J.W. Oral History
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Dublin Core
Title
J.W. Oral History
Description
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 to be model maker because she was afraid of the heights involved with electrical work. J.W. describes her apprenticeship and the mistreatment she had to endure not only because she was not only a woman but because she was African American. J.W. decided to get involved in the union increase the representation of women and minorities. She won the position of recording secretary and in 1997 she was appointed to International staff for the UAW, the first African American woman in the history of the UAW to come out of her region to the International staff. J.W. closes the interview with her thoughts on what the union can do to get more women into the trades, the future of the trades at GM, Chrysler and Ford, and the impact that new technology has made on the trades.
Oral History Item
Interviewer
Raucher, Margaret; Advisory Group Members
Interviewee
J.W., 1955-
Date Recorded
2005-08-15
Coverage
Metro Detroit; 1980's-2005
Citation
“J.W. Oral History,” Michigan Oral History Database, accessed October 22, 2024, http://www.database.michiganoha.org/items/show/1875.