Series: Interview with Evelyn Gotzion, October 30, 1984

Introduction

Layoffs
Scope and Content Note: 1932. Laid off. Seasonal. Before union, favoritism. Seniority provides predictable system in which all treated alike.

Union Social Activities
Scope and Content Note: Get to know each other. Help to get along on job too. Parties, family affairs. Sports, etc. Social hour after meetings--get to know other workers.

Job Rotation and Grievance
Scope and Content Note: Grievance when company changes line. Workers had rotated jobs so that know all work. “Lifesaver” when work long hours during the war. Help company too. Foreman agrees. Help each other. But company thinks making too much on piece rates. Turns line around. Uses as excuse to cut rates. She shuts line off. Local presidents asks her to join grievance committee to argue the case. Victory. Stays on committee.

Union Gains
Scope and Content Note: Vacation, holidays. Gradual improvement. Health insurance. Rank and file not always realize how much hard work went into these gains--so bring them in to sessions.

Older Workers
Scope and Content Note: Many start work after high school. Stay at Ray-O-Vac. With seniority rights, tend to stay. Seniority stabilizes work force. Nineteen-week pension strike.

Pension Strike
Scope and Content Note: 19 weeks. Got to know each other well. Picket kitchen. Aid from other unions. Help from East Side businesses. “It got to be one big family.” Very small pension prior to 1963 strike.

Union Accomplishments
Scope and Content Note: Someone to go to. Help others with jobs. Camaraderie. During World War II, Thanksgiving potlucks on job. Conditions improved--cleaner. Union emphasizes importance of political involvement. Economic gains--started at $.27 an hour.

First Job at Oscar Mayer
Scope and Content Note: Company rule--one worker per family. Either she or husband had to quit.

Family Networks at Ray-O-Vac
Scope and Content Note: Her brother worked there. Later, nieces and nephews worked there. Workers' children find summer jobs there.

Piece Rate
Scope and Content Note: Workers have different opinions. Some liked system because able to earn more. Bid for jobs based on seniority.

Elimination of Men's and Women's Job Classifications
Scope and Content Note: Many women want better paying jobs formerly in men's classifications. But some problems with merged seniority list. To keep jobs, some forced into hard jobs. To keep jobs, some forced to take night work--at times caused family problems.

Busy Season
Scope and Content Note: July to Christmas. Worry about layoffs December-January.

Her Jobs
Scope and Content Note: Inspector. Sealed battery tops with hot pitch. Bent wires for cells (easy work but arthritis as result). Enjoyed work.

Pay Victories
Scope and Content Note: If machine broke, get down time after certain period. Formerly, company sent workers home if not enough work. With union, company had to pay for at least two hours.

Introduction

Piecework
Scope and Content Note: Majority worked on piece rate. More output, increased production. Some jobs very desirable.

Conditions
Scope and Content Note: No air conditioning. Very hot in summer. Some parts of plant cold in winter. Improved over time. Dirty, but a lot better now. Shop aprons to help protect clothes. No dress code but have to be concerned about safety--working with hot pitch, sparks from machines, etc. Some jobs require safety glasses. Finally persuaded management to pay for safety glasses and shoes. Her arthritis from handwork. Pace nerve-wracking for inexperienced workers.

Union Activity
Scope and Content Note: Limited involvement at first. Tell others to join. Some reluctant, so stressed benefits they received. Got others involved as steward, etc.

Key Issues in Organizing
Scope and Content Note: Seniority. Before that, uncertainty and anxiety. Newer employees let selves be pushed around more.

Union Protection
Scope and Content Note: Have rights, able to protect yourself.

Importance of Standing Up for Self
Scope and Content Note: Describes experience placing cores. Some workers get on others. Stands up for self--then gets along better. Try to help newer workers.

Becoming Active
Scope and Content Note: Worked beside President. Knew his wife. Always attended union meetings. “If I'm going to pay those dues, I'm going to see what they're doing for me.” Asked to do small jobs for union. “I thought it had already helped me by giving me some rights. So I didn't have to be pushed around if I didn't want to, you know.”

Communication
Scope and Content Note: Importance of communication with management. Get issues out in open. At union meetings, get up, express concerns. Make better employees.

Steward
Scope and Content Note: Grievance procedure. Talk to boss first, then written grievance. Older workers helped her out. Advised workers.

Wartime Grievance on Rates
Scope and Content Note: Stood up to boss when rates cut for job. Stopped line. Brought in AFL representative. Backed by workers in department. Won back pay--really boosted the union.

Member Involvement
Scope and Content Note: At first, large attendance at meetings. Newer workers, who came in after made gains, attend less regularly. Election of officers--some campaigned hard. New officers learn it took hard work to make gains--management not give in easily.

Other Ray-O-Vac Plants
Scope and Content Note: Form Battery Council. Plants--Lancaster, Ohio, Clinton, Mass., Fond du Lac and Wonewoc. Compare situations, exchange information, get to know officers of other locals. All plants didn't make the same product.

UAW and Federal Labor Union
Scope and Content Note: UAW stronger than FLU. Refers to Federal Labor Union council “As we grew, we grew stronger, I think.”

Introduction

Support for Closed Shop Elections
Scope and Content Note: Major organizing effort. One worker told her would vote for it because union had proved itself. Key workers who got along well with others were assigned to organize for the votes. Not just stewards.

Aid for Stewards
Scope and Content Note: Sometimes workers upset with stewards--expect too much. Important to have other workers help out.

Social Activities
Scope and Content Note: Important--help understand each other's situation, help families understand jobs. Strengthened union. Dances, picnics, etc. Now company picnic/party.

Retirees
Scope and Content Note: Can attend meetings. Retirees' social hour after meeting. Retirees group--cards, bingo, meetings where learn about union activities, legislation action, etc.

Contacts among Madison Unions
Scope and Content Note: Active in Madison Federation of Labor. Worked at COPE Bean Feed and Labor Day. Got Ray-O-Vac members involved at Labor Day. Enjoyed working at Bean Feed. Gave Stewards Labor Day ticket books. Members attend dances, parties with other locals. Once in UAW, ties with Janesville local. Served on UAW State Recreation Committee.

Labor's Public Image

Union Involvement in East Side Activities
Scope and Content Note: Co-Op store. President William Skaar stressed importance of cooperatives. Substantial membership from Ray-O-Vac but lack of numbers needed to insure best buy. Other unions involved--Building Trades and Meatcutters Local 538 at Oscar Mayer. Met at different union halls to try to build support.

Education
Scope and Content Note: School for Workers. President Skaar stressed educational issues. Some members criticized him for bringing up political and educational issues.

William Skaar
Scope and Content Note: Did not always receive credit he deserved. Far-sighted.

Education (Continued)
Scope and Content Note: Goes over School for Workers ties.

Madison Federation of Labor in 1950s
Scope and Content Note: Differences between building trades and industrial unions. Building trades bigger and stronger. Some complain that building trades were too prominent.

Labor Temple
Scope and Content Note: Location hotly contested. Plans for expansion--wanted to build bowling lanes to help pay for it. Some wanted the Labor Temple built on East Side because most industries were there. Many building trades members lived on West Side.

Madison Federation of Labor Meetings
Scope and Content Note: Good attendance.

Political Activity
Scope and Content Note: Importance of UAW CAP and AFL-CIO COPE--“alerted to issues.” Unions become more involved, stronger politically over the years.

Introduction

Political Activity (Continued)
Scope and Content Note: Politics more part of daily life. More aware of impact on personal lives. Her involvement in ward activity. Work on City Council campaigns. East Side union ties. Knew who could depend on.

Lessons
Scope and Content Note: Value of union experience and training. Importance of politics--more involvement and more opportunity. In work place, gain practical experience working with people. “You get your experience by being in a union, you know. I think you find out that you can do all these things. You get kicked and pushed and hollered at and everything and you get so after awhile it don't mean anything, it doesn't hurt you so much.” Some get good jobs through union experience. Charlie Heymann--“he just has lots of ambition and he's applying it where he thinks he can help people.”

End of Interview