Retirees Study Labor History

(Texas Alliance for Retired Americans)

After their regular monthly luncheon on January 14, UAW Local 848’s retirees and some friends from other locals car-pooled over to the University of Texas at Arlington library. Archivist Claire Galloway gave us a free tour of one of the largest, if not the largest, labor archives in the South. Local 848 was connected to important historical events in a number of ways.

After the tour, some of the retirees brought up their own stories of historical importance. Ed Reach, for example, told about the first African American hired into the machine shop at LTV after the Civil Rights Act was passed in 1965. The general foreman was surprised at how non-racist our white union members were.

Local 848’s retirees meet at 11 AM on the 2nd Thursday of every month. All union retirees and their spouses are encouraged to come. At the February 11 meeting, we will celebrate the anniversary of the Flint Sitdown of 1938, which consolidated the strength of our great union.

Retirees can add a lot to historical information collections.

--Gene Lantz, Texas Retired Americans Secretary