[Fonnie Price, an African American, discusses his career as a UAW production worker, skilled trades millwright, then GM maintenance manager at the Fisher Body plant in Lansing, MI].

Fonnie talks about working for Studebaker in South Bend and coming to Fisher in April 1955. He describes a workplace with few blacks placed on the worst jobs, being placed in the lead solder booth and receiving blood tests for lead exposure. Fonnie describes his move to skilled trades, racial issues...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Corporate Author: United Auto Workers Local 602/General Motors Oral History Project
Other Authors: Price, Fonnie (Interviewee), Coulter, Marilyn (Interviewer), Fedewa, John (Interviewer), Smith, Jerri (Interviewer), McQuaid, Cheryl (Interviewer), Judy, Gary (Interviewer)
Language:English
Published: [2006]
Subjects:
Price, Fonnie > Interviews.
Price, Fonnie.
African American automobile industry workers > Michigan > Lansing > Interviews.
Middle managers, Retired > Michigan > Lansing > Interviews.
African American labor union members > Michigan > Lansing > Interviews.
Automobile industry and trade.
Career changes.
Discrimination in employment > Michigan > Lansing.
Interpersonal relations > Michigan > Lansing.
Career development > Psychological aspects.
Postemployment benefits.
Interviews.
Sound recordings.
Genre:
Interviews.
Sound recordings.
Online Access:
Connect to: Listen to sound recording - All users (Michigan State University Libraries)
Local Note:
MSU: Gift of UAW/GM.
Physical Description:1 electronic audio file (62 min., 54 sec.) : digital, WAV, MP3 files.
Format: Audio Software
Description
Summary:
Fonnie talks about working for Studebaker in South Bend and coming to Fisher in April 1955. He describes a workplace with few blacks placed on the worst jobs, being placed in the lead solder booth and receiving blood tests for lead exposure. Fonnie describes his move to skilled trades, racial issues, relations with coworkers and managers, and his move to supervision. He reflects on the challenges of being a lone black supervisor, his promotions, retirement and recent loss of benefits.
Note:Title supplied.
Electronic resource.
Call Number:Voice 15551
Playing Time:01:02:54
System Details:Mode of Access: World Wide Web.
Participant or Performer:
Interviewee, Fonnie Price ; interviewers, Marilyn Coulter, John Fedewa, Jerri Smith, Cheryl McQuaid, Gary Judy.
Event Details:
Recorded on Feb. 1, 2006 as part of the United Auto Workers Local 602/General Motors Oral History Project.