It was sometime in the late 50s early 60s. As a result of long past union connections I ran into Sam Goldsmith. He had been the czar of the Brooklyn numbers racket. Sometime in the late 50s District Attorney busted that racket. Out of a job, Sam moved into the Tony Ducks Corello Mafia family. Sam convinced me to come have dinner with some of his buddies in the Teamsters Union. Having worked for Dan Tobin President of the Teamsters in the 44 Roosevelt campaign I came to know a lot of these guys. It was many years since I had been expelled 3 times from the Machinists. I was then working as an Engineer for United Shoe Machinery,
The dinner was at Patrisseys restaurant on Kenmare Street short distance from the old NYPD Headquarters. We arrive. There’s a large round table with a 6 or 8 guys and piles of food and booze. They were chowing away and I needed to keep apologizing for interrupting. Frankly they didn’t give a shit who I was anyhow. Sam introduced me as an, “old labor union guy who really knows how to run a union.” Sam and I were squeezed into the table.
From then on I was just a fly on the wall. I heard, “ we gonna haveto blow that Ford dealer in Staten Island cause he ain’t signen up.” Talking in a whisper I ask, “did you win the election?” Oh maybe you didn’t get it either but the whole table is laughing and choking on the pasta. “Heah Sam tell this knuckle head, whoever he is, we don’t do elections. If duh boss don’t go along he might have a fire or a couple of busted heads, like dat and den it’s organized.”
Now Sam is pleading, “Look guys this is just why I brought Bob down here. So he can tell us how to do this legal like. The days of knocking people off is over. (Back then it was known as Murder Incorporated.) We now gotta learn the legal way. It gets us where we wanna be nobody gets hurt and the DA’s are off our ass.”
In the meantime I’m listening to the big guy next to me explaining how stupid he was to “bet a C note on Mickey Mantle cause last night he fixed him up whit his “Chink girl” who musta sucked the life out of him. Shit I don’t think he knew where first base was. He was probably dream-in out there in right field about last night. Man I am dumb.” Sam kept trying mightily to get them talkin about what I had to say. It went nowheres. I was trying to figure out what Sam was up to?
As Sam drove me home to the Bronx he was extolling the wonders of the boys I just had dinner with. “Oh I know you probably think they're just a bunch of thugs. “Sam I never said that you did.” “Man you should see the presents they got my kids at XMas and I’ll tell you if you get in trouble there never was a better bunch of friends. Say a guy gets sent up, is doin time. His salary gets paid every month for as long as your up there. Nothing in your family is gonna stop. Dats how they are. I admit I wasn’t listening to closely to Goldsmiths intention. Then I got it, he wants me to come work for them. What a bizarre notion. I thank him for an interesting evening and let it go at that.
A short time later I get a call from Sam about a meet (that was a meeting in their world.) that was gonna take place on Wed. night at 10 PM Hotel McAlpin on 34 street and Broadway. Sam wanted me to come because they were ready to make me an “offer I couldn’t refuse.” “Why at at 10 PM Sam I go to work in the morning. “That’s the best time to get all the guys we need at the meet and besides that the only time Tony Pro can make it. I must admit I couldn’t resist trying to understand what they were up to. Pro was Tony Provenzano a Capo in the Genovese crime family who ran the New Jersey Teamsters.
Once again my curiosity got the best of me I just had to go. My then wife thought I was surely out of my mind. I assured her they weren’t about to cement shoe me as I had never double crossed them and man did they ever know it.
Back in my union days when DAs pestered me to testify what I knew about their stealing from their members. I told the cops, “Look I have to live in the Labor Movement. yes I complain about racketeers and crooks in our union paper. I repeatedly said, "we have to clean our own house. If the police do it they will end up running the union." The mob trusted me. At the end of WW2 they gave me a major donation for the French Underground fighters.
Here I was at the Hotel McAlpin meet room 432. There was a big conference table covered with pastrami, roast beef, salami sandwiches. All kind of booze and beer. At the head of the long table sat Tony Pro and about a dozen of his Lieutenants. The room looked like a central casting call for really tough looking hoods. I admit I was getting nervous. Sam introduced me as a guy who built and ran the biggest Machinists local in New York City and, “he’s gonna teach us how to run a union without knockin anybody off or burnin the place down. We gonna become respectable.
Sam said, “now ask him anything you want?” As I looked around the room this was clearly a good sample of the Mafia foot soldiers and wheelmen. “Heah you, "were you ever busted, for what?" “Couple times for disorderly conduct on picket lines.” What da fuck is that? He was disorder, they all roared and kept repeating disobey the teacher.” “Okay smart ass. Da bosses aint got enough money for all da guys on da trucks. But they wanna take care of the union guys. Whata you gonna do?”
“Oh I would take the money the bosses are offering and place it in the “Health and Welfare fund.” Another burst of laughter, “the health and what fund?” “Hay ain’t nobody told this knuckle head,"everybody takes. Tony gets top, everybody from dare down gets a share. Dat way nobody gets free to talkin witt da DA. Get it everybody takes. Right Tony.” Tony says nothing just shakes his head in agreement.
The questioning continues along the same line of what if? Sometime around midnight Sam raises his hand to make an announcement. Room falls quiet. Sam unfolds a paper, Commences to read. Robert Schrank New York Sate President of the Machinists Union use to be a communist. Everybody knows, those guys are clean as a hounds tooth. Yupp, thats our man, “clean as a hounds tooth.” he’s the next President of the New Jersey Teamsters.” I’m sitting there thinking, what the hell am I going to do now? Sam nods to Tony Pro.
“Okay Rob, I am now getting inside talk signified by “Rob.” “Okay here’s the deal, $50,000 a year plus expenses and a new Cad. every year.” Wow, now there’s along pause they are waiting for me to say something. I think that's a lot of money, more than I ever dreamed of making. Out of nowhere I say, “Tony thanks so much for your generosity. But what do I do for you?
He leans back in his chair looks around the room as if reviewing his General staff, looks over at me says, "You do whatever I tell you.” I thought wow that’s an honest answer. Sam, I think could sense my doubt about the whole proposition jumped up says, “Now Bob don’t give us an answer right away. Talk it over with your wife.” Out of nowhere's I say, “Sam, Tony, I really appreciate your trust in me but I think you could take anyone of the guys here and they could certainly follow your instruction. You really don’t need me for that.” Tony’s final comment, “I hope you don’t end up on welfare.” “I’m okay with that as long as I can sleep well at night.”
Sam assured me we were still friends and if I ever needed a favor just call. We parted and of course some years later I needed a favor. Congressmen Fino from the Bronx introduced an amendment to the Anti Poverty Bill making it’s way through the House. The amendment was a proposed Loyalty oath. I was a Deputy Manpower Commissioner in the Lindsay years. Fino charged that a notorious communist was running the biggest employment program in the country. The speech was far to intelligent to have been written by Fino.
“Sam, no I don’t want any body cut down at the knees. All I want to know is who wrote the Fino speech?” Sam said, “Christ, that’s all? Be back to you within the hour.” He calls back says, “you know Father Ahern up there in the Powerhouse?” St. Patrick's Cathedral. “Yes of course I do he sits on the Cities Anti Poverty Council. We talk regularly and I am having trouble believing this. Bob you can go and make book on it.” I thanked Sam and he assured me “anytime you need help let me know cause we owe you.” Good By Sam and thanks. I’ll remember that.
Sunday, January 29, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Romney and Richard The 111
Shakespeare
If any of the GOP hopefuls would go see Richard the 111 they might get some fresh ideas about doing their opponents in, so to speak. Gingrich’s maybe dig up Santaurums wife’s birther who was an abortion doctor. Ron Paul might figure out that “Mitt” is short for Mitsva a Jewish word for a gift. Romney could take his wife skiing maybe her binding breaks loose. She goes over a cliff. Romney now gets it on with Nancy Reagan and the White House is in sight. Stuff like that but even that’s very tame stuff compared to Richard's.
Last night we went to see Kevin Spacey as Richard the 111. I have seen a variety of actors play this role it has always confounded me. It doesn’t take much time into this play to realize that this man, Richard the 111 is the essence of evil. By the way, from what I have learned it has not much to do with the real Richard the 111. Writers at the time of Shakespeare assumed that this Richard was written as a competition with Christopher Marlowe. These two writers were in a fierce competition to get their plays performed by the Queens players before Elizabeth. Sensationalism was very much part of the stakes. Maybe,that’s the same as now?
This production had the players wearing suits and ties as well as some television like screens in the background. I have always had trouble with the idea that you can put Shakespeare plays in modern costume to make the point that they are HISTORICALLY UNIVERSAL. Well, yes, no and maybe. Feudalism was in its full glory at the time of this play 400 years ago. The Dukes and Duchesses were huge landowners with an army of peasants who worked the soil and could be called up for battle. This was totally the era of the landed Gentry. Not at all like modern times of Corporate Gentry.
What Shakespeare has to say about human drives, desires, wishes, jealousies, envy, and most of all power, are as relevant today as they were in the 1600s. However what is very different is the context. Looking at the Republican primary the closest we come to skulduggery was hauling out Gingriche’s 2nd wife to squeal about his open marriage proposal. I suppose the so called Arab Spring Dictators might be closer to the plays action. But as I said, the times are quite different. Getting back to the play. It is primarily about power and how a most evil man can achieve it.
Here’s my dilemma. Watching this play I have often felt if this was a silent movie we would be booing and hissing Richard every time he reveals a new murder plot to get him closer to Kingship. He repeatedly turns to the audience for approval. And in our silence we give it to him. So? is the audience part of his evil plot? Yet in the play I am admiring the acting while I hate what it stands for. At the end instead of booing and hissing I’m yelling bravo in celebration of an exciting production. Oh yes I think Spacey was not paying attention to Shakespeare's, instructions to the Players.
“O, it offends me to the soul to hear a --------fellow tear a passion to tatters.” Spacey sure did, Further, “ is to hold, a mirror up to nature,” ---------- and don;t overdue it, Spacey! And yes he sure did.
And of course like so much of everything else in our culture wow em and sock em is essential. I assure you the ending will shock you and the ghost of the Bard would probably say,”Now how’d they do that? I know but I wont tell cause you might want to go see it. And by the way even the ending wouldn't help Romney.
If any of the GOP hopefuls would go see Richard the 111 they might get some fresh ideas about doing their opponents in, so to speak. Gingrich’s maybe dig up Santaurums wife’s birther who was an abortion doctor. Ron Paul might figure out that “Mitt” is short for Mitsva a Jewish word for a gift. Romney could take his wife skiing maybe her binding breaks loose. She goes over a cliff. Romney now gets it on with Nancy Reagan and the White House is in sight. Stuff like that but even that’s very tame stuff compared to Richard's.
Last night we went to see Kevin Spacey as Richard the 111. I have seen a variety of actors play this role it has always confounded me. It doesn’t take much time into this play to realize that this man, Richard the 111 is the essence of evil. By the way, from what I have learned it has not much to do with the real Richard the 111. Writers at the time of Shakespeare assumed that this Richard was written as a competition with Christopher Marlowe. These two writers were in a fierce competition to get their plays performed by the Queens players before Elizabeth. Sensationalism was very much part of the stakes. Maybe,that’s the same as now?
This production had the players wearing suits and ties as well as some television like screens in the background. I have always had trouble with the idea that you can put Shakespeare plays in modern costume to make the point that they are HISTORICALLY UNIVERSAL. Well, yes, no and maybe. Feudalism was in its full glory at the time of this play 400 years ago. The Dukes and Duchesses were huge landowners with an army of peasants who worked the soil and could be called up for battle. This was totally the era of the landed Gentry. Not at all like modern times of Corporate Gentry.
What Shakespeare has to say about human drives, desires, wishes, jealousies, envy, and most of all power, are as relevant today as they were in the 1600s. However what is very different is the context. Looking at the Republican primary the closest we come to skulduggery was hauling out Gingriche’s 2nd wife to squeal about his open marriage proposal. I suppose the so called Arab Spring Dictators might be closer to the plays action. But as I said, the times are quite different. Getting back to the play. It is primarily about power and how a most evil man can achieve it.
Here’s my dilemma. Watching this play I have often felt if this was a silent movie we would be booing and hissing Richard every time he reveals a new murder plot to get him closer to Kingship. He repeatedly turns to the audience for approval. And in our silence we give it to him. So? is the audience part of his evil plot? Yet in the play I am admiring the acting while I hate what it stands for. At the end instead of booing and hissing I’m yelling bravo in celebration of an exciting production. Oh yes I think Spacey was not paying attention to Shakespeare's, instructions to the Players.
“O, it offends me to the soul to hear a --------fellow tear a passion to tatters.” Spacey sure did, Further, “ is to hold, a mirror up to nature,” ---------- and don;t overdue it, Spacey! And yes he sure did.
And of course like so much of everything else in our culture wow em and sock em is essential. I assure you the ending will shock you and the ghost of the Bard would probably say,”Now how’d they do that? I know but I wont tell cause you might want to go see it. And by the way even the ending wouldn't help Romney.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Favor From Warren Buffett
Winds of Change....
I had something else ready for today but I love this idea. So lets go with it.
Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
_*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*_
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social
Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the
Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the
American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and
participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!
If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete.
You are one of my 20+ - Please keep it going, and thanks.
I had something else ready for today but I love this idea. So lets go with it.
Warren Buffet is asking each addressee to forward this email to a minimum of twenty people on their address list; in turn ask each of those to do likewise.
In three days, most people in The United States of America will have the message. This is one idea that really should be passed around.
_*Congressional Reform Act of 2011*_
1. No Tenure / No Pension.
A Congressman/woman collects a salary while in office and receives no pay when they're out of office.
2. Congress (past, present & future) participates in Social
Security.
All funds in the Congressional retirement fund move to the
Social Security system immediately. All future funds flow into the Social Security system, and Congress participates with the
American people. It may not be used for any other purpose.
3. Congress can purchase their own retirement plan, just as all
Americans do.
4. Congress will no longer vote themselves a pay raise.
Congressional pay will rise by the lower of CPI or 3%.
5. Congress loses their current health care system and
participates in the same health care system as the American people.
6. Congress must equally abide by all laws they impose on the
American people.
7. All contracts with past and present Congressmen/women are void effective 1/1/12. The American people did not make this contract with Congressmen/women.
Congressmen/women made all these contracts for themselves. Serving in Congress is an honor, not a career. The Founding Fathers envisioned citizen legislators, so ours should serve their term(s), then go home and back to work.
If each person contacts a minimum of twenty people then it will only take three days for most people (in the U.S.) to receive the message. Don't you think it's time?
THIS IS HOW YOU FIX CONGRESS!
If you agree with the above, pass it on. If not, just delete.
You are one of my 20+ - Please keep it going, and thanks.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
Urinating on the Dead
The resurgence of tribalism.
Watching the kerfuffle over the four Marines urinating (High class for peeing or pissing.) on the dead has got me wondering. Why aren’t we asking? Why are the Marines killing these Taliban soldiers? Or vice versa? Nobody in the media seems to be concerned about the killing. But we are sure indignant about pissing on the dead. Oh yes I forgot this has to do with respecting the dead while we don’t give a damm about the living. I am wondering what lies underneath the peeing incident?
In the case of the four Marines in Afghanistan they are involved in a war that we originated by invading their country.Our soldiers are not members of the same tribal group. We are Christians and THEY are Islamist. Hence our soldiers feel they have no restraints when it comes to the enemy. Remember Abu Gairab. We saw same phenomena in Vietnam. Those people became Gooks. Once the soldier sees the enemy outside of his own tribal group, has a very different religion, hell then you can just forget him as a fellow human. That gives the license to go piss on him.
Of course there is more to it than that. To motivate the soldier to kill kill kill It is essential that the enemy be demonized. Made into this non human creature who wants to, “invade our homes, rape our wives, and as they innocently sleep in their beds kill our children.” Well now if that’s our enemy we’ll show em we’ll kill em and then piss on em.” In a lot of Blue Collar bars I can hear the guys at the bar hoisting a few cheering on their pissing buddies. Underneath, in the subnoxious as Jimmy Durante you to say there is the belief that we are superior and that gives us license to do things that the Islamic world will simply not understand. Anymore than we could if it was the other way around.
There are some other interesting variables between the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. The latter had long been a colony of the French. They were fighting the Vietnamese war of independence that we took over as the French were giving up. That left a European stamp on cities like Saigon. American soldiers had a place they could feel at home in a familiar culture a tribal connection. So much so that it resulted in 8000 marriages between US soldiers and Vietnamese. Maybe that cultural,tribal distance between the Iraqis, Afghanistan people and our soldiers accounts for the very high level of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. During these wars I have often wondered what can our guys do for rest and recreation while they are on duty in a land with absolutely no tribal or cultural connection? Contrast with those beautiful Parisian looking women in the Saigon bars.
There was a time a few years back that I was looking forward to the Middle East oil production peaking and the wells going dry. I thought we could then begin to withdraw our need to protect our lifeline of oil.
Israel is another place where tribalism is on the rise. The Orthodox Jews want women to go sit at the back of the bus. They are the balance of power in the Netanyaho Government. It is the influence of the Orthodox that keeps Natanyaho building settlements in Palestinian West Bank. Orthodox Jews would kill every Palestinian if that were possible. They are pals with our own Evangelical Christian tribe who would like to kill every abortion doctor.
The Israeli are in mortal fear of the Iranians getting the bomb. This is the conflict that leads to the present game of CHICKEN over rights of passage through the Gulf of Hormuz. The International boycott is squeezing the Iranian economy. They need to show they can control their own destiny and show the, “invaders,” yes that’s us that they too can play, we’ll now piss on you. President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, “Try gettin your ships through our little straight.” God I hate to conclude this blog with the observation that the men who run the world have been in an endless series of “Pissing contests.” Maybe the women, now a majority in our workforce will do better. I hope.
Watching the kerfuffle over the four Marines urinating (High class for peeing or pissing.) on the dead has got me wondering. Why aren’t we asking? Why are the Marines killing these Taliban soldiers? Or vice versa? Nobody in the media seems to be concerned about the killing. But we are sure indignant about pissing on the dead. Oh yes I forgot this has to do with respecting the dead while we don’t give a damm about the living. I am wondering what lies underneath the peeing incident?
In the case of the four Marines in Afghanistan they are involved in a war that we originated by invading their country.Our soldiers are not members of the same tribal group. We are Christians and THEY are Islamist. Hence our soldiers feel they have no restraints when it comes to the enemy. Remember Abu Gairab. We saw same phenomena in Vietnam. Those people became Gooks. Once the soldier sees the enemy outside of his own tribal group, has a very different religion, hell then you can just forget him as a fellow human. That gives the license to go piss on him.
Of course there is more to it than that. To motivate the soldier to kill kill kill It is essential that the enemy be demonized. Made into this non human creature who wants to, “invade our homes, rape our wives, and as they innocently sleep in their beds kill our children.” Well now if that’s our enemy we’ll show em we’ll kill em and then piss on em.” In a lot of Blue Collar bars I can hear the guys at the bar hoisting a few cheering on their pissing buddies. Underneath, in the subnoxious as Jimmy Durante you to say there is the belief that we are superior and that gives us license to do things that the Islamic world will simply not understand. Anymore than we could if it was the other way around.
There are some other interesting variables between the war in Iraq, Afghanistan and Vietnam. The latter had long been a colony of the French. They were fighting the Vietnamese war of independence that we took over as the French were giving up. That left a European stamp on cities like Saigon. American soldiers had a place they could feel at home in a familiar culture a tribal connection. So much so that it resulted in 8000 marriages between US soldiers and Vietnamese. Maybe that cultural,tribal distance between the Iraqis, Afghanistan people and our soldiers accounts for the very high level of Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. During these wars I have often wondered what can our guys do for rest and recreation while they are on duty in a land with absolutely no tribal or cultural connection? Contrast with those beautiful Parisian looking women in the Saigon bars.
There was a time a few years back that I was looking forward to the Middle East oil production peaking and the wells going dry. I thought we could then begin to withdraw our need to protect our lifeline of oil.
Israel is another place where tribalism is on the rise. The Orthodox Jews want women to go sit at the back of the bus. They are the balance of power in the Netanyaho Government. It is the influence of the Orthodox that keeps Natanyaho building settlements in Palestinian West Bank. Orthodox Jews would kill every Palestinian if that were possible. They are pals with our own Evangelical Christian tribe who would like to kill every abortion doctor.
The Israeli are in mortal fear of the Iranians getting the bomb. This is the conflict that leads to the present game of CHICKEN over rights of passage through the Gulf of Hormuz. The International boycott is squeezing the Iranian economy. They need to show they can control their own destiny and show the, “invaders,” yes that’s us that they too can play, we’ll now piss on you. President of Iran, Ahmadinejad, “Try gettin your ships through our little straight.” God I hate to conclude this blog with the observation that the men who run the world have been in an endless series of “Pissing contests.” Maybe the women, now a majority in our workforce will do better. I hope.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
SAAB Goes Belly UP
What we learned at SAAB ?
It was November of 1974 that six autoworkers embarked for Sweden to work at the SAAB Plant in Soedertaelje. The 1970s was a time of large experiments in how to give workers a greater control of the work. There were self managing work-teams, skunk works where groups of workers,engineers were sent off to develop new products. The objective was simply to give workers a sense of their own achievements in the work process. The new ways of working was considered an attack on boredom and low moral that was causing increased low quality output especially here in the US. At the time it was very common to compare the poor quality output of American manufacturing plants to the Japanese or the Germans.
The autoworkers hadn’t been in Sweden for a few days when McGeorge Bundy President of the Foundation called me, ”Schrank what are we doing in Sweden? I am getting calls from the Swedish Embassy wanting to know who sent these radicals here to stir up trouble?” I needed to convince my bosses at Ford that I was not responsible for whatever was going on in Stockholm. “No I did not set up any kind of shenanigans that was taking place there. Oh, let me get back to the story.
As a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation I was able to create a program called,”American Workers Abroad.” I thought that it would be very educational to have workers from the US. go to work in some of the “New Age Workplaces” in Europe. I was familiar with the work of sociologists and economists writing about the assembly line but none of them actually worked there. Professionals who don’t understand the culture of the workplace writing about it instead of it. The six auto workers chosen by the U.A.W. came right off the assembly line. They went to work at the SAAB plant. Bob Goldman went along reporting on their experience. He was instructed to meet with the six every evening for debriefings on what they had learned. (There is a Ford Foundation publication on the program.)
The idea for sending workers to experience the new ways of working was to get feedback from people who could compare their traditional workplaces to the new ones. At SAAB they had given up the engine assembly line in favor of having a team of two workers assemble a whole car engine. That required close attention to sequences and tools. When they finished they could sign their names to a nameplate on the engine. The whole experience was to contrast it to the old engine assembly line. Volvo had built a plant in Kalmar where a team of workers would do the final car assembly in the same way.
Look, it was not my idea to put the American auto workers on a Swedish TV interview show. The interviewer asked them to talk about their observation on the new workplace. I feel certain that the television folks were sure they were going to glow in great praise for their pioneering workplace experiment. Alas it was not to be.
The first bombshell that fell on the viewers was from a Chicano from Cadillac. “You know” he says, “ In the US we’re discriminated against because we have a dark skin. In Sweden you get discriminated if your very blond.” As described to me the poor interviewer is totally non plused, don’t know where to go. As he presses forward the US auto workers say,” Look, we noticed that none of the people on the engine assembly are Swedes. So, we start asking around They're all Finns. Who can’t even live here but go back home for the weekend. When we asked the Swedes why they don’t want to do the team assembly they say it’s to hard.” I thought, wow this program is wonderful we are getting some honest to goodness feedback. Of course the Swedes who don’t do to well with criticisms are furious. Hence the phone calls to Bundy.
Okay, This was not a unanimous view of the six. Others said they liked working the engine assembly because it made the day go quicker because you had to think about what you are doing. Another said “and after you do 50 or 100 engines then what?” Some preferred the line precisely because it required no thought just repetitious motion that left you free to think about what’s wrong with my bowling game or whose gonna win the World Series or of course sex.
I learned once again that workers have very different ideas about how the work in the workplace should be done. Charlie Chaplin Modern Times about the assembly line was a great movie. BUT there are thousands of laid off auto workers would be very happy to get back on the line.
Footnote I have written a book called, “American Workers Abroad” MIT Press 1979.
We sent nurses to Britain as well as policemen. The former to experience the National Health Service. The latter to experience community policing out of the cars. Longshoreman to work in the most automated Port Rotterdam. Sailors to work on a “democratically run ship.” Great stories from all of them.
It was November of 1974 that six autoworkers embarked for Sweden to work at the SAAB Plant in Soedertaelje. The 1970s was a time of large experiments in how to give workers a greater control of the work. There were self managing work-teams, skunk works where groups of workers,engineers were sent off to develop new products. The objective was simply to give workers a sense of their own achievements in the work process. The new ways of working was considered an attack on boredom and low moral that was causing increased low quality output especially here in the US. At the time it was very common to compare the poor quality output of American manufacturing plants to the Japanese or the Germans.
The autoworkers hadn’t been in Sweden for a few days when McGeorge Bundy President of the Foundation called me, ”Schrank what are we doing in Sweden? I am getting calls from the Swedish Embassy wanting to know who sent these radicals here to stir up trouble?” I needed to convince my bosses at Ford that I was not responsible for whatever was going on in Stockholm. “No I did not set up any kind of shenanigans that was taking place there. Oh, let me get back to the story.
As a Program Officer at the Ford Foundation I was able to create a program called,”American Workers Abroad.” I thought that it would be very educational to have workers from the US. go to work in some of the “New Age Workplaces” in Europe. I was familiar with the work of sociologists and economists writing about the assembly line but none of them actually worked there. Professionals who don’t understand the culture of the workplace writing about it instead of it. The six auto workers chosen by the U.A.W. came right off the assembly line. They went to work at the SAAB plant. Bob Goldman went along reporting on their experience. He was instructed to meet with the six every evening for debriefings on what they had learned. (There is a Ford Foundation publication on the program.)
The idea for sending workers to experience the new ways of working was to get feedback from people who could compare their traditional workplaces to the new ones. At SAAB they had given up the engine assembly line in favor of having a team of two workers assemble a whole car engine. That required close attention to sequences and tools. When they finished they could sign their names to a nameplate on the engine. The whole experience was to contrast it to the old engine assembly line. Volvo had built a plant in Kalmar where a team of workers would do the final car assembly in the same way.
Look, it was not my idea to put the American auto workers on a Swedish TV interview show. The interviewer asked them to talk about their observation on the new workplace. I feel certain that the television folks were sure they were going to glow in great praise for their pioneering workplace experiment. Alas it was not to be.
The first bombshell that fell on the viewers was from a Chicano from Cadillac. “You know” he says, “ In the US we’re discriminated against because we have a dark skin. In Sweden you get discriminated if your very blond.” As described to me the poor interviewer is totally non plused, don’t know where to go. As he presses forward the US auto workers say,” Look, we noticed that none of the people on the engine assembly are Swedes. So, we start asking around They're all Finns. Who can’t even live here but go back home for the weekend. When we asked the Swedes why they don’t want to do the team assembly they say it’s to hard.” I thought, wow this program is wonderful we are getting some honest to goodness feedback. Of course the Swedes who don’t do to well with criticisms are furious. Hence the phone calls to Bundy.
Okay, This was not a unanimous view of the six. Others said they liked working the engine assembly because it made the day go quicker because you had to think about what you are doing. Another said “and after you do 50 or 100 engines then what?” Some preferred the line precisely because it required no thought just repetitious motion that left you free to think about what’s wrong with my bowling game or whose gonna win the World Series or of course sex.
I learned once again that workers have very different ideas about how the work in the workplace should be done. Charlie Chaplin Modern Times about the assembly line was a great movie. BUT there are thousands of laid off auto workers would be very happy to get back on the line.
Footnote I have written a book called, “American Workers Abroad” MIT Press 1979.
We sent nurses to Britain as well as policemen. The former to experience the National Health Service. The latter to experience community policing out of the cars. Longshoreman to work in the most automated Port Rotterdam. Sailors to work on a “democratically run ship.” Great stories from all of them.
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