Ann Francis, a member of UAW Local 652, was a pipefitter, recruiter and instructor for the UAW-GM apprentice program at Oldsmobile plant in Lansing until her retirement. Francis joined the Peace Corps after college and taught English in Malaysia.…
Carrie Harding of Saginaw, MI is an Operating Engineer with Local 3241 and an instructor of MIOSHA, hazardous waste removal, and mine safety courses. While working as a traffic flagger she had an opportunity to train as an equipment operator. …
In this interview Carrie Wells, a tile setter from Detroit recalls how she entered the tile setting trade after attending college and working in a radio station. Wells explains the apprenticeship program’s mandate to accept women and minorities and…
Cathy Dawson was born in Highland Park MI attended Michigan State University for three years before dropping out for financial reasons. After Dawson returned to the area she worked at Detroit Edison as a clerk for a few years but wanted a union job…
Denise Greer of Local 898 is a millwright at the Ford Rawsonville plant. Greer attended college for music but found fulltime work with Ford in 1998. She describes the problems she has had with supervisors and harassment as she is only one of five…
Elaine Crawford was the first women hired at the Ford Motor Co. Rouge engine plant since the Korean War. She was encouraged by a coworker to take the skilled trades test and after scoring very high decided to become an electrician until the oil…
Eva Cardonna grew up Detroit and worked as a medical technician in a Doctors office for 20 years. Cardonna was looking for a change and after completing a carpentry class enrolled at the Ferndale Carpenters Local apprenticeship school. Cardonna…
J.W. is a metal model maker and a trainer with the UAW. Born and raised in Flint, MI J.W. went to work on the line at Delphi East in the mid 1970’s. She worked on the line for 10 years, took the skilled trades test and scored very high. J.W. chose…
Jola Stone attended art school and worked in the engineering and drafting departments of Consumers Power in Grand Rapids, MI before a friend referred her to an opening at MichCon (now DTE). Stone was the first women hired into the drafting…
In this interview, sisters Linda Bart and Judy Ellul discuss their careers as rod busters. Bart entered the federally funded Trade Union Leadership Council in Detroit in 1979 and accepted a position as a rod buster with the Reinforcing Iron Workers,…