[Eldridge Cook, African-American GM Manager, discusses his career at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI].

Cookie talks about college and teaching in Mississippi, coming to Lansing in 1963 and 1964 to work summers in the factory and returning south to teach in the fall. In 1965, Cookie permanently hired into Fisher. He describes a workplace with few minorities and one black supervisor. Cookie comments on...

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Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author: United Auto Workers Local 602/General Motors Oral History Project
Other Authors: Cook, Eldridge (Interviewee), McQuaid, Cheryl (Interviewer), Nicholson, Earl (Interviewer), Coulter, Marilyn (Interviewer), Smith, Jerri (Interviewer), Judy, Gary (Interviewer)
Language:English
Published: [2006]
Subjects:
Cook, Eldridge > Interviews.
Cook, Eldridge.
African American automobile industry workers > Michigan > Lansing > Interviews.
Middle managers, Retired > Michigan > Lansing > Interviews.
Automobile industry and trade.
Diversity in the workplace > Michigan > Lansing.
Racism in the workplace > Michigan > Lansing.
Discrimination in employment > Michigan > Lansing.
Strikes and lockouts > Automobile industry > Michigan > Lansing.
Automobile factories > Michigan > Lansing > Miscellanea.
Mississippi.
Interviews.
Sound recordings.
Genre:
Interviews.
Miscellanea.
Sound recordings.
Online Access:
Listen to sound recording - All users (Michigan State University Libraries)
Local Note:
MSU: Gift of UAW/GM.
Physical Description:1 electronic audio file (65 min., 45 sec.) : digital, WAV, MP3 files.
Format: Audio Software
Description
Summary:
Cookie talks about college and teaching in Mississippi, coming to Lansing in 1963 and 1964 to work summers in the factory and returning south to teach in the fall. In 1965, Cookie permanently hired into Fisher. He describes a workplace with few minorities and one black supervisor. Cookie comments on the 1970 UAW strike, discrimination and race. He recalls applying and being tested for supervision but was told he failed the test. In 1971 he felt he was forced onto supervision to help GM comply with new laws. Cookie recalls that some workers would not accept their paychecks from a black. He talks about cooking a roast in the paint ovens, area dinners, the salaried dining room and retirement.
Note:Title supplied.
Electronic resource.
Call Number:Voice 15492
Playing Time:01:05:45
System Details:Mode of Access: World Wide Web.
Participant or Performer:
Interviewee, Eldridge Cook "Cookie" ; interviewers, McQuaid, Cheryl; Nicholson, Earl; Coulter, Marilyn; Smith, Jerri; Judy, Gary.
Event Details:
Recorded on Jan. 10, 2006, as part of the United Auto Workers Local 602/General Motors Oral History Project.