My Great Uncle and the Union-his story

[holboz]

I don't know if this belongs here so mods, please move if necessary.

Yesterday I was going through a huge collection of old family documents that other relatives had been collecting over the years when I found a little stapled set of papers. The cover sheet simply stated:

"DON'T DESTROY THIS BEFORE YOU
READ THE INSIDE STORY OF MY LIFE"
LON A. THOMAS

I was intrigued. This man was my great-great uncle (b. 1886 and d. 1967). I knew nothing about him; he was only a name on the family tree to me.

Eight pages written by Lon depicted a very difficult and poor childhood in Texas. Family bounced all over Texas with his father meeting an untimely death in 1891 leaving a pregnant wife and seven children (Lon was 5 at the time). Of course there was no life insurance or social security death benefits at that time. Lon remembers his mother saving money from taking laundry and ironing and buying a small homestead in Oklahoma where they "made a poor living on a very poor farm."

His teen and adult life wasn't much better. From mucker to miner to farmer to mule skinner and often times long spells of nothing in between. Work was scarce and he constantly travelled between Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and Oklahoma looking for it, firings and dismissals were often done on a whim because someone was always willing to take on a bad job at a cheaper rate than someone else. Every job Lon had seemed to require 12 hour shifts six or seven days a week. Pay ranged from about $1.00 -$2.00 a day. Breaks for lunch or just a moment to rest came sparingly, too.

There were a couple of moments of prosperity - one when World War I broke out and the citizenry was put to work to support the war effort. He had a good job on the rail road until a shop strike in 1922, then he lost his job.

He worked for the Ford plant in Oklahoma for a bit but got fired from that job when he turned up to work in a Chevrolet. (OK, he probably had that firing coming).

Things went on and off - but mostly off - for Lon and his wife and boys. Lon started to do odd carpentry jobs in the Dallas area. He wrote,

"I always had a job but all I was doing was working my head off --all the time--and not making enough money, only just getting by. This did not suit me, I wanted to get ahead, I had the ambition to go someplace. If I could just get a change--and I came to the conclusion I could not make it alone."

He continues:

One day I saw a big brick residence going up and I asked the foreman for a job--and he asked me if I had a card. I told him no, but I would see about getting one. So I went to see the business agent of the Carpenters Union and he told me I could make an application, and he would issue me a permit, and I could go to work--in which I did. This was my turning point. I no longer had to worry about my wages--hours--or working conditions. The union takes care of all that. That was September 1940, and from that day on, I have had good work -- at good wages --and good working conditions. After I was a member of the union a short while, I was elected to be recording secretary. I attended all the meetings of the local and taken a great interest in organized labor, for I knew then it was the answer to the problems of the man who worked for his living --and my interest was so great I decided I would dedicate the rest of my life to the cause and resolved I would never be contented until I reached the top. The World War 2 came on and I worked every day and put every surplus dollar into War Bonds. And in 1944 we bought the house we had lived in for nine years in 1946.

<snip>

I retired in 1948...and in June 1949 I was elected Business Agent for the local--I served on this job for 5 years...In 1956 I built our home on the acreage (5 acres he purchased with cash in 1945) and my dream was finally realized.

I have enjoyed every minute I have been in the union. I have attended - my wife also - conventions and meetings over several states. I have met all the big men in labor and a number a good portion of them as my personal friends. I not only tried to build up good relations with my own craft but with all the others--as I was elected to all the offices of the Building Trades and most of the Central Trades Council. And it was with great satisfaction I can count as my friends members of all crafts...My life has turned out as I would want it to. I have all to make a person happy. I have security --three fine sons and a wonderful wife of whom has been my inspiration...


I thought it was massively ironic that I discovered this on the day of the AFL/CIO debate forum, particularly with the stunningly poignant steel worker's question of "What's wrong with America and what do you plan to do to change it?" comment.

[PDJane]

1. Thank you.

Unions are wonderful things, and the people who run them and work for the betterment of everyone have my respect and admiration. My great-uncle was a First Mate in the merchant fleet, and he claimed the union was the best thing ever for him. The only time my mother made a living wage was as part of a union, and my father was a union member of one guild or another from the time he left the service.

[Fridays Child]

2. Great post!

Thanks for sharing your find. This is what the Labor Movement has always been about. If it were me, I'd mail this story to the AFL-CIO.

[aquart]

5. Yes!

[Frustratedlady]

6. I agree! Great story. Whatever you do, don't destroy it.

It is a part of history of the work world, as well as your family.

[wilt the stilt]

3. I am also the son of a Union man

and for many of us it was the union who gave us a chance to get a college education.

[aquart]

4. My grandmother was ILGWU.

At 17, she was the first person to walk out of her sweatshop and go downstairs to join the strike.

I grew up thinking all children sang Union Maid and Joe Hill.

[kernelfarmer]

7. What a wonderful story...Thanks.

Thanks for a wonderful story and tribute to your great-uncle. It was the sacrifices that he and others like him made that have made our standard of living so great in this country for the middle class.

I agree that you should submit your letter to the AFL-CIO. I do suggest that you submit it to a local Central Labor Body or your state's AFL-CIO office. I know here in Iowa our State Federation of Labor has archives all such information. I know it would be much more appreciated locally than in DC.

Thanks again.

Proud to be IBEW.

[flying rabbit]

8. Come on and rec this up!

one more.

[Omaha Steve]

9. This is the right place for the post

Recommended!

[holboz]

10. Thanks for everyone's words -

I thought about submitting to the Union, particularly since Lon was so active in it.

My g. uncle's life up to when he joined the Union was a fascinating and shocking chronicle. He goes into great detail about all of the different jobs, the people he met as he traveled, etc. In fact he says at the beginning something to the effect of "These are the days people refer to when they talk about the 'the good ole' days.'" and how he's never quite understood why people thought those days were good.

Thanks once again, everyone, for your kind words. I appreciate it and I know good ole' Lon appreciates it, too.

:)

[Omaha Steve]

11. The editors of the AFL-CIO blog have read the story

It would be great to see them publish it too!