MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY – SHAWN NICHOLSON MARTA M BOBILLO DISCUSSES HER CAREER AS A PRODUCTION WORKER AT THE FISHER BODY PLANT IN LANSING, MI Marilyn Coulter: Lansing Fisher Body Historical Team interview. Uh, it's w-, [coughing] it's Thursday, February 9, 2006. The time is approximately n-, 12:45 p.m. We're at UAW Local 602, Frank Dryer Greenhouse. Uh, we'll first start out with the interviewers. Earl Nicholson: Earl Nicholson. Cheryl McQuaid: Cheryl McQuaid. Doug Rademacher: Doug Rademacher. John Fedewa: John Fedewa. Gary Judy: Gary Judy. Marilyn Coulter: And I'm Marilyn Coulter. Today we're here with Miss Marta Bobillo. [0:27] Marta, will you please say and spell your name for us, please? Marta Bobillo: Marta Milagros Bobillo, M-A-R-T-A B-O-B-I-L-L-O. Marilyn Coulter: [0:37] And could you give us your address, please? Marta Bobillo: 4139 Sheffield Boulevard, Lansing, Michigan 48911. Marilyn Coulter: [0:45] Are you married? Marta Bobillo: No. I'm divorce. Marilyn Coulter: [0:48] Children? Marta Bobillo: Four. Marilyn Coulter: [0:50] Um, boys, girls? Marta Bobillo: Two boys and two girls. Marilyn Coulter: [0:54] Uh, Marta, where were you born? Marta Bobillo: I was born in Santa Clara, Cuba. Marilyn Coulter: [0:58] And were you raised there also? Marta Bobillo: [Yeah 1:00], up to the age of 15. Marilyn Coulter: [1:02] And how did you get to…? Marta Bobillo: I came to the United States in the Freedom Flights. Marilyn Coulter: Freedom Flights. All right. [1:10] And your education level, please? [humming throughout audio] Marta Bobillo: I finished high school in Waverly High School and I got 2 years of college. Marilyn Coulter: [1:17] Uh, any military background? Marta Bobillo: I was brought up in a military school in Cuba from the age of 7 to the age of 15. Marilyn Coulter: [1:26] And what did your parents do? Marta Bobillo: Uh, my d-, previous to Castro, my dad used to work as a private eye for – working for the United States for 4 different governments and my mother was a teacher in the university at Santa Clara and, uh, making, um – I don’t know how you say here. It was like a designer for clothing. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Marta Bobillo: Like for clothing [designs 1:52]. [throat clearing] Marilyn Coulter: Oh. [1:54] And, um, did they do that here in the United States also? Marta Bobillo: Uh, no, they didn’t. When we came here from Cuba because the, the lack of the language, uh, my mother had to do sewing at home from different companies and my dad came to work at Fisher Body 3 days after we arrive here. Marilyn Coulter: So he worked at Fisher. [2:12] Did he retire from Fisher Body also? Marta Bobillo: Yes, he retired from Fisher Body. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. [2:17] Now was he a, a line worker or was he a skilled tradesperson? Marta Bobillo: Um, my dad started in the Body Shop and then he went into Paint Department and, and he went into Sanitation before he retired. Marilyn Coulter: Oh, [awesome 2:28]. [2:30] And what did you do before you hired in to Fisher Body? Marta Bobillo: I was a housewife before I hired Fisher Body. Marilyn Coulter: All right. [2:36] So, um, what – why did you hire in to Fisher Body? Marta Bobillo: Uh, at the time I hired at Fisher Body, I had 2 small children and I was married but the money was pretty tight at the time because we had some of my ex-husband’s relative living with us and so… Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Marta Bobillo: …I wanted, uh, to help out with the money. Marilyn Coulter: [2:58] So, um, you hired in in what year? Marta Bobillo: I got hired in 1977. Marilyn Coulter: 1977. [3:04] So you have what, 28 years seniority now? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I do. Marilyn Coulter: [3:09] So when you hired in here, can you take us – I want to take you back to when you first hired in. [3:14] Can you tell me what your process was like and what your first day was like when you came into Fisher Body? Marta Bobillo: Um, my dad got outta work one night and he knew we were struggling financially, so I only lived 2 blocks from Fisher Body, so my dad stopped by the house and told me if you wanna work at Fisher Body, even though I don’t approve of you working there, they're taking applications right now. [throat clearing] So I walk over there. It was early in the morning. I walk and put in a my application and a week later, I got hired. Marilyn Coulter: A week later. [3:50] Do you remember what job you did? Marta Bobillo: Uh, my first job in the shop was putting HVACs together, the air conditioner and heating system and I was there a week and then I was sent to the Body Shop to hang doors on the wagons and on the Toronados. Marilyn Coulter: So I'm just gonna take you back just a little bit but first at your first job, you said you were doing HVAC systems. [4:18] So were you building that on the line or was that something that you did off the line? Marta Bobillo: It was 3 people and we had to build them and put’m – every 20 minutes, we – we'll rotate. Marilyn Coulter: [4:30] You’d rotate to…? Marta Bobillo: To building it, to installing it on the car. Marilyn Coulter: [4:33] Oh, so you built and installed? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: So that’s interesting but taking another break back. You said that your father didn’t approve of you working here. [4:42] Why did he not want you [to work 4:43]? Marta Bobillo: Uh, well he wanted me to go to s-, you know, keep on going to school and even though I was married and had kids, he wanted me – he didn’t want me to work in the shop. Marilyn Coulter: Oh, I see. He just didn’t want you to work… Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: …in the shop. And you said that, um, also you lived 2 blocks away. [5:03] What was it like and what did you know about the plant before you came in? Marta Bobillo: Um, my husband at the time, he was [clanking] working in the plant and my dad was working at the plant, so, and I had uncle and I have quite a few family members. So I really – I know they worked hard at the time and I really wanted – I really n-, never thought of myself working in a factory honestly but I never heard [throat clearing] bad about it either. So I was just – [tapping] to me, it was like, um – I'm very grateful to Fisher Body because we got here from Cuba and 3 weeks later – I mean 3 days later, I'm sorry, 3 days later, my dad was working there, so we never had to be on welfare. We never had to ask nobody for money because n-, even 9 months after that, we own our own house. Marilyn Coulter: Oh, that’s excellent. [5:55] So you came in and you knew you could get a good job there and it was a good living and so did it make it a little bit easier [throat clearing] for you coming in to the plant since, you know, your father and your husband already worked here? Marta Bobillo: Um, not really 'cause they were on the opposite shift. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. Marta Bobillo: I got hired the dayshift. Marilyn Coulter: [6:13] Dayshift and how long were you on the dayshift? Marta Bobillo: I was on the dayshift until my 90 days. Marilyn Coulter: [6:18] So in 1977, when you hired in, um, what department? [6:22] You were in the Trim Department? [thumping] Marta Bobillo: Uh, I th-, I got hired into Trim… Marilyn Coulter: [Inaudible 6:26]. Marta Bobillo: …and a week later, they sent me to the Body Shop… Marilyn Coulter: So… Marta Bobillo: …because they needed people in the Body Shop. Marilyn Coulter: [6:31] In the Trim Shop, were there many women there? Marta Bobillo: N-, a few but not many but when I got to the Body Shop, there was [inaudible 6:38]. [coughing] Marilyn Coulter: So… Marta Bobillo: No females hardly. Marilyn Coulter: [6:43] First of all, you're only – how tall are you, Marta? Marta Bobillo: I'm 5’6”. Marilyn Coulter: You're 5’6” and you're a small woman. Marta Bobillo: I was 97 pounds back then. Marilyn Coulter: Ninety-seven pounds and you just told us [laughter] that you were hanging doors. Marta Bobillo: Yes, I was. Marilyn Coulter: [6:55] So can you please explain hanging doors and being so small? [6:59] What was – what did that… Marta Bobillo: I – if I woulda been the age I was at the time, only 20 years old, I don’t think I could handle it. I was on that job for 30 days, until they moved me from that job to, uh, to doing the hoods on the car and, at that time, I have a partner that was 6’2”, [laughter] so it was not easy putting hoods on the cars. Marilyn Coulter: [7:22] So when you say you were hanging doors, were you physically picking these doors, doors up? [7:26] Did you have any equipment? Marta Bobillo: No. I was picking’m up myself and putting’m on. Marilyn Coulter: [7:31] And were they heavy? Marta Bobillo: Very. Marilyn Coulter: They were very heavy. [7:34] And you did it for 30 days? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [7:36] How long did it take you to learn that job? Marta Bobillo: Probably second day I was doing it alone. Marilyn Coulter: The second day you were doing it alone. [7:44] So where there many men down – many women down [inaudible 7:46]? Marta Bobillo: No. At the time, I w-, I didn’t even like [throat clearing] going to the bathroom because all the whistling and screaming with the guys. [laughter] It was terrible. Marilyn Coulter: It was terrible… Marta Bobillo: [Mm-hm 7:55]. Marilyn Coulter: …to be the only woman down there? [7:56] So at that time, 1977, it was still difficult for women inside the plant to work there? Marta Bobillo: Yes, it was. Marilyn Coulter: [8:05] So can you tell us a little bit about what that was like? Marta Bobillo: I just didn’t like the, you know, the harassment. Actually, at the time, you didn’t call it harassment but to me it was and I was a married woman with 2 kids and [inaudible 8;18] if I went to the bathroom or got outta my little area where they didn’t know who I was, they’d be screaming, you know, whistling and stuff. Marilyn Coulter: [8:26] So primarily it came from the guys who really didn’t know who you were? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Yes. It did. Marilyn Coulter: [8:30] But what about for the ones that you worked with on your – [throat clearing] in your general area? Marta Bobillo: I had to prove that I could do the job to them. They doubted me at first and then they see I did it and tried my best and they respect me. Marilyn Coulter: Ahh. [8:45] So at first, they didn’t think that you, you needed to be there being a little woman and in the Body Shop with all these men and – did they help you learn the job? Marta Bobillo: Hm. Some o-, and, uh, that was the impression at first, that I didn’t need to be there and I should be a [laughter] secretary, that I was told that many times, that I should be doing critical, uh, you know, being a secretary or something and, um, I said no, I can do this. And o-, some of the guys would give up on me and other guys would show me an easier way to do it and when they see I can do it, I earn their respect. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. [9:19] So if there weren't many women down there, how was it for the facility? [9:24] Was it a big area. [9:26] What was, what was the environment like? Marta Bobillo: Um, we had a – I had to go to the bathroom – to go to the ladies’ bathroom all the way up to, uh, almost by the office. It was there by the hospital because there were no ladies’ bathroom in the Body Shop. Marilyn Coulter: [9:41] So about how far would you say that was. [9:42] How long did – how many minutes did it take you to go? Marta Bobillo: About 5 minutes. Marilyn Coulter: [9:46] Five minutes to use the bathroom? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: And so [inaudible 9:53]. [clanking] So, Marta, you were in the bo-, you started in Trim and then you were in the Body Shop but I want to take you back a little bit also. [10:06] Um, when you hired in, did you hire in a small group of people on your first day? [10:10] Were there a lotta men hiring in in Trim or a lotta women? [10:13] Were you in a group? [10:14] How was that? Marta Bobillo: Um, I got hired in a group of 15. Marilyn Coulter: Of 15. Marta Bobillo: It was, uh, 3 of us ladies and the rest of’m were guys. Marilyn Coulter: [10:25] So how were you chosen to go to the HVAC [clanking] group? Marta Bobillo: Uh, they just sent us to the department they needed us in. Marilyn Coulter: [10:32] So d-, were you like in a room and they then told you where to go or did somebody come and get ya and [thumping] take ya there? [10:38] Did a… Marta Bobillo: Uh… Marilyn Coulter: …supervisor pick ya? [10:39] How did [inaudible 10:40]? Marta Bobillo: We were in a room and the superv-, and the supervisor would, [clanking] you know, came and tell – and we were told where to go. Marilyn Coulter: All right. Okay. [10:47] And so you worked there and did that job and you obviously said [inaudible 10:52] the next couple days and you feel comfortable and you're doing that and then how did you feel when they said go to Body Shop and why did they tell you you had to go to Body Shop? Marta Bobillo: Uh, they said they needed us in the Body Shop and they had enough people in Trim. There was somebody on vacation that I was replacing them and they – one of the ladies that got hired with me was sent to the Body Shop the first day and when I went down there a week later and I asked for her t-, you know, where she was at, so I wanted to have lunch with her, they told me she had quit the first day at l-, by lunchtime because her hair got fire with the sparks from the welder. Male: [Hm 11:30]. Marilyn Coulter: [11:31] So her hair caught on fire... Marta Bobillo: And… Marilyn Coulter: …from the welder. Marta Bobillo: …she got scared and quit by lunchtime that first day we got hired. Marilyn Coulter: [11:39] So what were some – Doug Rademacher. Doug Rademacher: [11:42] Marta, did you ever speak to her after… Marta Bobillo: No. Doug Rademacher: …the day you met her when you hired in? [11:47] You never met her again? Marta Bobillo: I had never seen here again. Doug Rademacher: [11:48] Okay. Thank you. Marta Bobillo: ‘Cause 2 of us lady went to Trim and the other l-, she went to the Body Shop because she was bigger built. She was like about 5’8” or heavier than we were, so they sent her right the first day to the Body Shop. Marilyn Coulter: [12:04] Marta, you're in the Body Shop, how – and they had fire and smoke – how did the dress differ from Trim Shop to Body Shop? [12:12] Did you have to wear special clothing if there’s fire and sparks and…? Marta Bobillo: I had a, um, hairnet 'cause I had long hair at the time, plus [clapping] I had to wear then coveralls in the Body Shop. Marilyn Coulter: [12:24] So was there any protective equipment that you had to wear? Marta Bobillo: That was it. I didn’t have no gloves or nothing, just… Marilyn Coulter: [12:33] No gloves? Marta Bobillo: No. Marilyn Coulter: [12:34] What about your eyes? Marta Bobillo: I don’t really remember if we wore glasses back then or n-, I don’t think so. I don’t believe wearing glasses until way down the road. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [12:44] So was, was it noisy? Marta Bobillo: Very, very noisy. Marilyn Coulter: [clicking] [12:49] How did that compare to the Trim Shop? Marta Bobillo: [thumping] Uh, eh, I couldn't even speak to the person across from me at the time, especially I was soft-spoken and being new in the Body Shop, so, eh, I couldn't even talk to the, the man who was working across from me until breaks. Marilyn Coulter: [13:09] So how did you communicate? Marta Bobillo: Um, probably by signs and, you know, by just pointing and stuff. Marilyn Coulter: Pointing. [13:20] Were there any kind of new hire initiations or pranks or things that you had to deal with? Marta Bobillo: Um, probably the 90 days to see if you could last, you know, the – how they changed me around on different jobs for my first 90 days. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [13:38] What about the coworkers, did they do any pranks or…? Marta Bobillo: Some of’m did. Marilyn Coulter: [13:45] What types of things did they do? Marta Bobillo: Uh, hide my lunch, um, do different [laughter] little things just to s-, you know, see what I would do. Marilyn Coulter: [13:53] Hide your lunch? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [13:56] What did you do for lunch? [13:57] Did you bring it in every day? [13:58] Did you go to the cafeteria? Marta Bobillo: I used to bring my lunch and sit right there. That’s the only time I can rest, [laughter] especially when I was in the Body Shop. [laughter] Marilyn Coulter: [14:06] Did you get many breaks? Marta Bobillo: No. Not really. ‘Cause a lotta time, I would use my breaks to fill out this – the bolts and everything to make sure that I was ready when the line started back up. Marilyn Coulter: [14:19] You worked… Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: …during your breaks? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I did, many of’m. Marilyn Coulter: [14:24] And why did you do that? Marta Bobillo: ‘Cause I had to prove a point, that I was a woman and I could do it. [throat clearing] I wasn’t gonna be, you know – stop the line myself. Marilyn Coulter: You weren't gonna stop the line yourself, so you didn’t take much breaks. [14:37] You just – well did you just go to the bathroom and… Marta Bobillo: I normally just went [zipping] to the bathroom at lunch. I wasn’t – I wouldn't do too much drinking of water or anything 'cause it was so far away and I normally didn’t have enough time. Marilyn Coulter: [Wow 14:51]. [14:52] Um, [knocking] since your father and your husband – were you still working, uh, opposite shift of them when you were in the Body Shop? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I was. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [15:02] So you didn’t have anybody who would come and help you with… Marta Bobillo: No. [clanking] [papers rustling] Marilyn Coulter: [15:08] So how long did you hang doors? Marta Bobillo: I hang door for about 30 days. [clanking] Marilyn Coulter: [15:15] You learned that job? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [15:17] You got it? [15:18] Then [thumping] how did you get transferred to the… Marta Bobillo: Then they moved to me to [inaudible 15:22]… Marilyn Coulter: [15:25] And d-… Marta Bobillo: …and put a new hire on the doors. Marilyn Coulter: [15:27] And [inaudible 15:27] is what? Marta Bobillo: Uh, the front of the car. Marilyn Coulter: [15:32] It's the front? Marta Bobillo: I mean not the – the hood. I mean – I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Marilyn Coulter: Uh-huh. Marta Bobillo: I was doing hoods. Marilyn Coulter: The hood. Marta Bobillo: Hoods. Marilyn Coulter: [15:38] And was it a better job or a worse job than hanging doors? Marta Bobillo: Um, in a sense it was better because I – it wasn’t as much heavy lifting but it was worse because we had to be 2 of us to put it on and my partner was 6’2”, so I had to be on my tippytoes to be, you know, lifting up with it. Marilyn Coulter: [16:02] You had to be on your tiptoes? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [16:05] So how long did you do that? Marta Bobillo: I did that for 3 weeks. Marilyn Coulter: [16:10] A few weeks? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [16:12] Then you did what? Marta Bobillo: [thumping] Then I was put as Utility as an extra person there in that department and the Door Department. Marilyn Coulter: [16:22] A Utility person does what? Marta Bobillo: Replace who-, whoever didn’t come in to work that day. Marilyn Coulter: [16:28] Was that a preferred job? Marta Bobillo: Um, for me it wasn’t [laughter] because I had a different job every day and I mean, eh, they were all pretty hard jobs to learn. Marilyn Coulter: [16:42] Would you feel that because they put on so many different jobs it helped you? Marta Bobillo: It made me stronger. Marilyn Coulter: [16:49] As a worker? Marta Bobillo: It made me stronger [to see 16:51] that I can it, you know, but in – at the time, I think they were trying to see if I can make my 90 days or if I would break down. That’s a lot of a – the people that were hired with me didn’t make it. Marilyn Coulter: [17:05] Did many of the other women that were in there break down? Marta Bobillo: I'm the only woman of the 3 of us that stay there. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. [17:13] How long did the other one last? [17:15] Do you remember? Marta Bobillo: I don’t know. I never find out but I know that she’s not there because when I look at my seniority date, she’s not in there. Marilyn Coulter: Aww. [17:26] Were – how did the supervisors treat you? Marta Bobillo: Um, well I remember one time when I was Utility in the Body Shop and I only been here working for a couple months, [throat clearing] they send me to – upstairs to Trim 'cause everybody showed up in the Body Shop and they needed somebody in Trim and one of the supervisors when I got there, he say I asked for somebody; I didn’t ask for a kid. ‘Cause being that I wasn’t even a hundred pounds, I was real small, so he told me – and my supervisor that came with me to bring me where – there area where I was gonna be working said she might look like a kid but she work like a man. So he let me that day and he used to call for me to come up [laughter] and work for him again when they needed it. But it was just, you know, you had to prove yourself all the time. Marilyn Coulter: [18:21] So once you gained the respect from the men, being the Utility [woman 17:25]… Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: …who could do it… Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: …they knew that Marta could work? Marta Bobillo: That’s right. Marilyn Coulter: [18:32] How did that make you feel when that supervisor spoke up for you? Marta Bobillo: Well I was, you know – I feel that I earn his respect, that, you know, [inaudible 18:43] respected when – 'cause back then, you know, a lotta the male supervisors didn’t – [throat clearing] they didn’t respect you but ar-, you see, when I was – the first day I got hired when I went to Trim to work, Arlene Parker was my supervisor and, uh, on the HVAC job and she had been my dad’s partner on the Body Shop welding and she went through a lotta harassment herself in the Body Shop, so she gave me a little pep talk that day and I think that helped me a lot through the years, you know. You don’t break down. You go and, and, and get stronger and go out there and show that you can do it. My dad used to call her the little sergeant… [laughter] Marilyn Coulter: [Well 19:28] so… Marta Bobillo: …’cause they were partners in the Body Shop for a long time. Marilyn Coulter: [19:32] So someone who was a friend of your father’s actually helped you by… Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: …giving you words of wisdom? Marta Bobillo: Yes, Arlene Parker did help me a lot. Marilyn Coulter: [19:40] Were there many women who were supervisors back then? Marta Bobillo: No. She just became a supervisor like 6 months prior to me being in there. Marilyn Coulter: [19:48] How was that to work for a woman in the plant? Marta Bobillo: I, I really never had no problem working for a woman. I know a lotta the, eh, other ladies have a lotta problem working for females but I never did. Marilyn Coulter: [20:02] How long did you work in the Body Shop? Marta Bobillo: I – [throat clearing] on my 87th day, I was sent back again to [clanking] Trim. Marilyn Coulter: Sent back to Trim. Marta Bobillo: Because, uh, they said I was not needed at the [clanking] Body Shop anymore. Marilyn Coulter: [Oh 20:18]. [20:19] Transition, tell me about that. [How was it 20:21]? Marta Bobillo: It was a completely different scenario again in Trim. At that time, I was sent to work in Repair and that was – they had 30 men working on repair for the C line and 30 men working for the A l-, A line. It was A line and B line, right? A line and B line. So they sent me to the, um, A line and it was 29 men and myself and they all hadda lotta seniority and I only had 87 days seniority, so that didn’t go too well either. Marilyn Coulter: [20:54] Can you tell us about it? Marta Bobillo: I, I learn a lot. I learn a lot because some of the guys took me under their wing and they called me kid. That was my nickname. Some of them still call me kid when they see me. But, uh, they, they took me under their wing. At f-, at first, it didn’t go too well in there. Then they show me how to do it and I was – [Larry Simon 21:16] was my partner and him and I did like every repair guys, did 1 on each side of the line. Marilyn Coulter: [21:23] Repair, if I'm mistaken, is considered to be a pr-, preferred work, yes? Marta Bobillo: Yes, it sure is. Marilyn Coulter: Eighty-nine days [laughter] of seniority and you're in the Repair Department working with twenty-nine men. For those 29 men, it didn’t go over too well. [21:49] When you say didn’t go over too well, can you explain that for me? Marta Bobillo: Uh, some of’m complained about being that I have no seniority and they're like yeah, all – they're saying that I wasn’t be able to learn a job or do any – I was gonna slow them down. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Marta Bobillo: All different kinda complaints. Marilyn Coulter: [22:08] On Repair, did you work on the line while the jobs were moving down the line or were you in banks? Marta Bobillo: On the line was a job for moving. We had sets of [2 to 22:17] repair. Marilyn Coulter: [22:21] What did you have to know to work in Repair? Marta Bobillo: On the, on the time I was started there, it was – I had the rear doors and anything to do with the trunk. They had to split us up in teams. Marilyn Coulter: [22:35] So [coughing] any part that went on that door or in that trunk, you had to know? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I did. Marilyn Coulter: [22:42] How long did it take you to learn that job? Marta Bobillo: Um, not long. Marilyn Coulter: [22:47] Were there any pranks played on you there? Marta Bobillo: Oh, yes. [laughter] Marilyn Coulter: [22:51] Can you share any of those? Marta Bobillo: Uh, just, uh, all the time they have us assigned to do. They would hide my tools. They’d put the wrong tools in my pouch when I went to break and all different kinds of things just to see if I knew what every-, you know, the tools were, what I needed to use or – like the sockets would be one of the things that they were – switch’m around to see if I – when I grab a socket, I knew what it was. Marilyn Coulter: [23:16] And was that the same once you passed the test? Marta Bobillo: They – I was [part of’m 23:21]. [clanking] Marilyn Coulter: Those were pranks that were testing pranks. [23:27] Were there any kinda pranks that were just fun, a way to laugh to [background noises] get you through the day? Marta Bobillo: We did have a lotta fun. We always – we ate a lot back then. Marilyn Coulter: [23:37] Oh, really? Marta Bobillo: Yes. On Fridays, we all bring something and have our little dinners and [throat clearing] we hadda lotta fun. Marilyn Coulter: [23:44] On Fridays, everybody brought dinner? [23:47] How was that for being a woman with all those men? Marta Bobillo: Eh… Marilyn Coulter: [23:50] Did you end up doing a lotta the food… Marta Bobillo: Yes, a lot of it. Marilyn Coulter: …prepare? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: Aww. [23:56] Was that something that was expected of you? Marta Bobillo: Yes, it was [inaudible 23:59]. Marilyn Coulter: [24:01] How did you feel about that? [thumping] Marta Bobillo: At the time, I d-, eh, now I think about it but at the time I didn’t think about it because I thought it was expected for me to do it, you know? Marilyn Coulter: [24:13] Just feed the guys and…? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [24:15] By feeding them, did that make it easier for you to work there too? Marta Bobillo: Hm, yes, it did. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [24:21] [laughter] A way to a man’s heart is through his belly, huh? Marta Bobillo: That’s right. Marilyn Coulter: [laughter] [Inaudible 24:24] you’re working. [24:27] How long did you do repair? Marta Bobillo: I did repair for 9 months. Marilyn Coulter: Nine months. [24:33] How did the women th-, think about it? [24:35] What did the women think about you knowing that here you were a woman working over there and they're over there working on the line doing something else? [24:42] Did they treat you the same? Marta Bobillo: Uh, not really. Marilyn Coulter: [24:47] Can you tell me about that? Marta Bobillo: A lotta of the women’s, you know, they would ask me what was I doing there, how did I get that job. That was one of the questions. How do you get that job? Marilyn Coulter: [24:56] How’d you get that job? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [24:59] And you're response would be? Marta Bobillo: That I was sent here from the Body Shop. That was the opening they had at the time. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [25:06] How’d the supervisors treat you? Marta Bobillo: Hm, I really didn’t have no problem with supervisor. What I did at the time is, uh, [Tom Brown 25:13] was the general foreman and, uh, he would have me – have somebody do my job to take me off the line and do a lotta critical, uh, you know, clerical work for him, do a lotta the typing and a lot of the – at the time, you know, they had to do a lotta reports and stuff or he had – would put somebody on there and take me off the line at least Thursdays or Fridays to do the week’s – whatever they had to write for the week, the reports. Marilyn Coulter: [25:41] How did your coworkers feel about that? Marta Bobillo: I think the guys expected it. I was a woman and, you know, when I first started there, he asked me – because the other foreman’s office was right by the Repair… Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Marta Bobillo: …and he asked me if I can type and if I can s-, you know, write in English and stuff and I said yeah. I speak with an accent but I don’t think with one or write with one. [laughter] So, uh, he had me do a lotta his work… [throat clearing] Marilyn Coulter: You s-… Marta Bobillo: …once a week. Marilyn Coulter: You speak English. [tsk] [26:12] Were there many people who spoke Spanish also working around you? [26:18] Were there people who automatically thought that maybe you couldn't even though you can? Marta Bobillo: I stayed to myself most… Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Marta Bobillo: …of the time. I really don’t know. Marilyn Coulter: [26:28] Was – were there any other people who were Hispanic, Latino, Cuban working… Marta Bobillo: Not… Marilyn Coulter: …[inaudible 26:33]? Marta Bobillo: …around my area. No. Marilyn Coulter: [26:35] Were there many [background noises] in that – do you know whether or not there were many working in the plant at that time? Marta Bobillo: I think there were but Body Shop mainly. Marilyn Coulter: [26:43] In the Body Shop mainly? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. So you're working there; you're typing; you're, you're cooking, plus you're doing the men’s work. [26:53] What was it like for you to do all that at work and then go home and be a mother and raise your kids and be a wife? Marta Bobillo: Today I don’t know how I did it 'cause I had to go home and take care of 2 little kids and laundry and cook and everything a-, on top of being tired for doing all men’s work, uh, you know, in the shop, so today I really – at this age, I don’t think I could do it. I was young and strong I think. Marilyn Coulter: [27:21] Did you stay on the same shift? [27:23] How did the shift you worked and raising your kids go? Marta Bobillo: I went to, um – I stay on the first shift for a year. That’s when I got bumped [thumping] from Repair to door rubbers a year later. Marilyn Coulter: Oh, so now you got bumped. [27:39] What does that mean, you got bumped? Marta Bobillo: I had – somebody that had more time had put in for Repair and came to Repair and I had to go back to the rubbers on the opposite [tapping] shift. Marilyn Coulter: So you got changed from your department, changed from your shift and now you're doing another job. [27:59] Tell me about that. Marta Bobillo: I was, uh, at the time, the door rubbers was, uh, you had to pound them on because they had some clips that you had to do and then you had to put some sealer and you had to roll’m in. I was doing the front door. So we had 4, 4 people doing left and right and front and rear. Marilyn Coulter: [28:21] How was that for you? Marta Bobillo: Uh, that was a tough job. Marilyn Coulter: [28:26] It was a tough job? Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [28:27] Once again, were there many women there? Marta Bobillo: Um, they didn’t – n-, I didn’t get more – mostly women until ’78, like September, a little bit after I'd been there a couple months, then they started [sending] [inaudible 28:40]. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. You're in Trim Shop and you said there wasn’t much difference with that. [28:47] What difference was it between working on the dayshift and the nightshift? [28:52] Was there a difference? Marta Bobillo: Um, I think the men accepted us more and we didn’t have all the, you know, screaming and hollering, that stuff [difference 29:02] but it was the more partying… Marilyn Coulter: [29:05] Party. Marta Bobillo: [laughter] …on the nightshift. It was a different crowd, the younger crowd. Marilyn Coulter: [29:09] So w-, tell me about the environment. [29:10] What was it like? Marta Bobillo: It was – I was shocked myself 'cause I was – there was a lotta people that would go to, you know, have their fun at lunch and come back and be different. Marilyn Coulter: [29:23] So what kind of fun were they having at lunch? Marta Bobillo: They go have their little drinks and stuff. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. [29:28] Were – now where were they drinking? [29:29] Drink in the parking lot? [29:30] Where were they drinking? Marta Bobillo: I don’t really know. Marilyn Coulter: [29:33] Really? [29:33] [You don’t really know 29:33]? [29:34] So you were there and there – was, was there music? [29:39] Was there noise? [29:41] Was there more pranks? [29:43] What types of things? [29:44] What was the environment like? Marta Bobillo: I wasn’t a very n-, I [have more 29:48] – the best partner I ever had, I think it was Adele Roberts. Marilyn Coulter: [Inaudible 29:53]. Marta Bobillo: Dave Evans. Marilyn Coulter: [29:55] What made him the best partner? Marta Bobillo: He was – I mean everybody that had any problem anywhere would come and talk to Dave. That man always brought his – the – his lunch every day. He never left his bench and never ever in the year and a half that I was partners with him, if he had a bad, if he had a bad day, he left it at home. He always was in a nice, pleasant. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [30:21] So were there younger people on nightshift than dayshift? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: All right. [clanking] [30:30] Marta, you're working on the nightshift. It's different. There's younger people. They're got music going. They're doing a little partying. You’ve been in the Body Shop. You’ve been in Repair. You're doing – you're hanging doors. You said it was hard. [30:47] What made the job hard? You said you had to roll’m in and stuff. [30:50] Can you make us understand a little bit more about what made it – hanging door rubbers hard? Marta Bobillo: That it was so busy and you had to do so many motions. Like when I was [inaudible 30:59] the, the bottom part of the door and the sides, I had to – like the bottom, I was on my head and I remember a remark that one of the repairmens down the line had to say when he went by that he asked me let me see your other face because I've been looking at this one every time I go by. And it's because we spend so much time pounding the side of the car. Then we had to the door and then we had to seal it and roll’m in, so that was so busy that by the time we get done doing all this, the next car was there in front of you, so I had to run to get another, another door rubber and make sure if it was a 2 door or a 4 door or a 98 or 88, different kinds we had in all the cars and come back and put’m on. Marilyn Coulter: [31:44] He made reference to your other face, meaning your behind, right? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: You said when you were in Body Shop, you had catcalls and hootin’ and hollerin’ because you were a woman. [31:56] Did you find that in Trim Shop also? Marta Bobillo: A few times. Yes. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [32:01] How did you deal with it? Marta Bobillo: Uh, I didn’t – back when I was in the Trim Department my husband was working there and I had a very jealous husband, so I kinda joked in front everybody, oh, like [they were sweet 32:13] [thumping] and I would only talk to my partner and just sit there on my breaks or go to the bathroom and come back. Marilyn Coulter: [32:21] What was it like for you working on the same shift as your husband? [32:25] How did that work for you in the plant and what did you do with your children now that you were both working on the same nightshift? Marta Bobillo: Uh, when, when I went to the nightshift being that my dad was on the nightshift still in the Body Shop, my, uh – they were living in Leslie at the time, so when my dad came into work, my mother came in with him and stayed with my kids at home and when I was working, then when I got outta work, my dad would pick my mother up and they went back home. So my – I have 4 children and my parents would help me out with that. Marilyn Coulter: [33:01] Was it difficult working in the plant with a jeal-, with a jealous husband? Marta Bobillo: Very. Very difficult. Marilyn Coulter: [33:08] If, if I may, was that strenuous on your marriage? Marta Bobillo: Yes, very strenuous because of the comments or the guys looking at me or what-, people don’t have no way of knowing [throat clearing] that he was my husband, so they would make a remark or say something [inaudible 33:23]. Marilyn Coulter: [33:25] Did you and your husband work in the same department in close proximity to each other or did he work in another department? Marta Bobillo: Hm, he work it out – well – 'cause he had more seniority, quite a few more seniority than I did, he work it out that he always work in the same department as I did. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [33:41] So, um, did you get divorced shortly after you [inaudible 33:45]? Marta Bobillo: I was working there for 5 years when I got divorced. [clanking] [thumping] Marilyn Coulter: [33:54] Having your husband work here and he had more seniority [sighing] than you, did you 2 eat lunch together, get – go – come into work and leave work together? [34:04] Did you take your breaks together? [34:05] How did that work? Marta Bobillo: When I was working dayshift, I would walk to work 'cause – and when I was on the nightshift, I would ride with my husband and we would bring lunch and eat lunch together. Marilyn Coulter: Now you walked. [34:20] So you lived close to the plant? Marta Bobillo: Yes. I – we only lived like 3 or 4 blocks away [but 34:25]. Marilyn Coulter: [34:26] Did you like living that close to the place you worked? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I did. I – to me the – after leaving Cuba, this was home, around the Fisher Body area here ‘cause I was raised – I mean, I was partly raised around here. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [34:41] Was it – was living that close to the plant [papers rustling] [inaudible 34:44] when you did go to nights as far as being a mother? [34:48] Were – did you ever go home at lunchtime and see your kids or anything like that? [34:52] Were you ever able to do things like that? Marta Bobillo: No. I never went home for lunch because by that time, the kids were sleeping and I knew my mother was taking care of’m, so they were [inaudible 34:59] hands. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. [35:03] When you, um – you stayed in Trim for the next 5 years? Marta Bobillo: Yes. No. I gotta take it back. Uh, when there was a big laid off in ’79 and I did not l-, get laid off because seniority – I lacked seniority of 1 week to be laid up, so they send me to Paint and I was on a spray booth there for 3 months until I got, I got outta there when they start calling people back. Marilyn Coulter: A couple of questions. [35:37] First of all, what's a spray booth? Marta Bobillo: A spray booth is when you're painting the cars. Marilyn Coulter: [35:42] Painting the cars? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: So I know there must've been special equipment that you had to wear. [35:51] Did you have to wear special clothing into the [inaudible 35:54]? Marta Bobillo: Uh, we had a, a mask [pen clicking] and coveralls. Marilyn Coulter: [35:59] What did you – [pen clicking] what part of the car did you [background noises] paint? Marta Bobillo: I was working on the right-hand side of the car. Marilyn Coulter: On the right-hand side. [36:11] Were you doing door-, doorjambs, decklids, hoods? [36:17] What were you spraying? Marta Bobillo: I was spraying the – half of the, half of the whole outside of the car. Marilyn Coulter: Half of the whole outside of the car. Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [36:27] Was that hard to learn? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [36:30] How long did it take you to learn how to [background noises] paint a car? Marta Bobillo: Uh, I – it wasn’t – probably the second day, I was doing my own but the hard was the fumes and the smell in there. It was my sinuses. Marilyn Coulter: [36:43] Did it affect you? Marta Bobillo: Yes, it did. Marilyn Coulter: [36:46] Does it still affect you? Marta Bobillo: Uh, I have – probably. I had asthma as a kid, so that didn’t help it, so. Marilyn Coulter: Asthma and spraying paint. That doesn’t [laughter] sound like a wonderful combination. Marta Bobillo: At the time, I used to do whatever job I was sent to do. I never thought about, you know, not doing it. Marilyn Coulter: [37:05] What was it like going from Trim Shop to Paint? Marta Bobillo: To me it was a different world. Marilyn Coulter: [37:10] What made it different? Marta Bobillo: As soon as you walk in there, the smell and the atmosphere w-, wearing the coveralls [again 37:18], everything else. Marilyn Coulter: [37:20] How were the people? Marta Bobillo: The people were pretty nice. By that time, there was a lot more females and stuff in paint. Marilyn Coulter: [37:31] Were there a lot of women spraying paint? [37:34] Uh, paint back then, did it have lead in it and did it affect children at all? [37:38] Do you know anything about that? Marta Bobillo: Now I do. At the time, I didn’t. I nev-, I didn’t even think about it at the time but I know there was lead in that paint and the time I was there, it was 4 of us in that booth and, eh, I was the only woman in there. Marilyn Coulter: [37:53] Really? Did they ever test you? Marta Bobillo: No. I never been tested for lead. Marilyn Coulter: Never tested you. [38:00] What was it like being in the booth? Marta Bobillo: [Yeah 38:04]. I felt very isolated. I really – that was – I was glad when I was working [clanking] and that was the only time I didn’t like working in the shop. Marilyn Coulter: [38:15] Because of the isolation? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [38:18] And because you had to wear a mask, were you able to communicate to the other…? Marta Bobillo: No. I was – not at all. [pen clicking] Marilyn Coulter: [38:24] So what did you do for 8 hours? Marta Bobillo: I just get out, [laughter] um, on my breaks and set outside to kind of breathe a little bit [clanking] a air, different air. That’s all I did on my breaks. Marilyn Coulter: [38:36] Was there much difference? Marta Bobillo: Not really but to me at least I didn’t have to wear the mask. Marilyn Coulter: People in Trim, they party [inaudible 38:44] had a good time? [38:48] What were the people like in Paint? [38:49] Did – how did they treat you in Paint? Marta Bobillo: They treated me pretty nice. We used to put, uh – on the ovens, we'll bake hams and had all kinda food in there. Marilyn Coulter: [38:59] What – you just said they had lead paint and you guys are baking hams? Marta Bobillo: Yes, we were. We're cooking right there, [throat clearing] warming up our food and everything in the oven. [laughter] Marilyn Coulter: [39:09] If the ovens are hot enough to cook food, what was the, what was the climate like? [39:16] Was it hot? Marta Bobillo: Yes, really hot in there. Marilyn Coulter: It was hot. [39:21] Can you give me an idea of what the heat was like? [39:24] Eh, was it summertime or s-, winter? Marta Bobillo: In the summertime, it was really hot in there. Marilyn Coulter: [39:29] So if it was n-, like 80 degrees outside, how hot would it be inside? Marta Bobillo: It had to be over a hundred. Marilyn Coulter: At least a hundred. You had to wear coveralls. [39:42] Did you have shower facilities, locker facilities? [39:46] Was it dirty? Marta Bobillo: Yes, it was very dirty but I would just come back home and take a shower as soon as I got home. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [39:55] And how far was the locker room from your job? Marta Bobillo: It was a ways. Marilyn Coulter: [40:01] Did the plant supply their own… Marta Bobillo: Coveralls? Marilyn Coulter: ...coveralls [inaudible 40:07]? Marta Bobillo: Yes, they did. They did but I would take mine home and wash’m myself. Marilyn Coulter: Really. [40:12] They didn’t wash’m for you? Marta Bobillo: They could've but I would, you know – I didn’t go in and take my shower. I used just to take’m [clanking] home. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. Hm. [40:23] And you were there for how long? Marta Bobillo: I was in the booth for about 3 months. After that, I went out to the sealer line [clanking] and I was there for 2 months and then I was sent back to Trim [coughing] [inaudible 40:32]. Marilyn Coulter: [40:33] What was the sealer line like? [40:35] What did you do on sealer line? Marta Bobillo: On the sealer line, we had to coverages of our – all the holes [inaudible 40:40] on the car 'cause I was like a Utility person there too on the sealer line. Marilyn Coulter: [40:46] So was the sealer Play-Doh or was it a gun? Marta Bobillo: Eh, depending on the job… Marilyn Coulter: [40:53] Like a paint gun? Marta Bobillo: …I was doing, there were different ones. Marilyn Coulter: Was… Marta Bobillo: Some of the jobs you had to do like a, like a Palmer gun kinda thing but it was white and [inaudible 41:04]. I forgot how they call that. And other ones you had a gun. Marilyn Coulter: [41:08] So you had – some was like a Permagum and that’s kinda like – but what would you say, like Play-Doh or a Silly Putty? Marta Bobillo: Like a Play-Doh. Mm-hm. [Inaudible 41:16]. Marilyn Coulter: [41:17] And you put [that up almost like 41:18] bubblegum, right? Marta Bobillo: And some were patches, just depending on what we were doing. Marilyn Coulter: You're there and now you're back in the Trim. [41:29] What job did you do? Marta Bobillo: In Trim, I was Utility again. Marilyn Coulter: [41:34] Utility again? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [41:37] What year are we talking about [inaudible 41:38]? Marta Bobillo: ’79. Marilyn Coulter: ’79. [41:41] Are there more women now? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Quite a few came in in ’78. Marilyn Coulter: S-… Marta Bobillo: When I came back from, you know, the, the laid offs, there were quite a few more in there. [throat clearing]. Marilyn Coulter: [41:54] As more women came in the plant, what were some of the changes that you noticed? Marta Bobillo: They changed some of the men’s [coughing] bathroom into ladies’, uh, one of the change and… Marilyn Coulter: [42:04] So you, so you didn’t… Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: …have to take 5 minutes to go to the… Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: …bathroom? Marta Bobillo: It wasn’t as far anymore. Marilyn Coulter: [42:09] By having more – by moving around so much and working in all the different departments and you have more women coming in, did you develop any long-lasting friendships that extended outside of the plant? Marta Bobillo: Oh, yes. I think we have like – to me it's like a family. Marilyn Coulter: [42:33] A family? Marta Bobillo: My unit with Fisher Body is like a family. [banging] Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [42:38] What makes it a family? Marta Bobillo: ‘Cause even if we don’t see each other, we still have each other, each other’s heart and think about each other and think about our birthdates, you know, like [Cher 42:48] as an example, I don’t hardly ever see her anymore but I remember, you know, her, her birthday [throat clearing] and remember her kids and, you know, to me it's a family. Marilyn Coulter: We've talked about family. We've been in the facility. So I wanna change gears here. [43:03] Can you tell me about some of the happy times you’ve had in the plant with your y-, with your work family? Marta Bobillo: Oh, we had a lot. You know, seeing our, our family, uh, friends get married, have babies and the kids grown up, being there for graduation, different activities [we had 43:24]. Marilyn Coulter: [43:29] Different activities [inaudible 43:27] and did you ever vacation [throat clearing] with these people? Marta Bobillo: Sometimes, yes. Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: Sometimes, yeah. When you said – you made reference to your union family. [43:41] Are you union active? Marta Bobillo: Yes but I didn’t become active until later on in my life. Marilyn Coulter: Until later on in your life. [43:50] What did you, um – how did you become active in it? Marta Bobillo: Uh, different people and they had a lotta influence on me, like have been inviting me to go to [thumping] union meetings, to do different activities and… Male: [Oh 44:04]. Marilyn Coulter: [Oh 44:06]. Marta Bobillo: There’s quite a few people that I [owe 44:10], you know, like [Resa Moore 44:11] 'cause he partly kinda pushed me into it, [the time 44:17] and I have like Sam Warren and yourself, Marilyn Coulter, and [Shelly Grisson 44:25], you know, and Veronica Johnson. There’s quite a few people that kinda invited me to meetings and a little bit here and there and got me involved slowly. I started with [Sam’s 44:34] Committee. [Peg] [Inaudible 44:35], she had to quit [Sam’s 44:38] Committee for some reason and she asked me to please take her place and that’s how I got involved. Marilyn Coulter: [44:47] Staying with the union [in all 44:48] of it, can you tell me how the union family and the work family mesh together? [44:57] What impact did your union family have on your work life? Marta Bobillo: I involve my family in with my union family. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. Marta Bobillo: Bring them into – [coughing] to the events and to – like [Bianca 45:10], especially my youngest one, she had been raised around everybody in the family and the union, she consider aunts and uncles, grandmas and grandpas and everything. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. So you were involved with a lot. [45:24] During your time – and I'm gonna – and I'm jumping here Marta Bobillo: [Hm 45:26]. Marilyn Coulter: Allow me that for a second. Let me jump back at work. Now you were involved in the union. When you were involved at work, during your time working in the plant, the roles of employees kind of [throat clearing] changed. [45:43] Did you ever get involved in some of the programs that they had? Like, for example, they had QWL, which was Quality Work Life. They had Team Build. They had Product Development. [45:57] Did you get involved in any of those types of programs where all the employees had an impact on the business? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I have. I was involved with, uh, P-90s… Marilyn Coulter: [Inaudible 45:09]… Marta Bobillo: GMX 130. That’s in the early involvement with Quality Control [throat clearing] for, um, the GrandAms and the, uh, Aleros and [inaudible 45:21]. Marilyn Coulter: [46:21] So the P-90 was a…? Marta Bobillo: The P-90 was a Chevrolet. Marilyn Coulter: A Chevrolet. Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [45:26] And that was a – the, the, the… Marta Bobillo: The early involvement. Like right now we're doing the Delta. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. So you said Quality Control. [46:34] When did you get in Quality Control? Marta Bobillo: [sighing] Oh, [my 46:38]. The Quality Control, they – back then they used to do a test to get into Quality Control. [throat clearing] So, uh, [Westbrook 46:48], one of the supervisors… Marilyn Coulter: [Yeah 46:49]. Marta Bobillo: …and [Matt Heston 46:50], they… Marilyn Coulter: [Hm 46:52]. Marta Bobillo: …asked me if I would – and they said that we need people [clanking] in Quality Control and, uh, do you wanna put in for a test and I, I said, well I don’t have no seniority 'cause it was in ’80 and, uh, so they said put in and I put in and I passed the test, so I was hired in Quality Control but I only lasted a few months because the seniority, [throat clearing] it was reduced and [clanking] I moved back out again. Marilyn Coulter: [47:18] So Quality Control is a preferred seniority job? Marta Bobillo: Yes. [thumping] Marilyn Coulter: [47:24] Once you got in there… Marta Bobillo: I always had return rights, so every time they needed people, they would call me back in and I would be in and out of [Quality 47:32]. Marilyn Coulter: Once again, preferred job. [47:35] being a woman, what did people think [tapping] about you? Marta Bobillo: I got asked again how did I get the job but I was al-, I always been a person that likes [chance 47:44], like putting for different stuff. Marilyn Coulter: You're a woman and you're a minority. [throat clearing] [47:49] Did that ever play a role? Marta Bobillo: Oh, yes. Marilyn Coulter: [47:53] In those jobs? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [47:55] How was it being a woman and a minority working in a preferred job? [coughing] Marta Bobillo: A lotta time I was asked if I – who would I – who was I doing or who was I seeing and a lotta questions [on that 48:07], especially after I got divorced. Marilyn Coulter: Oh. Marta Bobillo: Mm-hm. Marilyn Coulter: [48:12] Did that come from not only men but women too? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [48:16] How did that make you feel? Marta Bobillo: Uh, you – I just tell’m like that because I put in for it. I never – I always known that I was okay with God and myself and I didn’t worry about it. Marilyn Coulter: Okay. So you're working in the [background noises] Quality Control getting a chance to work on some of the advanced projects, the P-90s and the 130 projects, which were the different types of projects. [48:39] What was that like? [48:40] Were you working with – did you work [throat clearing] more with the management? [48:43] Tell me about that. Marta Bobillo: That was [John 48:45], management of the union, and the engineers. Marilyn Coulter: [48:49] What was it like having… Marta Bobillo: [Inaudible 48:50]. Marilyn Coulter: …that type of responsibility? Marta Bobillo: I really like it because it was challenging to me and it wasn’t a s-, much involved [inaudible 49:00] that I was right now was, uh, Delta because to Delta, I was – I, I thought this time around we had more of a [coughing] input in it [within 49:10] [background noises] [inaudible 49:11] and I think they finally listened to us more. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [clanking] Marta Bobillo: [Inaudible 49:15]. Marilyn Coulter: Lansing’s always been called the capital of quality [background noises]. You obviously have been more than qualified to do all the jobs that you’ve done. [49:26] Um, what impact do you think that the workers had on making that name a reality? Marta Bobillo: [I think this 49:33] majority of it [throat clearing] 'cause we have, uh, caring people that care about the job they did. I believe it. That’s how [it did 49:41]. You wanted that car – I remember when people used to follow their car. They know they were gonna have a car built and they used to follow it through to make sure everybody did it right. But I s-, I think we, we always did that anyway. Marilyn Coulter: [49:56] So you think that [inaudible 49:56]? Marta Bobillo: That we care about what we're building. Marilyn Coulter: [50:00] People care? Marta Bobillo: Yes. I believe that. Marilyn Coulter: [50:03] And would the workers – [background noises] they caring about what they do and, um, [clanking] employees cared about what they did – how did the supervisors feel about employees getting involved, [throat clearing] like yourself, having more power? Marta Bobillo: I believe that they’ve been there with us, the majority. We have ups and downs in the supervisors but I think the majority care. Marilyn Coulter: [50:33] But most of them have been supportive? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: Marta, you told me that you got a divorce. [50:42] How did being a single mother now, working, having responsibilities, getting union active, how big a role did your benefits and things like that play into the raising of your children? [tapping] Marta Bobillo: If I wouldn't been working, [throat clearing] I don’t think I could've ever got a divorce 'cause, you know, I, I didn’t have [coughing] [inaudible 51:05] my family, my kids and my benefits. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [51:10] So those are un-, union negotiated benefits? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: Now they also have tuition assistance programs, which is also known as TAP. [51:19] Have you ever used any of those? Marta Bobillo: Oh, yes, quite a bit, any chance I had. I was – I went to LCC [inaudible 51:27] Michigan State some for accounting, bookkeeping, hotel and restaurant management. I had taken quite a few classes there. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. [51:36] Now I know you said accounting and bookkeeping and I also know that you also hold a position in your local union, yes? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I do. Marilyn Coulter: [51:44] And what position is that? Marta Bobillo: Trustee. [clicking] Marilyn Coulter: [51:47] So you're negotiated [snapping] benefit helped you to prepare you for your leadership job? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [51:56] Correct? Marta Bobillo: And I'm gonna call Dorothy Stevens. If I live to be 150, I can never pay my union. Marilyn Coulter: [52:03] And [laughter] so how do you, you – so you liked your union a lot? Marta Bobillo: Yes, I do. Marilyn Coulter: [52:09] And are you also involved in community activities? [throat clearing] [52:12] What other type [inaudible 51:12]? Marta Bobillo: Um, I'm involved with my church and I'm involved with the Advent House, the homeless and different organizations around Lansing. Marilyn Coulter: [52:22] What other types of organizations are you involved with? Marta Bobillo: Uh, I'm vice president of CLUW, Coalition of Union Working Women, and we do a lotta – and we are very involved in the community. [loudspeaker] I also a member of – I'm also a member of APRI, the [inaudible 52:43] president and quite a few other organizations. Marilyn Coulter: [52:49] So you’ve worn many hats while you’ve been there? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [52:54] Have you ever – you're active in your union and you came in in the ’70s. [52:57] Were you ever involved in any strikes? Marta Bobillo: Uh, no. The only strike that I was in was the one that only lasted a couple days, so I never really been involved in’m. Marilyn Coulter: [53:07] Was your father active in the union? Marta Bobillo: Uh, he, he did not [trade 53:14] unions because he believe in a union but he never really got involved, probably because of his language [inaudible 53:20]. He couldn't – he could understand English real good but he couldn't communicate as well. He wanted to. Marilyn Coulter: [throat clearing] [53:26] Now can you tell us about what it was like for some of the other people who may be Spanish speaking who, who aren't able to communicate as well as you? [coughing] There's some things that you did for your fellow workers. Marta Bobillo: I have – I had translated every time I've, you know, I've been asked to or needed or assist somebody that needed it. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [53:51] So what types of situations would they put you in to translate for? Marta Bobillo: Uh, anything from s-, people getting time off or having problems or, uh, they’ll be at the hospital, they can't communicate and, uh, you know, different activities at work or show somebody how to do their job. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [54:12] So you’ve also been instrumental in, um – excuse me – I know [throat clearing] in a lot of, um, union, um, grievance procedures. Marta Bobillo: Yes… Marilyn Coulter: Yes. Marta Bobillo: …I have. Marilyn Coulter: [54:25] And, um, you were also instrumental in helping your union start a special project [inaudible 54:33]? The Hispanic Latino [inaudible 54:39]. Marta Bobillo: Oh, the Hispanic Latino, yeah, [to the 54:41] Civil Rights Department. Marilyn Coulter: Yeah. Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [54:44] ‘Cause you’ve also been on the trustee and the s-, and the Civil Rights Committee and you were Recreation Committee and do you also do a lot of union recruiting? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Marilyn Coulter: [Mm-hm 55:03]. [Yeah 55:03]. Marta Bobillo: Yes. Any time I can. Marilyn Coulter: Mm-hm. [55:07] When new people come into the plant, what do you tell’m? Marta Bobillo: I tell’m to attend union meetings. I try to invite’m to our programs. Marilyn Coulter: [55:21] Can you tell us about how you – do you try to help mentor young women who come in the way Arlene Parker mentored you? Marta Bobillo: Yes. I try. [tapping] Marilyn Coulter: And, um, now we're coming through another change. You’ve been through a lot of changes, [throat clearing] the facility that hired your father and your husband and you and fed your children, Fisher Body is going to be closed. [55:49] How does that make you feel? Marta Bobillo: Sad. Even though that I see a bright future, um, with Delta and everything coming out with the new plant, it's very sad because to me that was home. It's like that what helped me be what I am today [in a 56:09] financial with my kids, raise my kids, puttin’ through – my kids through college and everything I could. Marilyn Coulter: Hm. So you're closing one door and opening another as you're getting ready to go to Delta. [56:25] Is there anything [under 56:26] the spirit of Fisher Body you hope continues to transfer over to Delta? Marta Bobillo: Yes, our quality. [throat clearing] Hopefully that we have been number 1 again and still continue to be number 1. Marilyn Coulter: [56:40] What does it feel like to be [tsk] making history? Marta Bobillo: It's great. It feels wonderful to see that we accomplishing something. Marilyn Coulter: [56:51] Do they have a lot of the hourly employees helping open this new plant? Marta Bobillo: Yes. Yes, we did. We started, um, 12 of us and now it’s gotten to a very large number. Marilyn Coulter: [57:09] That, um – as you – how do you think it's gonna affect the community, Fisher Body leaving? Marta Bobillo: I, I think it's be hard for, for the – right here for the area, especially the neighborhood that I [throat clearing] love and live in for so long but I think, you know, Delta, hopefully it's gonna help us out… Marilyn Coulter: [57:34] [How 57:34]? Marta Bobillo: …in general. Marilyn Coulter: [57:37] As we, as we close on going to Delta and you changed and you went from a time when women were being tested to see if they could do the job, uh, having catcalls and now you're active and involved, do you feel that as a woman and a minority now that things are – that women have arrived and minorities have arrived [and things 58:01] about equal? Marta Bobillo: I wouldn't say we're equal yet but we're getting there, a lot closer to getting there because, um, if we took this long, I'm still the, I'm still the only Hispanic female that been in the executive board or Latina or whatever you wanna label me now because [laughter] they have so many labels for us but I'm the only one that ever been in executive board still up to this date. Marilyn Coulter: [sighing] [58:30] With that being the case, do you feel – is there something that as a culture you have to work from the inside or is that – [tsk] are there still doors to be opened and… Marta Bobillo: Both. Both. Marilyn Coulter: …[inaudible 58:45]? Marta Bobillo: Both. Marilyn Coulter: [58:49] So are there any types of – [clanking] [throat clearing] [clanking] Marta, we talked a lot about your life today, can you – [thumping] is there anything that you'd like to share with us that we haven't touched on? [clicking] Marta Bobillo: Uh, not really. I just want to say that I'm very proud of all of you and I love all of you right here at this table right now, plus everybody else in my union and they ain't anything I would do for my union and my people and I'm here to serve whoever I can. That’s how I feel. Marilyn Coulter: Marta, a lot of people who will be hearing [thumping] this interview have never even stepped in a plant. [coughing] Excuse me. [59:36] What would you like people to know [tsk] about the workers inside the factory, UAW Local 602 members? [59:45] What is it about us that you'd like them to know about us? Marta Bobillo: Um, I would like the [coughing] [inaudible 59:52] to know that we are hardworking. We are conscious people, that we care and we're not [inaudible 1:00:02] beer-drinker like they label us, some people do [clanking] and that there’s a lotta educated people in the plant, a lotta people with degrees and education and we do really care about what we're doing. Cheryl McQuaid: [Inaudible 1:00:15]. Marilyn Coulter: [1:00:16] I know they say that there's – they – that but they also have a lot of bible groups that are [all 1:00:20] inside the plant also, [don’t we 1:00:22]? Marta Bobillo: Yes, you do. There’s a lotta people that have bible studies and they love studying and all different kinda activities. Marilyn Coulter: [Right 1:00:30]. I have to say that if you don’t have anything else to say, this has been an outstanding interview and I appreciate you taking time [throat clearing] [inaudible 1:00:38]. Doug Rademacher: Thank you, Marta. Male: Thank you, Marta. Male: Thank you, Marta. Gary Judy: Thanks, Marta. Marta Bobillo: Thank you, all. [coughing] /lo