Organizing Victories - International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers

International Office Gets First-Hand Look
O
:fit.:e l':' at,the International Oft~ce
III Washlllgton, D. .. were l ol ~
lowi ng Ihe progre", of Local 15 16.
Jonesboro, Arkimsas. Bu::tirles::t l anager
31han Edgar. and Intclllational
Rcprescntalives Lloyd Lynch and Su:-.ic
Barber In thei r n e~o lililions wilh
MagncTck/ niverioal Munuracl ul'ing
orpor:lI ion in "rknn~u~ . Journ al Department
Direct r Mary Anll Van Meter
Iravc-lcd 10 Blytheville to interview soml!
or the workers.
LJ l fCClor Van Meier :",pokc Lo SIMer
Sall y Miller who ,aid. "When I fir>!
!!law Su,\je Barber at MagncTek. she
was peepmg in the window. I asked one
orthegirls 'who's that?' he :o.tllid, 'thi.I' "s
one of Ih o~e union people : wHeT all.
we went 10 the meeting. I lbtcllcd [0
Susie Ifllk for 30 minulcs ...! decided I
would join the union. I wa.", a mcmbcr:1I
one time: when we took the pay-cap
CUl, J dropped oul bec.au'\C I could nO
longer alTord it:'
When Ibked how ~IC pay CUI affccted
her family life. S"ler Miller rCplied.
"It wa~ dcvaslillmg. vcry dev;:I,­
lUling. We lost.a home. \Vem very f~r In
debl.. .. The first tWO ycar~ weren'lloo
bad. but that third year- II was really
bad:' She rncmioned thai her hu~band
had a hean .mack and \\':l..'i disabled:
that Slre~s probably cau-;ed il. !-Ier hu~ ­
band had undergone back .. urgery. and
the double hil r hi ~ not being able to
work and hcr pay cut W:l5: theln::,t straw.
Director Van Meier ... po~e to Si::,u;r
Curolyn ArnQld. who.erv~d on tl,e I C'
gotiming Commiltce. Sio;ter Amold !ill.id.
"HJvlIlg n union is a beautiful thing .. ,.
\ t'~ s"d for people: 'who nre not in the
union. Being a steward. you've got 10
be strong and able to deal with your
foreman. the nonunion itnd union cuworkers:'
T the questiun of how ,he
rared in the pay cut. istcr Arnold rc·
Union me mbers (I-ron' row, from left) Pa m 8rown, Choirperson Sond,.o
Kin9, Chief Steward Deanne ,McComb a nd Solly Miller. (Back row, from
le ft) Nora Corr, Carolyn Arnolel, Lor; Mo ntgomery anel Coral Sims.
plied. "When Iloo\.. the pay CUI. il wu:-.
like a drag. Everythmg \Vent downhill:
bills piled up ... no mon~)' : my crcdil
cards were month .. behind .... It wa!ot
like a mghtmare,"
She mentioned (h,1I being onlhe Negotiating
Commmee \\Il.'''' a "lcrrible
thing. an :1WruJ thing .... I wi~h every
mcmocrcould "iit there und ~cc how Ih~
company b:1rgaincd tlguin~t th e
people .... 111C), t •• e y()ur pride ""ny.
BUI we bargained. we rought for it. and
we had people to help u:-., m~ ,",c :Irc
On th e righltruck ...:'
Si!'oh;1 LOli MVlIl~UIIU'; I Y. ,,110 \\.1...
Involved in hundbilling and mller duties.
W:1C;
intcrviewed next. She rc·
marked. " When I tir:.t went to the meeting.
I TCillly didn't know whal to C","­
peCI. l'\C never beell ~I union member
before. After I heard Sll~ic talking. I
rf"ll in lnvr with her I ... ie_ npel 'hi' c':ml
that night .... and (jnanci~llly . it 'c;gcl ling
belter. Three yean. ago. II wa5i. Hlmo"l
ruining Ill)' marriage ...."
When .. ~ ~eJ whether .. he too,," abu:-.c
from ::,ome co-worker'" because of
her work with the union, Si;;tcr Montgomcry
res-ponded. "Well. most of Illy
friend:;. ~lrC in (he uni n .... Tht room I
work in-lJ9 percenl arc union ml;01'
bers. I was the lead per::,on when the
IU!i.l COIl1ract wa. .... igned. I \Va::, gelling
a quaner more an h ur. About two or
three ,,'eeks after Ihe contract was
... igncd. they decided lhe) didn't need
lCl,d pc{lple anymore. but they wunted
me to do the worL \\lIhout gelling thm
extra quaner. lllrmk ... to Nall13n and
the umon, "",e got dUll paid."
The .. lOry wa ... Ihe ... amc- turmotl
\ hen their pay wa.s cut. leading to
olhcrd eva~ tating evcnL .... Director Van
Meter .. pokc to current Chatrpc~on
Santll,' KllIg. Chief h::\\,ml DCUl llh::
McComb. Sisle r 'ora Carr-till of
whom '!poke of the terrible conchliom.
in the \\orlplact' berore the Uluon con·
tract wa!' ratified. In the end, Shter
Me olllb expC'C!)scci (he scntlmcn lo, of
them ull. he !l.~\id. "Nathan. Su,je ant.!
1 loyd gl:lY(' 11