Page 75 - Part One of a Two-Part Story: We Worked for General Instruments

ISSUE : Issue 49

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1988/8/1

From General Instruments' book "Summary of Human Resources." 1. to r.; Assembler Anna Simms: Final Electrical Tester Betty Binder: Quaiitv Control Auditor Marv Mason gers.) That's what we used to fix the coils with. I was a tester--and I had to fit these into the machine, and they had to be straight or it wouldn't catch the connec? tion. It had to be perfectly straight. did. So it wasn't a competition, who was. going to look the best. Because nobody would wear good clothes in there. (And they provided no uniforms at all.) No, there were no uniforms at all. (And what about them was cutting your hands?) Oh, they were all wires. And the wires would just cut through your hands. You know, after doing 500 of them! You'd keep doing it all day long. Eventually the wires were cutting through your fingers. And then there were times when we had noth? ing to use, you know. Materials didn't come in--no tape and no gloves. And then they gave us this jelly stuff to wash our hands with. Every day--or when you went to lunch and that--you used to wash your hands with that. (What would the jelly stuff do?) Take the dirt right off. (Oh, it wasn't to heal the fingers.) No, no, no. Just to get the dirt out. But when you had a cut, it hurt, 'cause it was powerful stuff. The jelly, when you'd put it on your hands. (So after the first day, what did you usu? ally wear?) The oldest pair of jeans I had, and the ricketiest sweater and blouse. You kind of substituted, like. You had this clothes for work, that clothes to go out, sort of thing. Things I was going to throw in the garbage, that were worn out--you didn't throw away. You wore them to work. You wouldn't buy anything new to wear there. Just wore the old--and everybody Suppliers of Coioinerclal Recreational Fenciag P. 0. Box 98?? King St., North Sydney, N. S. B2A 3M1 794-4773 (How about training, now?) Oh, when I went there, yeah, I had--like, they sat me down and showed me what to do. And whenever I had a problem, all I had to do was call, and someone would come. And then if you had a problem with the machine, you just paged one of the guys, and they would come right out and fix it, or get you a new one. They were very efficient. Of course, then again, they didn't leave you sitting there idle 'Have our auger truck dig your holes." CAPE BRETON OFFICES: SYDNEY 539-6315 (toll free) GLACE BAY 849-4547 NEW WATERFORD 862-3350 PORT HAWKESBURY 625-0640 NORTH SYDNEY 794-4788 LOUISDALE 345-2199 MABOU 945-2514 CHETICAMP 224-3204 SYDNEY RIVER 562-0565 BADDECK 295-3130 For All Your Insurance Needs Insure your life. home, automobile, business, farm or travel with ttie leading Canadian-owned, all-lines insurance company... Ttie Co-operators. Our policies, many witti exclusive features, provide you witti some of ttie best, broodest insurance coverages avail? able. Plus, you deal directly witti the friendly, helpful people in our service offices around Cape Breton. Leam more about the complete protection and service we provide. Call or come in to The Co-operators today. oS the co-opethto' 'O Insurance Services LIFE • HOME • AUTO • COMMERCIAL • FARM • TRAVEL DI NO'S fresh baked goods * souvenirs magazines * film * charcoal gifts * novels * camp fuel * ice Ingonish STAY AT DING'S Trailer Park Laundromat ' * close to the National Park One Stop Store & Restaurant Ingonish 75

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