Brunell, Louis, 1905-1988

              INTEJlVIE\iS
ll~Olffi Y.A.KLI:I
A.Pl.IL; 18, 1982
DR.. LEIGHTON
!Dhe following is a transoripti(1)n. ef a tapel i:m.teniew w1tlll
Leuis Bnuaell. 13 will repre~en t the c€lmrnellts ef Mr. Brunell:•
Q will :represen.t t:m.e questien.s a.null cemmen.ts ef Raymelli. Yaklin
(illlterviewer) ...
!h11s:
1'=c.unnme:Gts ef Lsuis BrUfell.
Q::.eomme:m.ts ud. questi•Jts of R.ayms:ai "Iakli:a.
April 12, 1982.
Na.me: Leuis lbnm.ell
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Wb.a.t shop &ii yeu start in ? Hew ~14 were yeu w»en yeu started?
0 ••• 0h aell Fisker Bedy 2 ••• 27 year8 @1&."
"Ie>u were relatively mature wlae:a you sta.rtei. im. the slil@p •••
"•• Ok yes! 1laJn11 right I wa.s! 0
"What year was it wke:m you startel iJ>. there?
n1933. 11
D• y0u remember wliuit the pay was pier lleur'l;- P,er week? Per year?
"Well you see; •• h,ourly rate ••• pieee werk ••• 35¢-60¢ •• maybe
pe:r day (ho-g.:r}. After th.at piece werk w~tever y0u made y©u
made. After that if y~u made a little mere tAaa y@u shaul4
tlley cut y@u d.ctwa.n
...Ji
~key would cut you d@w.a?
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u •
.li.J'• "~he1 ~eulcl try to keep you d.ew:m.• !Eltat is wlil.a.t brauglit tA.e U:aien ) l
en-that :piiecew0rk is what tie:ae .tt."
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H•w much. per wee·k?
"lfo iiea."
60¢ pel! heu.i: hew mucll dii a bee~ cest you?
"10¢ a g~as~-e.verythiE.g wa.s aooordiiag t~ the times." ~
Were yeu married at the time?
·~·
0 Ye·s sure. • • :M.ad a •ew baby. • J.er~J was born. •et tee lon.g after.
We had it reugh. had to pay $5.00 a m0:m.t:D. rent. a~ulb't de that
Jl.ardly a}Let ef times-t)lat's l;l&w '.h.al?( it waa. What brought that
. l - f
©ll was that pd::eoew@rk-that s what i'1l>D.e it $ee ••• tu.rn.el tee ma.:ay
~au.palls i~~.tr.1ed tG get mere m011ey it would. oatcJa up wit1l y©u.
Maki~ t00 much: mol'iley-stJ they· wo~l_cl cut it d0J1l11-• So. t~ey wouli
cut it. !hat~ s what broμght ~!t, 011. then they would lay yeu e!f. 11
Did.you werk the e:w.tire year wlle:n you first started?
11No ! Ko! Jl'&! '-@body worked an. entire year unless you was oll
skill el trades• •• ma.illta.im.aJtcu~ ••• power pl~t er some place like
that. No such. a thi:ng you weul4 work 3-4 m©nths maybe 6 m©lltks
depe:adei hew they sc>J..~.u
Wll.at did. yeu do the @t.her six mentlas'?
u~ • .U•
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"You*d werk on WPa\. the gevernme•t welfare-what tke heck! That's
all tkere_ was. You were luoky te get tltat toe."
It was tt1rnglit times then?
''Tk.at came 0n after Re>Qisevel t came illl. Gevern@r Murphy at tke
time-lae was th.e cuae th.at helpet us 0ut. u
Speaki~g about that hew did you vgte in 1932?
"· .1. You ~•w wko I vetei fe:rr ••• Reesevel'b. n
Hew abeut fer Gevernci>r remember w:ho yoy veted f0r in 1932?
Jl: "Murph.y ••• he was tke 0ne fer l.aber. He was a. Democrat. n
Q: H&w ab0ut Mayer?
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"Gesh. :m.o! Se 1011.S a.g,."
Strictly Dem0erat a.11 tlte way?
"Wl'q sure, ••• I'm a werkiJLg mall•"
Have you ever v~tei l\epublicaa im your life?
"!fo! Ie! lie! Ieould:m.'t see tl1.ose peep1e. Th.ere tile guys witk the
m0ney.
IB 1936 yeu we~t straigkt Democrat t©e?
"Yes .u
"t~is guy we :tlave ~aw is nat fer us
Milliken?
•11e Itea.gaJJ.. n
•••. I'm. iaet going to give my 0pi:nion. •••
11! d0::a·'t lrn.0w mucll about the guy h.e's not for us. His p0licy
isfi •t:fer tlae workilil.g ma.11.. · ~:bl.in ke·• s fer the rich.
Oan. you t~i:tak back ••. describe same 0f the worki•g cenditions
whea you :first went ill. •• before the strike?
"They were te:i;:nibl.e! 'ferrible! Terrible! Course I worked on the line
see ••• pretty everybedy worked on the lilae. You had your fe:rema.Jt
you kn0w if he like& you O.K. if ae dii•*t Re 1i sh0w you tAe derr
a.Jid out y0u woula ge. 0
Qr·· lleally is tkat h&w it w0rkecl?
B~ "He•a shew you eutside ••• :people loeki:ag fer jebs. ~di taat~s the
way it was. You werked ~ Y cm didll'• t have time e:msugh. te go r~ te
tlle teilett•
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u:t remember the day t:m.ey.!·d come aromta give you a dri:mk of water
~ut ef a pail witk eatmeal i» it. Yeu dare ~•t leave y0ur j©b
or it wernld be gone. Yeu stayed right om. your job ••• like a robet.·"
How many laours iii yeu wark a day?
"Semetimes y0u.~i werk 10 or 9 depe•climg GR :how tlle steck c0me in.
:RUll eut ef steok sometimes they woulclseE.i you heme. You •ever
w0rked. a full day, yeu <lid, but sa:r;r~u! <la.ys yQU would werk l\tardly
at all. Stack would. :n.et oeme in er be late cromil\g in.'0
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How abcrut keatwise in the summer, was it llet?
"Het! We wo:rke& at OJaeva~let tiewa ia t~e kele-aaWJl tltere waa
'unbearable ••• bri:ag icewater ••• witll a 4ippe:t" ill it. ~ve·ryboi7
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druk t>U.t e:f it. o,atmeal water t:D.ey eallei i'i;l1
"
»ltt t'.b.ey just take it up am.d ieWB the liae?
"Yeah ••• up an.i iewn tke line. !l!hose w•re th.e days I'll :aever
f ergei; tilem. • ..
Hew abeut •••• tke werki:m.g co:aii'ti••s were terrible •••
••sue tltey .w~re baa.11
D~d. they get better afte:J tlie st:r1k•?
••sure • ."~:'ierga:m.izei yeu e0ulti .Put you f0et d.ewa ••• 70u ou just de
so much. witlaia :re·aas:m.. All tld.ags get bettei>-wag,es get 'bette:t­everytkiilg
get betiler .. a.f'tel' yeu get &rga.n.ize!. Gee whiz·!
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9niat~e tke reasell fer tlta:t-taey we:re out ta break us. !fkey aid Jlert
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want· tl\e U•i••·lik~ tlrl.e7 ie d&Wlla. South. • ~key 4on.~ t ~a:at ~tlaiB.g
te.ie witll it·•»_a91'b•dy tl\at comes fre;m kere."
Qs Hew abeut the w~rki~ ooE.ciitiens durilll tlae wil\lte11? Was it 0014 •••
lU.cl y@u have te wear your jacket wh.ea y©u wcn:ked?
B: "Yes ••• Jtai te epe:a big Cioors te get tlle steok iai Ne boxcars
like they ie teiay • :Btg leers epea heat was :m.et elleugh. ~Cllftl:g;Jl
.time I '11 tell y0u. 11
Q: Hew ab0ut tlte lll.eise ••• wa.s +t ]leisy?
B .. : "~eala sUlle ••• mest of' it. Did :net betlaer me we:rkel. tlaere l@:m.g yew get
use te itiEveil teaa.y i:f you Ai• inte a plaat ••• the Reise you flet
use te it.n
Q: Besides tlle ceJJ.diti©JlS were yeu llappy witll your jeb? Dil yeu respect
1t ow did y0u 10 ia fer tke money?
JU "I was f e~oel to w0rk aai tllat 's th.e reaso:a•"
Q: I:f yeu. had. a:aetker oll©ice?
1h 0If I kad uetker ol'ubiee I woulEl ll.ave we11t semewh.ere else, but there
was 110 work a.Jli you were luoky to eve• get .tllat. 99';6 :felt the same
wa::r. ~he a.ute iadust:rry was beaming, but tlle werkim.1 cu>Ja&itie•s •• •"
Q: - ~at <lid yeu thillk ef }>lack workers?
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0 We:rrel1. '1i tllat many."'
•*me, i:m. thcuse iays very few ef th.em.
Have uy feelings a.be\it th.em?
"Well, I 11.ever gave it a. thoug11t. If' they wa.atei te ther~ was JJ.eth.in.g
you could do about it ar:a.yway. In these days tlie;e weren't many
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blacka-;m,et hireci. toe muela. V&l.1 te II.ell WCDUlU t hire them.. ''hell tlrte
U:iai&ll came i:a a.ad th.ey put tlle pressure 011. tiemlf"
!•u iea!t mixn w0rki•g alollg siie of tkem?
B: 1111• tlley were il!l. tkere te make a livi:m.€; like myself. T:taey :Rad te
scratch t© you klll.ew ••• 1t wa.s•'t easy for them. 11
Q: New kere is a good question-~befere t~e U~i•• erga:mJ..ze& did you ever
get tegetaer witk your fellow werkers am.Cl talk a.beut yo~ pr•blems?
1U ''All' li ve<i tegeth.er ••• we t:heugltt tkere was n'tkin.g -we ooulci de
aJJ.yWay. ~t get se bad tll.ea people get te1etller. Diffe·rllet
departliae•ts were eut &ctWJJ. se bad pe©ple l>egam. te h.ellera:ad- f ina.117
they get tegetlaer te talk abeut the preblems1:""
Q: Did yeu ever wear a Ulii0ll button?
:B: n'.le E-et before tllat. lie suck thi:ag ••• you~cl get kill.ea ••• tlaey wsulh't
tr·re• let yeu i:n. tlae doer• "
Q: ~•ey 1 i fire y@u?
B: 11 They~i fire y0u fer· any rea.a©ll at all. :Jro:rem.e:a were kin.g ll1 these
clays."
Q: If yeu -414 net de it you were just ge~e. ~kere was always s0me•••
eut tkere looki~g for a jeb •••
B: "Sure ••• sureo 11
Q: ~emember what tke Black Legi•~ was?
::s: "Bo lea 1 t :re:membe~. n
Q: Wh.e11 I say CmDmllUllist tlai:m.king back tJie:m. what &icii yeu tll.illk ef?
»: "Every werkiag ma:n. fough.t agaiBst Oemmum.i,aa .... "
Q: Dil y©u thillk ef CemmUJaists as s0meeBe t~at was bad?
ll: "l"eah, bad h.ell ! l:lt ·wasn't g@ed.. 'l!l\ey were f:Lglltug people-figltt
fer bette:u tlaim.gs ••• never was fer Cemm1.U.tism~ Net fer gosa
fer tkis country•'• .an.yb0ay lm0ws that.·••
Q: Strain. y(!;>Ur memery a little b!tt '35-'36 r1gllt before the strike.
:lew <le yeu remember what lll.app·elae& te cause all tlle uprea:r for tlae
s1Jt~cte:wa t
:B: "Peverty, werkim.g ce:miiti@m.s a:m.d wages."
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Q:· Dtcl tlley speed up the lim.e'l
B: "They'd spee4 it up anytime they fel.t like it.:"11
Q: ~eiuce you~ wages t0e?
:B: "Tltey *ci out yeu dawm. if you made teG muolt money-tlley figured you
ma<ie t@e much meney. Use te speei the line up :ae contrel ever th.e
lime. Th.e feremu was tlle G>lle whe c0atrelle4 the line.
Supervisien they were killg. We were just slaves."
Q: Di<.i you get upset whe·:m. they, speeie4 up· the lin.e? . .
Bi " Y0u coulcl really tell.. Sure yeu kad te rmu Werk faster te keep
yeur jab geiag."'
Q: Wauld tkey run the li•e 8 heurs straigat? Did tkey speed it up
qd slGw it ieWll aJtd speei it it up •• ,?
B: "~hey would slow it cl©wn alld th.e:n speed it up. Yem clld net know it
because yeu were going like hell all tlle iime ~ay. 'Ieu ooull
:aot keep up. They got backed up a.t the e~laer e11d. a:rid finally
th.ey woulA. slew it down. Tlae Union get a· hel'd. of that a.lid
oantrelled that. !hey llad s0mething to say about that-this
is wn.at br0ugllt all •f this em. 11
Q: Befere you struck iid you see a strike coming?
B: u* actually did not tJa.ink abcrmii it• Ye'Ullg . al!ld. greell, but thcmght
it woull come so~•er er late~~ ••
Qi ••• Lik• yeu say yeu lladi a family at heme wh.en the strike broke.
»e yeu remember the Battle 0f Zb.e;lmm!ng Bulls?
B: "Be ••• Bish.er 1 Fish.er 2., l?elioe triei to get them out. Was n.et in
there myself ••• 'blae pe>lioe and th.e viglla:atel1 ·triedl to get tl'l:em out • 11
Q: Hew <lid you feel about that d.ii tke police llave the riglat?
Were you totally behin.d the werkers?
lh "All the way behilll.i the w0rkers llaturally. Oe:rparatien. ewm.ed. the
builii:m.1--i:avaii:m.1 parkecl illeg.ally. Stuck it eut get te hall<l 1 t
te tllem-h.ai te A.ave guts te El0 tlaat ••• Woaea fei them."
Q: It is imp0rtalllt te n~te th.at yeu said before y©u.r wife was ene reasGD.
why y@u did •et sit-d.ewm.-yeu could :t:a.et afford. to ge i:m. •••
:B: 11 ••• !es, t eould :aet afford to ge iA and sit ioWlll ••• baby was ycmag."
Q: Suppert frem eutside?
B: "Supp0rted w&rkers en.tirel7. Oil sure, I was 0ne ef them--sufferecl
just as much as tliey did•t"
Q: Strike is oll lastecl 44 lays-aay f'eelillg abeut 44 Aays-no pay
was eomilfl.g im. c0rrect?
B: ••Of 00urse Jlet ! n
Q: -Hew iii you mailtl.tain?
' Jh 1•:Well, we berrewei m®ltey-aaye:m.e tut weuld help y0u-WJ?A.. n
Q: Di."ii you see any o~ganization behi:m.l tne strike er was it a
spe:ntanieus tkin.g?
ll: 11Spam.ta.nieus. A1l uni tei. ·-~~--~J>OD.tan.ieus thi11g buil<iillg up.. • breaki:ag
p~imt-exploaed. Detroit here-Fisher 1&2. ~~ey called in tke
militia (lla.tienal\~uart).n
Q: Did y0u ge dewm. te the fa.ctcn:ies ana cheek it 0ut?
lh "Ge dmWll 0ll.ce in awhile witk the fellsws te see what was gei:r:l.g 011..
J\eugn. •• •H
Q: "Was th.e strike successful?
B: "Sure it was!"
Q: What be:m.efits did. you gain frem it?
:B: "Everything we have teday came fram tka:t ••• br0ug1llt it en :f0r these
fellows by us ••• different frem c0lll.Ce·ssioD.s teda.y eve:rythiug gailled.
by us."
INTEltVIEW
Q: 0Re thi•&·&ai:m.ed by the strike ••• I thilllk the e•e w0rd is
respeet? . Jtesp,ect fer tlu.e job respect fra>m G.M ••• ?
B.: "lll.at!'·S right! Oo•sidere<l your werk ••• t.hl.ougkt mere af you.
Depeniei 0n hdividual-g.e•d an.a bad guys• Days &;@me by glai
we dicll wh.at we dii because it madle it better all. areulli."
Q: WAat get bette~?
:BJ ''we:r:kim.g co:m.di tioD.s get better
Qt. Pay?
B: 0 Ye11 •• gains all the way arou~~p•
B: n:fee bad if we wemld Jaave lest it ••• because tJley tried te bri:m.g
scabs in there ••• never llad a. chan.ee. Net let tkem ceme 1111 th.ere
p(l)liee selaiers n0 mattea? ••.• geGi gavern0r • 11
Q: Did ycrn tki!lk 80vener Murpky Cl.ii a good jeb during tke strike?
B: 11w·0:m.derfu1 jE>b ! If net for that ma.a might Aa.ve lest it a.ll
Q: · Another gevern•~··•
J3,: tt • ·;;,1 depe:m.c:l wl:l.e. H
Q: Migltt have se11.t troops il!l. •• '~'bleedsllei •• • Murphy a10t of credit?
:a: ''Absolutely, not a werking mall i knew did '.R©t sup:p1ert him. HeY
was fer.tl1e worker. We:m.derful Gever:m.0:11 ••• fer w@rkim.g peeple. L©st
a gooa ma.E.·wltl.en Jae Clied."
Q: ~ew lo~g iii you work i:m. tke sh0p?
:B: H 40 years• U
Q: When did you retire?
lh 111967 ·"
Q: ~st· gr©_s.~?
~~.,,.. (lries t& :fini· last stub)
Qi ~augk guess weuld be?
:B: 11 $7000~;'00"
Q: A:mymc»re cernme.n.ts •••• Strictly a Ul!l.i®ll ma». ••• :rer tlae U:n.iem. •• ~·
strike tuned the · tide fer tke Uai oa and werkers •• 'J
:J3,: 11
•• 'fr Yes."
Q: Gettil\l.g t& some preblems of t€>day ••• wa.ges? Are they overpaid.?
B: 11 lfe wh.atever tkey can get. 11
Q: • •'~:;:If JlGU were a. y0un.g worker and kad to give up ce:m.cession.s would. you
tie it?
INTERVIEW
:B: "Depe.nd 0n time,."
Q: 7: years ill?
B: "l"es, if it helped semeone else keep on. tne job •• ,:11absolutely •••
everyb@dy had ta make a little sacrifice 0~ce in awhile t0 help
the otl\er guy. 0aJl 1t think 0f y@urself all the time he has te eat
a:m.d make paymen.ts •• "
Q: A:ay suggestie>ns f0r G.M.? WJaat ca:m. th.ey do te out ~prices?
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11Defbaa.tely since con.cessio:N.s ••• they probably can •• ~
• •'"~Maybe I caia af:for4 a car
If pA ca'IA l til
"llJI..., . Q.Ji.:.I. ' •••
Pretty bad when you work at G.M. ani caJJ•.. t afford te buy a oar.
" I own. a 1972 Ch.evrolet ••• .,68•000. 11
So yo'-1 still :m.~ve the kighest regard :f0r G .M. pr@duct •• ·;,
w~uli not have any d0ubt about buying a. G.M. prtDduct?
"Oh no! I would ••• taking a oh.uce 0n anything' Problems with th.ese
Jap~ese oars t©e ••• they are n&t braggi:ag these up to0 much either.
S1aok on 1aber ••• labor does not do a f'ull days work."
Alc0lael drug use a preblem?
11Yes. 0
"Did not· have time ta use the depe· in our time. • • did not have it
in the firat place •• .;th.ings changed though.out the years ••• Glad
I retired ·aom't miss it a bit~ We put iR a days werk all 0f us
old-timers •• •Guys in the front office hate·d to see us g(l) because
we put im. a goed days. work. n
by f'ina.1 comment?
n1.•m all for the Union ••• th.ey did. a.lot fer m.e and still are doi:m.g
al@t fer me
Any regrets?
B: '''.lo! They treated. me fair. Always get ale:ng.•
Q: lflaank Y0u!