Search results

Title: Beverly McKelvey, an African American, discusses her career as a production worker and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: McKelvey, Beverly
Date: 2005-12-15
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Beverly talks about being hired in October 1979, finding Fisher scary and amazing, and crying her entire first night. She describes being injured and out on Workers Comp. Beverly comments on dinners, relations with supervisors and coworkers, her union activity and the benefits.

Title: Betty McNary discusses her career as a production worker and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: McNary, Betty
Date: 2005-09-01
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Betty talks about her Russian-Jewish ancestry, leaving home in Toronto at 16 to avoid cultural obligations, and coming to the U.S. She hired into Fisher in 1946 and again in May 1948. Betty talks about factory life for the few women including lower pay, harder work, community restrooms, and stereotypical perceptions of factory women. Betty shares her opinion of the union and management, describes her union activity, smoking, strikes, layoffs, and paying union dues.

Title: Karen Dunckel discusses her career as a production worker and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Dunckel, Karen
Date: 2005-12-13
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Karen tells of being hired in May 1978 after waiting overnight to put in an application and being overwhelmed on the first day. She describes a workplace that was like a "meat market," few women but mostly young, on the second shift and suggests that the second shift was a "party shift." Karen talks about workers helping each other and making gate collections for injured and ill coworkers.

Title: Theresa Frasher discusses her career as a production worker and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Frasher, Theresa
Date: 2006-03-16
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Theresa talks about being born in Lansing and raised in Missouri. She describes being hired in August 1977 after standing in line to submit an application. Theresa discusses working in the Trim Shop, seniority rights, the impact of night shift on family life, friendships in the factory, and a fatal accident.

Title: Ora Calhoun, an African American, discusses her career as a UAW production worker and GM production supervisor at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Calhoun, Ora
Date: 2005-12-05
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Ora tells about her life prior to hiring in at Fisher Body in October 1978. She describes her first day on the job in the Paint Shop, joining management, women in the factory, sexism, the special paint clothing and safety. Ora also talks about the social aspects of holiday lunches, softball, bowling, and pranks.

Title: Marilyn Coulter, an African American, discusses her career as a production worker and union activist at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Coulter, Marilyn
Date: 2005-11-22
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Marilyn tells of being hired in September 1978 right out of high school. She describes working in the Trim Shop with few women on the day shift. Marilyn describes common initiations to factory life. She talks about tag relief, mass relief, contract supervisors, check pools, gate collections, dinners, and her UAW activity and being elected as Civil Rights Chair. Marilyn talks about her community involvement with the NAACP and A Philip Randolph.

Title: Carla Gates discusses her career as a skilled trades electrician and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Gates, Carla
Date: 2005-10-13
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Carla recalls being hired in September 1976 and people yelling out the windows of the factory at those lined up to apply. She describes her first day being assigned to the Body Shop because she "looked strong." Carla went on supervision to stay on the day shift but returned to production. In 1985 she was accepted as an electrical apprentice. Carla discusses education, work, sexism issues, relations with male tradesmen, management, and her union activity.

Title: Hattie Greene, an African American, discusses her 40-year career as a production worker and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Greene, Hattie
Date: 2005-11-16
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Hattie describes being hired in April 1953 and working in the Paint Shop. She talks about wages, undesirable jobs, and discrimination. Hattie discusses relations with coworkers, sexual harassment, swing shifts, family life, and day-to-day life in the factory.

Title: Diane Archer discusses her career as a skilled trades woman and maintenance supervisor at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Archer, Diane
Date: 2005-11-10
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Diane describes being hired at Chevrolet in Flint, entering skilled trades as a woman apprentice, becoming a UAW journeyman pipe fitter, supervising a maintenance crew, and eventually transferring to Fisher Body Lansing. Diane discusses previous union and nonunion work experience, sexism issues, relations with male tradesmen and management peers.

Title: Marlene Hester discusses her career as a production worker, material handler and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Hester, Marlene
Date: 2006-02-16
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Marlene recalls being hired in August 1978 and hurting for two weeks. She talks about various jobs, supervisors and coworkers. Marlene describes sexism and bias. She describes material handling and being one of very few women driving fork trucks, receiving little training, and the hazards.

Title: Marlene Stavros discusses her career as a production worker, skilled trades tool repair person and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI
Creator: Stavros, Marlene
Date: 2006-04-27
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Marlene tells about being hired in October 1968 after working for Coca Cola. She talks about working in Trim and Body Shops, dirty and dangerous work, night shift and child care. Marlene describes her duties in Tool Repair, the stress of being the lone female and proving herself daily.

Title: Linda Johnson discusses her career as a production worker, newsletter editor and UAW member at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing MI
Creator: Johnson, Linda
Date: 2005-11-23
Collection: G. Robert Vincent Voice Library Collection
Description: Linda talks about obtaining two degrees before being hired at Fisher in August 1978. She recalls her first impressions of the plant and talks about her many duties as newsletter editor and photographer. Linda describes an incident when the flash from her camera triggered the fire suppression system in the paint booth.

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