Taylor Chain I: A Story in a Union Local
- Description
- Reviews
- Citation
- Cataloging
- Transcript
Taylor Chain I tells the gritty realities of a seven-week strike at a small Indiana chain factory during 1973-74. Volatile union meetings and tension-filled interactions on the picket line provide an inside view of the tensions and conflicts inherent to labor negotiations. Due to a lack of funds and a fire at Kartemquin which necessitated a re-edit of the film, the film was not released until 1980. Filming then began a year later on Taylor Chain II: A Story of Collective Bargaining
"One of the most startling events in the history of television documentaries was the live unfiltered broadcasts of the MacCarthy hearings - Jerry Blumenthal and Gordon Quinn's tape has some of the same excitement. They were allowed to film extremely heated union caucuses and the entire round of contract negotiations at an industrial plant in Hammond, Indiana. Their cinema verite style makes the union meetings in Silkwood look as thrilling and substantial as a bowl of mashed potatoes." âÃîThe Village Voice, 1984
Citation
Main credits
Other credits
Camera, Gordon Quinn; sound, Jerry Blumenthal.
Distributor subjects
Globalization; manufacturingKeywords
WEBVTT
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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[sil.]
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Now let me explain something to you. I’m supposed to be a top
head electrician. One of the senior electricians on the plant.
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A senior electrician at Taylor Chain
is only making $4.19 an hour.
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A student electrician in the steel
mills is making $3.95 an hour
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and he don’t know his ass
from a hole on the ground.
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And I mean that. They’re
getting stuff three years
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that were supposed to be brought in the first
year. I’m sick and tired of waiting three years.
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I want that stuff now. And I realized this.
We, we are not going back everybody had.
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You’re gonna have to ask one thing.
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The union stays in there for the next 50 years,
every three years is going to have in November.
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And every three years, it’s gonna be
called. Now do you understand that?
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Yeah. No worries. Us right
here came to nothing
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unless we got the back and everybody
out there. It’s a good little company
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but uh… every company in my experience
where they sit down and decide
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the limit to take and go. But it’s not always the first.
Most generally, it isn’t the first. When of course,
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I could say they want to chisel as much as they
can and get by as cheap which, which is fine.
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But our job is to get as much as we can
and uh… and so but they have a limit
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to what they will go and beyond that, they
won’t go. Then you have to go on a strike.
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The majority of the people that work at Taylor Chain
are from this community right around close by.
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I mean, we have father and
son, mother and daughter.
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We have uh… mother and son. It’s
like a home away from home.
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But there is a strong sense of militant at
Taylor chain and there always has been.
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We realize that the union
means only five years old,
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the company was there, what? 85 years without
a union. And believe me at the beginning,
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they weren’t even called by the name of the company. If they
wanted, they were with them. They had to bite tooth and nail
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and those people uh… they were all ready to
fight because they wanted what they wanted.
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They use to be the old timers, you know, what
I mean. We have a lot of young back in there.
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They just don’t strike over wrong
set of times when somebody say,
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hey let’s go outside and harass the company. They
put it like this. I’ve been there five years, I got
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25 more to go and I’m not going
to work in this military years.
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All right, you, you guys want some of the
bummers they’ve given us. Yeah, yeah.
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Okay. This is rather a long article
but what it boils down to is
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they want to eliminate the posting at jobs.
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They want everybody submit slips to personnel
department as to what jobs they’d like to have
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and when a job become open, then they will consider
you. I don’t know, whether they’re trying to be funny
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or you know what. They come here
to propose seniority units.
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Our thinking is if we’re gonna go away
right, Jack. Make a plan wide seniority.
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The biggest catch to something like
this would be for the younger people
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that would maybe give them less of a chance to bid
up to higher jobs. The main advantage is that
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you have is more emotional opportunity
because it’s more occupations in
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uh… within the two units. Let’s say the laid is right
now. They would have more jobs opportunities to bid on.
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Now a woman takes the job.
She’s on there five days
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and if she don’t make it, she goes back. Now, we don’t think,
it’s fair. So you guys get three months to get used to a job
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and they give women five days.
You had a program from the man,
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have you heard the women too? Give them
the same thing. This way, it should be.
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It’s going to be the
young people to decide.
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Let me say this, I will not sail
the old people down the road.
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The old people, they charted the union
but they didn’t know what they wanted.
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Like he said, there are several
people out there working.
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We’re gonna go back to work with teen and twelve
just now. Anything that involves money raise
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uh… pension plan. They
haven’t offered us a thing.
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And we did tell them that if they realize that
we only had uh… one more week after next week
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and that’s it. And they just smiled at us.
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Look, this is not unusual.
This is not unusual because
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normally any money package
comes into play the last week.
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I coughed blood once. When is stuff.
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You know, I went to the doctor.
Doctor says, okay, that’s it for you.
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You want to live a little bit longer. It’s time to go
somewhere else. You got your training, get in there.
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If I go somewhere else, I
get the same rate for it.
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We submitted the health and safety to him.
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They seem to go along with it. Everybody accept what it
had. Any union safety commitment would have the sole right
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to shut a job down if he thought the job was
unsafe. They are not willing to go on with that.
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I’d like to say it right now. We complained about a
cutter and now with the assembly for the last six months.
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We got a man sitting here with a broken hand
because of that cutter. They refused to fix it
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and that’s why this language is necessary.
There is not enough room between
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the two blocks, you know. And that’s where
it caught my arm in between the two blocks
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and it broke the bone in about
four, five places. Eventually,
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you might wind up with a committee
comprised of both sides
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that make the only spot decision to shut down a piece
of equipment but to give the union a unilateral right,
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you know, I don’t think any
company is gonna go that far.
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Not at this time, sometime
in the future, maybe.
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Because blades were rounded up
but it wouldn’t cut what it is,
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now it ripped your hand apart. We propose to have a guard put on
there where he couldn’t have his hands in there while he was doing.
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They finally send an engineer
out to redesign the machine
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and I told him exactly what was wrong with it. He said,
well, yeah, yeah. We’re gonna do this and do that.
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This was four, five months ago. It
wasn’t, they didn’t do nothing.
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Finally, now just happened, you know.
It couldn’t be helped.
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I found in my experience with the top
level and negotiating with the company,
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they’re safety conscious and really they
like to uh… to see it work. The problem is
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and as we explained to the company is getting it carried out on
the bottom from the foreman. A foreman is interested in one thing
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in getting our production.
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[sil.]
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You might have to strike, I don’t know. Now,
there are certain things. This time I’m not
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uh… it’s gonna be a recommendation and I’ll
tell you certain things such as the 30 and out
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and a cost a living. We’re not
gonna recommend you agree anyway.
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Of course, even we recommend that you have the
right to vote it down. You come here on the 31st
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and you vote this in. I don’t know
why that you go blame us for it.
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The way it is and if you want it, you’re gonna take
it and if you don’t, don’t come back to me later
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and say, well, this set me other. You are the
people that’s gonna have to accept it, not me.
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People will never agree with it and you’re gonna
find new people are always as satisfying.
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The only way, you can shut them up is
telling you own it for the contract.
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But hey, let’s don’t go
back to tomorrow morning
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and stick a knife in each other’s back. Look, believe
me, the company eats this up. We don’t either,
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either have to stick together or we might all just
tear the papers up and the whole damn contract
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and just quit.
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They wrote it to a committee. I’ll tell you, they came out
with their first offer and really they haven’t changed it.
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Any vacations? They don’t even
talk about any vacations.
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25 years are over, no vacations whatsoever.
They never responded to it,
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never made an offer on vacation area.
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What about job evaluation?
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They are not gonna give it to you.
They won’t go at all. Questions?
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Will they allow safety equipment
into the plant? They agreed that,
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we found a violation and they didn’t
take care of it and in two weeks,
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we could bring in any kind of equipment
in that we wanted to, to make checks.
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Now, we have some good safety language but really, I didn’t
want to go into a lot of detail because I didn’t think that
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you’re going by the money package. But you telling
to yourself that you only off your seven cents
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over your last contract and we worked over
seven more cents. Say, I don’t want it.
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I don’t even sign it. As all
in favor in of a strike
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and not accept the company’s
last proposal remain seated
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and raise your hand.
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Forget it.
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Well, you don’t have to count it.
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[sil.]
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Questions. You’re going there
and say exactly what you want
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and go away from one another again, you
know. Look, I’ll be honest with you.
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When negotiations is what the word means. You negotiate. You
don’t know what it’ll take. Anybody that’s ever been in here,
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and this is their first time and they’ll tell you, it’s
nothing like they ever saw. They get quite an education.
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This last offer, we made Decker said, “Fine, we’ll
accept it,” and it’s a darn good possibility.
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We brought it back to you and you say go jump in a
lake. We don’t want it. But then you have to realize,
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you weren’t sitting there when all this was going on. They
didn’t know what it’ll take. It also this vote tonight
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mean a lot. They’re gonna see
how many people was together.
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Yeah, oh she was next, go ahead. Do you think
come and clean that Janitors, can they come in?
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[sil.]
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You got a legal strike going on. We call
public service company, can we get in?
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With our permission. Next goal now
belongs to the united steelworkers.
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As over a month ago.
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And not only that but
statewide generating plants.
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So uh… you’ll get cooperation. Respect
the cause as they go out the gate.
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If you goes in level and
comes out dragging.
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You can’t leave by the way.
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Now look, you cannot stop management from going in and
out of their plant. He informed, they can come and go.
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Then why is it that they get
locked in steel of a place.
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They haven’t for six years ago.
In 1959 strike,
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I was agree with England steel and we refused to
let them in and out and they got an injunction
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out against us and forced to let them in and out. The
only thing that we have a right to do is to see that
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chain doesn’t go out of that plant
so forth and we’ll do that.
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Oh, here we go.
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No, no he brought this truck.
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I remember way back about 20 years
when we started a union talk.
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We had about 80% and then the
company held a meeting at the hall.
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Had sandwich and beer and whiskey
and give them a good talk until
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and then after that, it was only about 20%
left out of the big percentage that we had.
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Those days are over.
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Matt, you want coffee?
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Nobody goes in. Turn around. Thank you.
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Appreciate it.
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I would like to see him put a price
control on profits you make from stocks.
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Coffee is one of toys that the last contract
man. First they went up and then I think you get
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a smaller cup now.
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[sil.]
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I guess some girls from in here and he was
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highly insulted when they saw these pictures.
Yeah, I can notice and she, one was the last time
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we picket and I all, God it was so big.
Who put up it?
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I don’t know. I know. The
women, that’s right.
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Yes, you did. Well, I guess, it was.
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That’s where the womanhood comes in.
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This company is still
living in the 19th century.
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[sil.]
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Right there, aside. Hey
right here, man. Strike.
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[sil.]
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The employee sustains an injury arising out
of or in the course of his employment.
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First thing they did was that they wrapped our insurance.
And this is the first time I’ve ever seen this happen.
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Every time I’ve seen a strike in the
(inaudible) region, the company automatically
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covers you for at least that month. And they
also made an offer to us, certain few people
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that if they would more or less fact in leading and get
us to accept the contract that they give them a little
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extra raise on the side. Those
that got accused by Ted Clark
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out there waving gun and a ball bat.
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Yeah. Remember the little guy
that come out with a hard hat.
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He pulled up to the gate and we told him that we were on
strike and he informed us, he rolls a little pink slip
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and he can go through the gate. So she informed him that if
he went through the gate, he would stand until it was over.
00:17:05.000 --> 00:17:09.999
So he proceeded to tell her that she not only been her
old friend she didn’t have any brains to go with it.
00:17:10.000 --> 00:17:14.999
Now, this is the mix crass.
I can’t tell you exactly
00:17:15.000 --> 00:17:19.999
what she told the man but she tell
him to put on his little hard hat
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and back his car out there while
he still had a head to put it on.
00:17:40.000 --> 00:17:44.999
Now, they checked it up another 13 cents.
00:17:45.000 --> 00:17:49.999
If they were not 13 cents, they could sure so go up a little bit more.
There is no way, you can sign it through your contract and survive.
00:17:50.000 --> 00:17:54.999
The cost of living.
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We are no where.
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Well, I tell you (inaudible).
00:18:05.000 --> 00:18:09.999
No, no way, never.
00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:14.999
Swing a valid vote. He’s crazy.
He is. I’m really hurt.
00:18:15.000 --> 00:18:19.999
Yes so he can end this scene. So he can go up
and, you know, play around somewhere else.
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He’s got a contract up somewhere else.
I know. And you,
00:18:25.000 --> 00:18:29.999
do you know that he only has, he’s allowed
nine weeks. Got nine weeks to go.
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First come, first serve baby.
00:18:35.000 --> 00:18:39.999
You got to, you know, put up or shut up.
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Goofed up and
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they’re supposed to get you know, points have raised first year
and even got that yet. They doubled our life insurance if we die.
00:18:50.000 --> 00:18:58.000
[sil.]
00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:04.999
Going all sit together. All the people who don’t want the contract.
Spread out among the people so when I have you stand up,
00:19:05.000 --> 00:19:09.999
if you don’t want it, you know, it doesn’t look like
you’re just a few people there. It looks like it’s,
00:19:10.000 --> 00:19:14.999
it’s bigger and everybody along. Everybody
else can get a weekend, we can get it too.
00:19:15.000 --> 00:19:19.999
[sil.]
00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:24.999
Because I’ll be getting 30 and the young one
aren’t getting as you vacation that we owe money,
00:19:25.000 --> 00:19:29.999
I’m gonna go out. So we will be out too.
00:19:30.000 --> 00:19:34.999
Plus, I don’t care a lot of
that, we have to have that.
00:19:35.000 --> 00:19:39.999
[sil.]
00:19:40.000 --> 00:19:44.999
I would like to make one statement.
00:19:45.000 --> 00:19:49.999
I would like to know who the individual was it called at my
house about an hour and a half ago and talked to my wife.
00:19:50.000 --> 00:19:54.999
I think at least if you had
enough guts to talk to my wife,
00:19:55.000 --> 00:19:59.999
you’d have enough guts to say it to me what you said to
her. I understand there has been some more calls made
00:20:00.000 --> 00:20:04.999
to different people. Now,
this is the place to say it.
00:20:05.000 --> 00:20:09.999
We’re gonna conduct this meeting in an orderly fashion.
You’re gonna have your right to reject this contract.
00:20:10.000 --> 00:20:14.999
You’re gonna have your right to vote it
through. You turn it down, fine, good.
00:20:15.000 --> 00:20:19.999
It’s nothing to me, one way or the other. I get paid
to do a job and I do it to the best of my ability.
00:20:20.000 --> 00:20:24.999
You respect me and I’ll respect you.
People, that’s been around will find that
00:20:25.000 --> 00:20:29.999
I’ve given this local, as much courtesy
and respect and let them vote.
00:20:30.000 --> 00:20:34.999
There is probably very few locals that have done and this
has been one of the biggest complaints of the union members
00:20:35.000 --> 00:20:39.999
that they don’t have the right to exercise
their vote. You’re gonna have this right.
00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:44.999
But I want you to understand one thing. If
you think because I work for the union,
00:20:45.000 --> 00:20:49.999
I don’t give a damn about the local, you’re sadly
mistaken. And if you think I like to see people
00:20:50.000 --> 00:20:54.999
in this paychecks in just the way it is,
it ceases me to say it doesn’t bother me
00:20:55.000 --> 00:20:59.999
but I’d be lying. It bothers me. I don’t like to
see anybody out. You have to have a little heart.
00:21:00.000 --> 00:21:04.999
Now, I’m gonna go through it and when I get
through it, if you have any questions to ask me,
00:21:05.000 --> 00:21:09.999
be my guest.
00:21:10.000 --> 00:21:14.999
[sil.]
00:21:15.000 --> 00:21:19.999
I want to have one scotch. If I
had two, it would have been good.
00:21:20.000 --> 00:21:24.999
There is a feel, you get about these things
00:21:25.000 --> 00:21:29.999
when you’ve been in enough negotiations just how far you
can go and how much further, you can back the company.
00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:34.999
This gentlemen. I thought
about federal mediator,
00:21:35.000 --> 00:21:39.999
he denied it. Now how can you brought him
back or whoever brought him back in?
00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:44.999
I’ll explain it. Who brought him in?
00:21:45.000 --> 00:21:49.999
Wait a minute. Can I ask you a question? Wait I’ll answer
the question. I received a call from the federal mediator
00:21:50.000 --> 00:21:54.999
and he asked me at that time, will we
be willing to meet? I told him no.
00:21:55.000 --> 00:21:59.999
I felt that we were so far part,
it was just no use talking.
00:22:00.000 --> 00:22:04.999
[sil.]
00:22:05.000 --> 00:22:09.999
Look, I don’t trust lawyers on the other side
anymore than I do on our side. We have lawyers.
00:22:10.000 --> 00:22:14.999
I consult with him on the telephone.
00:22:15.000 --> 00:22:19.999
I don’t care what you people say. I’ve got three kids.
I’m hurting just as well as anybody else around here.
00:22:20.000 --> 00:22:24.999
And if you for this contract I’ll
tell you what, it’s up to you.
00:22:25.000 --> 00:22:29.999
[sil.]
00:22:30.000 --> 00:22:34.999
It’s what the pay board will allow us.
00:22:35.000 --> 00:22:39.999
The figures to be used is $4.70 an hour.
00:22:40.000 --> 00:22:48.000
[sil.]
00:22:50.000 --> 00:22:54.999
Would you listen to me?
Would you listen to me?
00:22:55.000 --> 00:22:59.999
Just relax a minute. Just relax.
00:23:00.000 --> 00:23:04.999
Just relax. The figures are right. Now,
you can just beat him all you want
00:23:05.000 --> 00:23:09.999
but figures don’t lie. Anybody
can figure out the percentages.
00:23:10.000 --> 00:23:14.999
What’s five and a half of a three dollars
and 70 cents? What do you people think now?
00:23:15.000 --> 00:23:19.999
What do you think about this?
Okay, I’ll read to you.
00:23:20.000 --> 00:23:24.999
Honest, straight out here it is.
00:23:25.000 --> 00:23:29.999
Money wise, I don’t think you don’t get anymore but the
language, you can get a hell lot more. You could though.
00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:34.999
Mr. Martin, can I ask you?
00:23:35.000 --> 00:23:39.999
Yes, never mind.
00:23:40.000 --> 00:23:44.999
In my opinion, in my honest opinion,
00:23:45.000 --> 00:23:49.999
I think we can get more money.
00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:54.999
Negotiating committee, I make a motion
00:23:55.000 --> 00:23:59.999
that this contract is not be ratified.
00:24:00.000 --> 00:24:08.000
[sil.]
00:24:10.000 --> 00:24:14.999
I’m not along with that motion because I asked this
before this thing got underway. I’m gonna get that.
00:24:15.000 --> 00:24:19.999
That’s no way to vote.
00:24:20.000 --> 00:24:24.999
[sil.]
00:24:25.000 --> 00:24:29.999
All in favor of the motion say aye.
Aye. No, no.
00:24:30.000 --> 00:24:34.999
[sil.]
00:24:35.000 --> 00:24:39.999
All in favor of the motion, stand please.
00:24:40.000 --> 00:24:44.999
Is it to accept the contract or reject it.
00:24:45.000 --> 00:24:49.999
[sil.]
00:24:50.000 --> 00:24:54.999
I’ll have something to say after the
meeting. We told you in the harbor,
00:24:55.000 --> 00:24:59.999
don’t look for our support.
00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:04.999
[sil.]
00:25:05.000 --> 00:25:09.999
Discuss on the floor front of motion.
00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:14.999
If you seriously think that we cannot get
anymore, I think we’d be asses if we voted
00:25:15.000 --> 00:25:19.999
uh… to strike some more because our
people are hurting and I’m not hurting.
00:25:20.000 --> 00:25:24.999
I’m living with my parents.
I think you people have…
00:25:25.000 --> 00:25:29.999
Let him finish.
00:25:30.000 --> 00:25:34.999
I want to know just one
of these people here
00:25:35.000 --> 00:25:39.999
think on our negotiating team think
that we can’t, we can’t get.
00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:44.999
This young fellow, had hell of a good point.
You’re giving us nothing to go on. What,
00:25:45.000 --> 00:25:49.999
what are we gonna just say, when we go back. You
turn it down, they’re gonna say, well what…
00:25:50.000 --> 00:25:54.999
Can I have a word? Can you hear?
00:25:55.000 --> 00:25:59.999
You know, I was hired in 35.
00:26:00.000 --> 00:26:04.999
We fought and try to get unions
in this place and in 47 we tried,
00:26:05.000 --> 00:26:09.999
we, we failed. And in 56, we failed.
Finally in 67, we got it.
00:26:10.000 --> 00:26:14.999
The old men were against us.
We were young guys.
00:26:15.000 --> 00:26:19.999
Now, we have all of you follow as the young fellows.
So what happened? 1969, we received the contract.
00:26:20.000 --> 00:26:24.999
It was supposed to be from
November the 1st, 1969.
00:26:25.000 --> 00:26:29.999
We didn’t get this till 1971. Now why the
hell do we have to have to go in with this.
00:26:30.000 --> 00:26:34.999
[sil.]
00:26:35.000 --> 00:26:39.999
All right next one.
00:26:40.000 --> 00:26:44.999
An extra hour of raise in the next year.
I want that six cents an hour right now.
00:26:45.000 --> 00:26:49.999
And I ask that for everybody else.
And if you accept this contract,
00:26:50.000 --> 00:26:54.999
you’re nothing but God damn fools.
00:26:55.000 --> 00:26:59.999
Next guy. From what I understand
of this contract, we lost language
00:27:00.000 --> 00:27:04.999
in the point that if we come in
00:27:05.000 --> 00:27:09.999
to work five days a week but go
home one day of that five days,
00:27:10.000 --> 00:27:14.999
at noon or any time earlier. That’s been scratched out.
It wouldn’t be any contract. We took care of that today.
00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:19.999
No way, it will be in the contract. If we
use any other language besides that? No.
00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:24.999
If we just frank it out, well
we just don’t accept it.
00:27:25.000 --> 00:27:29.999
All we say is we won’t accept it
when you go that. That’s right.
00:27:30.000 --> 00:27:34.999
You ain’t sign any contract. Nothing official
and you sign it. We have a loss on language
00:27:35.000 --> 00:27:39.999
and we got before. Okay.
00:27:40.000 --> 00:27:44.999
Okay, I want to know why is that the
company can buy all these new car
00:27:45.000 --> 00:27:49.999
and all these new…
00:27:50.000 --> 00:27:54.999
[sil.]
00:27:55.000 --> 00:27:59.999
There you go. I would like to know
why is that the company can have
00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:04.999
all these new cars, all these
new machinery, can go to London
00:28:05.000 --> 00:28:09.999
and all over and we cannot get more money? Right, right.
They got money for that. Why don’t they have money for us?
00:28:10.000 --> 00:28:14.999
We’ll take a poll now.
00:28:15.000 --> 00:28:19.999
Poll. Just one shot at one time.
00:28:20.000 --> 00:28:24.999
Let’s start with the right hand side.
And on this side. And count them.
00:28:25.000 --> 00:28:29.999
[sil.]
00:28:30.000 --> 00:28:34.999
Don’t start this crap
with you about sell outs.
00:28:35.000 --> 00:28:39.999
[sil.]
00:28:40.000 --> 00:28:48.000
The vote is a 139, the
rejected and one to go back.
00:28:55.000 --> 00:28:59.999
142.
00:29:00.000 --> 00:29:04.999
[sil.]
00:29:05.000 --> 00:29:09.999
Now when somebody comes up to you, this contract is shit and
negotiation was shit, you can turn around and say to them,
00:29:10.000 --> 00:29:14.999
look friend, I saw you raise your hand, now go back
to work. That’s why you have to have a open court.
00:29:15.000 --> 00:29:19.999
I thought that was a good contract, I would have stood
up and that was the only one. That’s what I do.
00:29:20.000 --> 00:29:24.999
Okay, maybe that’s you but there are so many
people. You saw those people sat down back there.
00:29:25.000 --> 00:29:29.999
Wait a minute. Women have opinions.
Shit. Oh, God damn,
00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:34.999
those people back there. Did they stand up?
No because they were afraid.
00:29:35.000 --> 00:29:39.999
It’s always at least one third of the
people intimidated. I don’t like that.
00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:44.999
I’ve been in this business too long. [sil.]
00:29:45.000 --> 00:29:49.999
You saw those people sitting down there. When
you first had them to stand up on this side,
00:29:50.000 --> 00:29:54.999
it was at least half of them. Settled down. They
didn’t, they wanted to go back to work. When they saw,
00:29:55.000 --> 00:29:59.999
when they saw the majority is
going the way, they all stood up.
00:30:00.000 --> 00:30:04.999
I think it’s the vote was
that way when you go down.
00:30:05.000 --> 00:30:09.999
I’ll tell you what. On my personal opinion
I’m not concerned with that at this point.
00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:18.000
[sil.]
00:30:40.000 --> 00:30:44.999
I would like to say one thing. The
decisions that were made yesterday
00:30:45.000 --> 00:30:49.999
weren’t made by Jack Bierman. If you’ve come here to
crucify Jack Bierman, you’re not gonna crucify him.
00:30:50.000 --> 00:30:54.999
That all the decisions that were made
yesterday were made between Paul and myself
00:30:55.000 --> 00:30:59.999
in the bathroom, outside the presence
of the mediator and Jack Bierman.
00:31:00.000 --> 00:31:04.999
So, it’s us this time,
it’s not Jack Bierman.
00:31:05.000 --> 00:31:09.999
I want to say one other thing before
we get into it. This local committee
00:31:10.000 --> 00:31:14.999
has taken a hell lot of dues and they did one
of the best jobs I’ve ever seen yesterday.
00:31:15.000 --> 00:31:19.999
It’s Paul and Art and all agree,
they’re recommending this to you,
00:31:20.000 --> 00:31:24.999
not me and the reason they’re recommended because they felt
they’ve gone this far as they could and if we go any further,
00:31:25.000 --> 00:31:29.999
we are just wasting our time. We made
some hell of improvements. We’ve come up
00:31:30.000 --> 00:31:34.999
and even the committee will agree, they didn’t
expect to pick up an additional five cent.
00:31:35.000 --> 00:31:39.999
But they did get it. No, but it was your
decisions and they did make those decisions.
00:31:40.000 --> 00:31:44.999
They had to give the company an understanding that
they would come back and recommend this contract.
00:31:45.000 --> 00:31:49.999
I’d like to turn it over to your
committee if they have a final word.
00:31:50.000 --> 00:31:54.999
Every person in this hall has a right to stand
up and vote the way that he feels he should.
00:31:55.000 --> 00:31:59.999
Now, I don’t think anyone here should have
to be afraid of the guy sitting next to me.
00:32:00.000 --> 00:32:04.999
If you want to go back to work,
00:32:05.000 --> 00:32:09.999
be a man and get up and say, I want to go back. If you want to say out, be a man and stand
up and say I want to stay out. Made your promise and when the time comes, I told you,
00:32:10.000 --> 00:32:14.999
I don’t think, we can get anymore. How much money
they are gonna get if they go back to work today?
00:32:15.000 --> 00:32:19.999
That’s what they want to know? 18 and
a half not counting the spillover.
00:32:20.000 --> 00:32:24.999
If we plan ahead, we get a 12 and a half.
It’s 20 and a half, of course,
00:32:25.000 --> 00:32:29.999
with the average worker right now, if you took it all
in context, it probably will be 20 to 23 cents an hour.
00:32:30.000 --> 00:32:34.999
Not counting the spillover.
You agree with it?
00:32:35.000 --> 00:32:39.999
I hope that all of you are man enough to get up and stay
with us. All of you ratifying this contract stand up.
00:32:40.000 --> 00:32:44.999
All right.
00:32:45.000 --> 00:32:49.999
Sit down.
00:32:50.000 --> 00:32:54.999
All oppose, please stand up.
00:32:55.000 --> 00:32:59.999
Motion remains ratifies.
00:33:00.000 --> 00:33:04.999
Not to accept it. On my part there is no hard
fate like I said before I think a man is a man,
00:33:05.000 --> 00:33:09.999
he’s got the guts to get up and vote the way that
he wants to. Hey I didn’t kiss the company’s butt,
00:33:10.000 --> 00:33:14.999
you can bet on that. And we make one damn thing
clear last night. It was one damn thing understood
00:33:15.000 --> 00:33:19.999
that if means if, but means but
and in no way, in the future,
00:33:20.000 --> 00:33:24.999
we’re going to have to take this stuff again.
For one time, since we had the union in here,
00:33:25.000 --> 00:33:29.999
everybody stuck together. We made it plain, the
company knows now that hey, you’re militant.
00:33:30.000 --> 00:33:38.000
[sil.]
00:34:35.000 --> 00:34:43.000
[sil.]