Page 15 - We Worked for General Instruments: Part Two: The Conclusion

ISSUE : Issue 50

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/1/1

(Darlene, You said there were rumours, ru? mours....) That we heard outside, that the plant was going to close. And we kept be? ing told that it was only a rumour, that it was not closing. So finally, one day, it just got--about 20 people came in. "I was told by this one it was closing," and "I was told by that one." So we shut down. We shut every ma? chine off, and we had a sit-down strike. And we refused to turn anything back on, or to work, until the management came out themselves. (Who organized a sit-down strike?) It just went from line to line. They just decided, you know, like, "Let's just sit down and refuse to work." And they ran to the next line: "We're gonna sit down at 11 o'clock, and refuse to work until they tell us something." And they went to the next line and the next line, and we kept it going, and when 11 o'clock came, every machine shut down. (Just like that.) Just like that. (Everybody participated?) Yeah. And all the foremen went into the office, and told them why everything was shut down. And they came back, and they asked us all to come to the cafeteria. Because we were such a big place, we were too spread out, and you couldn't talk. So we all went into the cafeteria and sat down. And that's when (Bob Liebke) finally came in and...told us, "Yes. We are closing. We'll be closing, starting it out in 3 weeks." And we were told we would get a week's sev? erance pay for every year that we worked. But that they were moving to Mexico. And they said, "Well, we planned to tell you next week. We were giving you 2-week notice." And they said that's all they had to give us, was 2 weeks' notice. And that's what they did. I guess they kind of figured they had to get this work they had there, finished, before they could move out. And they fig? ured if we found out ahead of time, a lot of us would be jumping at other jobs, and quitting on them, and they wouldn't get their work done.... (What was the reaction?) There were a lot of married people in the room. You know, that was their livelihood. There were a lot of husbands and wives, both working there. Which--that meant both their jobs gone. And they were pretty angry and pretty upset. But there was nothing they could do, you know. And they thanked Bob for telling them. At least--like they said--"At least now, we know where we stand." Gee, don't Your Commercial and Home Entertainment Headquarters Young's Sight & Sound Centre uo 306 Charlotte Street Sydney, N.S.B1P1C7 539-5634 - Televisions - Stereos - Components - Pianos Home Organs Church Organs - Video Taping for all Occasions - P. A. Services & installations Lunchtime, dinnertime, partytime, anytime, it's finger iicicin' good. I'ntuf ki| fried 'kidc?H No matter what you're doing'' or how many you're wijh' there's nothing that.tastes so good when you're hungry as... / -'. /-' K'ntu'jqi fried 'IkidceH 5 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU: Z'..' rtORTH SYDNEY * ff new waterfor0,4 • .' Sydney'* sydney 8iver • The Colonel's Taste is Best . CI)eCI|itfetnCI)alet"- n 2A STERUNG ROAD Glace Bay, N. S. Telephone 849-6689 D SYDNEY SHOPPING CENTRE Prince Street, Sydney, N. 8. Telephone 564-6322 D 7 BLOWERS STREET North Sydney, N. S. Telephone 794-3534 D CAPE BRETON SHOPPING PLAZA Sydney River, N. S. Telephone 564-6646 D PLUMIVIER AVENUE New Waterford, N. S. Telephone 862-2111

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