minute, um, read newspapers, magazines, talk with fellow workers. Marilyn Coulter: [12:03] So I know that there were a couple of establishments around Fisher Body. Was there one in particular? I know that there was Gus’s, there was an Irish Pub. Was yours Harry’s? Shelton Tyson: From bein’ in different departments over different periods a time in my 21 years there, I’ve, [background conversation] uh, frequent both of Harry’s and Gus’s. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [throat clearing] [12:27] And, um, now you said that you also had your family come up. Now, were you working day shift at that time or night shift? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Uh, shift didn’t matter. Um, whatever shift I was on, there would be at least a couple days out of the week that, um, ya know, once the wife did take the buyout and leave General Motors, she would bring the kids and herself up to visit me. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [12:47] So, now you said when she left General Motors. Did you meet your wife there? Shelton Tyson: Yes. Doreen Howard: Oh. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. Doreen Howard: Okay. [laughter] Marilyn Coulter: [12:53] So, [throat clearing] let’s hear about it. [laughter] So how did you meet your wife? Shelton Tyson: Um, through a mutual friend that, um, I had known before I, [background conversation] myself and her hired into General Motors. Um, she was dating my roommate and her and my wife now, um, were coworkers in Trim Department. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. [13:17] So you were in Body Shop and she was in Trim? Shelton Tyson: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: And so you met there and. Shelton Tyson: Um, we actually met at Gus’s. Marilyn Coulter: You met at Gus’s. Shelton Tyson: Yeah. Marilyn Coulter: [13:24] So how did that work? Did you go up in Trim Shop from the Body Shop or on the outside? Shelton Tyson: Yeah, once we, uh, met, um, on my breaks and lunch, um, when we both were still working there, when she was still there, I would go up and visit her, she would come down and visit me. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [13:40] How long would it take you to get from – was it a long walk? Shelton Tyson: Yeah, it was pretty long and, [background conversation] um, there was, you know safety-wise supposed to be no running allowed, but I had to run. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [laughter] So you ran to meet her. [laughter] [13:54] Was it difficult, um, [background conversation] having and [papers rustling] sustaining a relationship with a coworker? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, I think it was helpful, but yet still difficult in some ways. [background conversation] Um, I think it was helpful that she understood the, um, the tangibles of, um, having a factory lifestyle. Um, so I think that was a plus. [background conversation] But on the other hand, the two of being away from the children all at once, um, was a challenge. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [14:37] And when you say it was a challenge, what do you mean by that? Shelton Tyson: Uh, we’re both, both family-oriented people and neither one of us was comfortable about, [background conversation] um, leavin’ kids at home without either one of us during the night time, which is prime time for family to be together; you know, after school, after your 9-to-5. Um, so that was a challenge. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [15:01] So how long did it, um, [background conversation] was it a challenge before your wife left General Motors? Shelton Tyson: Um, she stayed 7 years, um, took the buyout. [background conversation] Um, I think it was 7. Maybe 5. [background conversation] But, um, [background conversation] she ended up takin’ the buyout and became a at-home mom for a couple years and then got in with the City of Lansing and Lansing School District. [background conversation] Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. [15:31] Um, as a working couple here, um, you talked about some a the challenges that you were face with both of you being employed. Um, what were some a those challenges that you, you had to overcome, um, and, ya know, did you work out the shifts? How did, how did you manage the family aspect? Shelton Tyson: Um, while we both were still working and working nights, um, [papers rustling] my mother-in-law babysat the children because we felt we needed to have a family member do it, um, for those hours and that it would better off for all, we would be more relaxed about a family member that we trusted [papers rustling] doin] it. Um, [background conversation] just the overall lifestyle of bein’ a factory employee and bein’ on nights, um, you had challenges such as, um, [background conversation] substances bein’ a way a life for most of your coworkers and yourself and if you didn’t indulge before you got there, you maybe have dibbled and dabbled while you were there. Um, so that was a challenge. And, [background conversation] um, both of us were able to successfully control that and not, um, let it get to the point a rehab or any of that. Um, challenge of getting the kids to understand that mom and dad love them but yet we still had to work to provide for them. Um, the education of trying to [background conversation] learn on the job about people and life and, um, just different things [background conversation] that come with the lifestyle of bein’ a factory worker, um, and I wouldn’t trade the experience for anything. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: Marilyn Coulter. [17:19] What were some a the things that you say that you learned about people? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, in learning about people in this area of, uh, work and life, I learned that General Motors, um, and BOC Fisher Body particularly [background conversation] had a good attitude about caring for one another and helping one another and, um, doin’ the best that we could on any level to all be successful. Marilyn Coulter: Doreen? Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. [18:01] Um, touching base on, uh, having coworkers, uh, impact you and your family in the way that they did, what is some a the things that, um, you did during work as, like, a, a family, a work family? Were you involved with any of the dinners or, or collections for different, um, organizations or, or what type of things did you do, uh, during your, your lunch hours or, or anything like that that, um, on a personal basis with your [throat clearing] coworkers? Shelton Tyson: Um, [background conversation] we both would contribute to the Un-, United Way, um, every year. Um, we’re both pretty active in the neighborhoods. Um, as far as things at work, like the coat drives or food bank drives and things of that nature, or any donations that were asked of us, we would always try to contribute. Um, and the other question was? Doreen Howard: As far as like, um, during your, your lunchtimes? You said sometimes you would go out and, and have drinks. Um, did you ever, um, do anything in the Plant? I know a lotta people would play cards and, and socialize at lunchtimes. Were you ever involved in any a the other activities that people would do during the lunchtimes? Shelton Tyson: Yes, um, fortunately, we had a basketball court up in Paint, um, so, um, when I was in Body and Trim, if I had the time, I would go up to Paint and shoot baskets, um, or when I worked in Paint I would. Um, there was days you played cards, you know, winter weather, you stayed in if you didn’t want fresh air or didn’t have the visitors come up, the family come up. Um, chess, checkers, um, arts and crafts. [background conversation] Just a large variety of things in which, you know, people were creative about either having already there or bringin’ in to, uh, enjoy your time away from home. Marilyn Coulter: [20:14] What types of arts did you do, Shelton? Shelton Tyson: [background conversation] Um, like, uh, your, uh, drawings or colors of, uh, tryin’ to think of the, uh, particular, uh, name that they called this, but it’s like drawings of different things and you just color-code and fill’m in. Doreen Howard: Oh, okay, like [toll 20:42] painting or [inaudible 20:44]? Shelton Tyson: Somethin’ like that. Marilyn Coulter: Oh, okay. Shelton Tyson: Um, so they were really nice. They were simple to just have your colors and know what went where, and you just sit down and do it and... Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Shelton Tyson: ...ya know, the kids got a kick outta that if I did’m at work and brought’m home. “Well how you, how you have time to do this?” [laughter] You know, “You said you were workin’.” Marilyn Coulter: [21:02] So, um, what are some a the things that you did to pass your time while you worked? Um, did you read, did you listen to music? What types of things did you do? Shelton Tyson: Basically my thing to pass time was conversation, um, to learn about my coworkers and have them teach me things that they were interested in that I didn’t know or vice versa; um, talk about sports, talk about school, talk about politics, um, raising children, marriage. Marilyn Coulter: [21:36] So, what would you say was one of the most interesting things that you learned while you were working there, from a coworker? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Um, one of the most interesting things that I learned from a coworker... Marilyn Coulter: Uh. Shelton Tyson: ...while working there. That females were able to do as good [sniffing] or a better job as the males and still had the energy, the strength, and the intelligence to raise children also. [background conversation] I mean, I was really amazed. I mean, I would go home and sleep and my wife would get kids up for school [background conversation] and she would be able to still come back in and do a 9, 10-hour shift and I would be complainin’ that I’m tired and she would be like, “That’s pitiful.” [laughter] “I’m raising children and gettin’ up in the middle a the night with a baby and I’m still doin’ the same hours you’re doin’, so if you’re tired, what do you think I am?” So that was one a the things that I learnt about coworkers and from coworkers is that a lotta individuals, especially the females in this f-, area, field of, [papers rustling] uh, employment are very strong will-minded, um, dedicated individuals. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [22:57] Um, outside of your wife, did you have other coworkers that, uh, impacted your life and [chair squeaking] affected your life outside of the Plant, [background conversation] ya know, friendships that extended outside a the Plant? Shelton Tyson: Yes. [background conversation] Um, like I said, some before I went in that were [background movement] already established, um [papers rustling], that were established there and, um, still [papers rustling] real close to the same people today. Um, anyone – and you want names, or? Marilyn Coulter: Well, if you have some people that you became particularly close to. Shelton Tyson: Um, Marilyn Coulter, um, [Charmane Price 23:32], um, [Craig Johnson 23:36], [Craig Sanders 23:37]. [background conversation] Um, there’s quite a few people. [background conversation] Um, I don’t know if a lotta people remember some a the older gentleman, but [Kirk Young 23:48] and, um. [papers rustling] Marilyn Coulter: [23:52] So Kirk Young, [papers rustling] the one [papers rustling] he was also considered Body Shop Kirk? [throat clearing] Shelton Tyson: He’s considered Body Shop Kirk, [sniffing] but he worked in Trim as a door hood and trunk adjuster. Marilyn Coulter: [24:02] Now, he was one who retired many years ago with I believe 36 years of, uh, uh, employment. Can you s-, tell me something that a man who was old enough to be your father at the time, or grandfather actually, um, might have, uh, how he impacted your life? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: With Mr. Young, and I don’t wanna get emotional here, he’s now deceased, but, um, [background movement] my relationship with him started outside the Plant. Um, when I moved here from Detroit, he didn’t, um, stay too far from me; um, [background conversation] couple doors, maybe, and around the corner. Um, I went to school with his children [coughing] but, [coughing] uh, work ethic, from a work ethic standpoint, um, [background conversation] I took notice how a single father [chair squeaking] was raising a large number of children, I believe 7 or 8, and still was able to do [background conversation] 9, 10, 11-hour shift at General Motors, and didn’t miss a day, for many years, [background conversation] and I observed that as a teenager, and when my opportunity came to be employed with Fisher Body, um, and was able to actually go and see him do his job performance and talk to him. Um, like you said earlier, father figure, grandfather figure that, ya know, not only taught me things outside work but took me under his wing and taught me things inside work about the lifestyle and the culture of a factory employee. Marilyn Coulter: [25:49] As a factory employee, [background conversation] um, what’s one a the things that he impacted you on? Shelton Tyson: Um, [throat clearing] bein’ the best at your job. [background conversation] Um, bein’ the most [background conversation] depended upon person [background conversation] possible. Um, [background conversation] ya know, he taught me that if your supervisors had no worry about you bein’ to work or bein’ healthy to do your job or, um, not having personal issues [background movement] that you brought in the Plant, then you will have a very successful career and very few bumps along the way. Marilyn Coulter: Um, just for the record, um, Kirk Young was known as Body Shop Kirk, he was a Repairman, and, um, [background conversation] he worked 36 years in the Plant and he never took a sick day or vacation, and that was one a the things that they had put in our in-plant newspaper at the time, ‘cause he was one a the first persons that they said had never been sick and never took a vacation in 36 years. [background conversation] Doreen Howard: Can you imagine that? [laughter] That’s a lot. [throat clearing] Marilyn Coulter: Doreen? Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. [27:09] Um, during your time at Fisher Body, what were some a the significant changes that you saw happen within the facility? [background conversation] What, what, uh, changes did that, as far as like, um [papers rustling], supervisors or maybe women in the workplace, minorities in the workplace. What, what changes did, did you see and how did they impact you? Shelton Tyson: Um, going back to how strong a lot of the females in this field are and were, um, those were changes for me to see, and from ’84 up to now, [background conversation] there’s still a lotta positives [background conversation] of those changes that I’m still seeing. Um, [background conversation] just the impact of such a [background movement] possibility of havin’ a good job, of a positive impact it’s had on the [background conversation] families. [background conversation] Um, those are a few. Doreen Howard: [28:21] Um, as a minority male in the facility, did that ever affect any of your work history... Shelton Tyson: No. Doreen Howard: ...in any way? Shelton Tyson: No. Um, [background conversation] I think I was, uh, [background conversation] given a fair opportunity to be and individual [background conversation] and, um, either put up or shut; [background conversation] keep a job or get to steppin’. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [28:50] Um, when you were there, did you ever have any what we call “government job”? [Inaudible 28:54] Skilled Trade person ever do something special for you to make your job better, make anything for you? Shelton Tyson: In terms of, um. Marilyn Coulter: Mi-, might be a toolbox, might be [inaudible 29:06]. Shelton Tyson: Hm. Um, I’ve had some Skilled Trades people who have, um, like, uh, Mr. [Bob Sanford 29:16]. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Shelton Tyson: Um, [background conversation] um, [background conversation] Mr. [Stanton 29:23]. Tryin’ to think of his first name, but, [background conversation] um, Stanton. [Levon Stanton 29:28]. Um, those are just two individuals that, um, [background conversation] contribute to, uh, [background conversation] ya know, bein’ on Skilled Trades and making toolboxes or whatnot that I could put radios in or pop or my own personal stuff just to keep in a certain area close to my work bench. Marilyn Coulter: [29:48] So was the radio a big part of your night? Shelton Tyson: [background conversation] Very much so. Um, if I had a radio and I was able to keep myself motivated, um, it made the night go by faster when I wasn’t trying to learn from my coworkers or them from me. Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. [30:07] Um, you talked about having, [background conversation] for example, pop. Um, I know there was quite a few people who had businesses within the business. Can, can you talk about that and the culture behind that [background conversation] in the Plant? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: Yeah, um, [laughter] I ended up bein’ one a those people that experimented with that, of having a little snack shop set up. Um, it was a learning experience and it wasn’t for the money; it was to, um, have things in your area that, um, you enjoy to consume, [papers rustling] um, and to help your coworkers out and that, as well. [background conversation] Um, I think beverages and snacks are a big part of our, uh, culture within the Plant and, um, ya know, some things are healthy and some things aren’t, but you need both. [laughter] Marilyn Coulter: [31:07] Um, [laughter] were you ever active in your union? Shelton Tyson: [background conversation] Um, not as much as [throat clearing] I should have been and I’m ashamed to say that, um, and I need to be more, um [papers rustling], but [background conversation] a lot of people in which I’m, um, friends with, good coworkers, good people that I know that are involved. Um, I think if they put the heat to me a little more, I would get involved. [background conversation] Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. [31:41] Um, early on, uh, you talked about some of the, the benefits and, as the one a the reasons why you came to work for, uh, Fisher Body and, um, the benefits that you had and your wife also had in working here. Um, what do you feel was one a the more important benefits and, uh, that you received from working here? And, um, you talked about your education. Were you ever able to, um, use the tuition assistance program to help [papers rustling] further your education? Shelton Tyson: Uh, yes. Um, the benefits package in [papers rustling] terms of health was my main, um, target, you know, outside of the rate of pay, but with health coverage bein’ a issue in America, um, that was one a the reasons I opted from UPS to General Motors; um, a better health coverage package and with the, uh, tuit-, tuition assistance program and EOP when you’re out here in the job bank, um, I’ve taken total advantage of it and, uh, especially last 2 years that I’ve been laid off. Um, previous to that, I did use it some, um, when I was laid off [papers rustling] for about 13 months. I used it to get, um, [background conversation] certification for a, um, [papers rustling] corrections officer certification. Um, the EOP program is, um, [background conversation] Employee Opportunity Program, [background conversation] um, for education, and, um, [background conversation] I think, um, General Motors and, [background conversation] um, our union representatives, um, have gotten together and done a great job of giving the workers an opportunity to, um, do some positive things with their time, um, to better themselves educational-wise, career-wise, and even on a personal level, [background conversation] um, you know, to, um, just overall better our lifestyles. Doreen Howard: [33:59] Now, was your w-, your wife, uh, able to, uh, use any of the benefits in, uh, as far as education? [background conversation] Shelton Tyson: No. Um. Doreen Howard: I know she was busy having children and children and quite busy... Shelton Tyson: Yeah. Doreen Howard: ...outside the [inaudible 34:14]... Shelton Tyson: Between... Doreen Howard: ...[inaudible 34:14]. Shelton Tyson: ...between 9, 10 hours at the Plant and raisin’ children, um, she felt like that was education enough. Marilyn Coulter: [34:24] Um, as we come to a close, are there, um, are there any areas that we haven’t touched on that, um, you’d like to speak of? Shelton Tyson: Um, yeah, I think, um, when you mentioned the involvement in the union, um, as I said earlier bein’ ashamed of [papers rustling] my lack of support of doing more things, [throat clearing] I think [background conversation] something needs to be done to kind of force some employees to participate more. [background conversation] Marilyn Coulter: [34:24] How – being someone [background conversation] who, who is active in the union, how can people – [background conversation] what would you suggest we could do to get people active in the labor union? Shelton Tyson: Um, I think if like we’re into the team build concept. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Shelton Tyson: And I think we could take that and [background conversation] use it also in a way of having our employees like not only rotate on the job, but when there are certain things that the union needs help with, [background conversation] I think that [background conversation] each group [background conversation] should have to send a member to something in participation with the union whenever and however they need’m, and if you do it on the rotation base, everybody gets involved, um, it’s mandatory, and I think from there, you will get some people [papers rustling] who may not have otherwise even wanted to a take a interest in the union, that they would. Marilyn Coulter: [36:23] One other question. Um, when you hired in, did you have any union awareness classes? [background conversation] When you first hired in or did you go straight into the Plant? Shelton Tyson: Straight into the Plant. Marilyn Coulter: [background conversation] So that’s [inaudible 36:39]. Shelton Tyson: Right, lack of information and, [throat clearing] um, how important it is [background conversation] to be involved. Marilyn Coulter: [36:48] Do you vote in your union elections? Shelton Tyson: Yes. Yes, I do. Doreen Howard: Well, I guess, um, [background conversation] Doreen Howard. [37:00] As the time has closed on the Fisher Plant, is there any, uh, special memory, uh, happy, sad, funny that, that you can recall that you’d wanna share with us? Shelton Tyson: Sure. Um, probably 99.9% [tapping] of my experience at Fisher Body was all good. Um, I was fortunate enough to meet my wife there; um, good person, good mother, hard worker. Um, I was also able to meet other individuals, um, have gotten to know them well. Um, an experience that jumps right out at me, uh, we were on strike one year and when it was my turn to walk the picket line, um, at the time, my youngest daughter was probably 3, and she wanted to come up and walk with me. So, um, I have pictures of that and, um, since Fisher Body has closed, I have, um, taken a video camera and I’ve gone from the Irish Pub, up Verlinden, and filmed the backside a the Plant, parking lot, um, Harry’s, the front a the parking lot, [background conversation] um, all the way around to Michigan and Sexton and Gus’s and the Union Hall. Um, one a my more recent fond memories is, um, the year before I got laid off, um, my first grandchild, a son, a boy, um, he’s 4 now, he would come up and to this day he remembers that building, um, who works there, um, and what it stands for. [background conversation] So I’ve taken him back and taken pictures by signs and different things like that, put it in a scrapbook for him. Marilyn Coulter: [39:12] How does it make you feel knowing that in a very short time that building’s gonna be totally gone? Shelton Tyson: Um, it’s devastating, um, in an emotional way, um, not just economical, um, but I was kind of, uh, unfortunately prepared for this because, um, prior in the interview, like I spoke of, um, I grew up around General Motors factories in Detroit. Um, Fisher Body Plant that built the Cadillac Fleetwood and, um, some other plants there, and when General Motors pulled out, um, one a those buildings was torn down and 2 of’m are still standin’ today as eyesores. So, I’ve kind of already seen, [throat clearing] ya know, and been able to get that [papers rustling] emotional feel for what it means not only to myself personally but to the community. And it, it’s sad, but yet, you know, if, if they’re going to do something positive to, uh, make sure that the, uh, [background conversation] the safety of the community around it is good, then I’m rollin’ with the flow. Doreen Howard: Doreen Howard. I had one last question. [40:34] Um, you, you talked about, uh, how General Motors affected you as a young man. Um, what, what type a vehicles do you drive and have you ever purchases any a the vehicles that we build here at Fisher Body? Shelton Tyson: Um, I personally have not purchased a vehicle in which we have built, um, at Fisher Body ourselves, but my very first probably 6 months of bein’ employed with General Motors, um, probably 4 a my family members ran out and bought, um, the Buick Skylark and, um, a Grand Am and an Achieva and, ya know, things of that nature. Marilyn Coulter: [41:17] But do you, do, but do you buy General Motors products? Shelton Tyson: Yes, I, um, [laughter] I actually collect, um, Cadillac Sevilles, General Motors products, um, between the years of 1976 and ’79, I currently own six of those. Um, a Chevy 20 conversion van. Um, I just recently purchased a, um, 1999 Cadillac Catera for my 17-year-old. So, I won’t drive anything but General Motors vehicle. Doreen Howard: Very nice. Shelton Tyson: And a Chevy truck. Marilyn Coulter: Well, thank you. Doreen Howard: Thank you, thank you very much for your interview. John Fedewa: [throat clearing] Thank you. Marilyn Coulter: Thank you, [inaudible 41:53]. Shelton Tyson: Thank you all. /rt