About the Book:

When Henry Ford revolutionized American industrial manufacturing in 1908 by introducing the assembly line and mass-producing the Model T, working men and women became subjected to the realities of hard production toil.

No thought was given to human needs or the frailties of these laborers. The daily pace and arbitrary decisions of the foremen often measured job security. Injuries, age, and sickness often ended the employability of early industrial workers, sparking a dream that, some day, laborers could better their lives through their industriousness. No effort was made to improve the lot of the workers.

Born from the injustices perpetrated by the ruthlessness of their bosses was the radical idea of unionizing. Industrial unionizing began in the 1930s, and the workplace was never the same. Floor foremen no longer had absolute authority over the workers; a degree of justice at the shop floor level was developing.

In the agricultural implement division of manufacturing America, the United Auto Workers Union eventually prevailed as the sole representative body of the workers.

Seniority, dignity, job security, and freedom away from the workplace were eventually negotiated in the form of vacations, holidays, and pensions. Medical coverage was negotiated as a lifetime benefit.

The cost for the benefits was passed onto the consumer. Eventually, corporate America circumvented the benefit costs by outsourcing whole plants and jobs to foreign countries and non-union entities. The fight to retain American jobs goes on. Congressional members of America “deplore” the loss of our industrial base, but do nothing to prevent it. Real wages and the middle class of American workers continue to decline.

About the Author:

Philip L. Garza retired from the International Harvester Company/ Case Corporation on January 1, 2001, at the age of sixty-nine with more than fifty-two years of service. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Korean War. During his industrial career, he worked as a semi-skilled operator in the machine shop, as an elected officer in the UAW, as a journeyman skilled tradesman, and spent nearly twenty-three years in the layout inspection building. He received his journeyman’s card on August 29, 1990. At IH and Scott Community College, he taught geometric dimensioning to engineers and students of engineering. Phil’s commitment to improving working conditions through the UAW has led to this impressive history.