|
January 11, 1937 – Monday
Had a good sleep last night, since our Governor has said there will be no violence we now rest better. I wish the Flint Alliance would disband. I believe they are only causing trouble. This issue is not an issue that can be settled in the City of Flint. It's a national issue. So the Flint Alliance, so what? Well I see the heat has been shut off again, and it's getting quite cold in here. Well let's wrap up a little warmer, we'll have no trouble about that.
6:15 P.M. --- Here they come! 22 Factory Police with their long night sticks. Going to take the ladders are you? Go ahead, but why carry those clubs. Surely you know you don't need them. We'll have no trouble over a ladder. Wonder why all the police are out in front. See, there's another car of plainclothes men, driving up to the curb. Watch them report to those scout cars that are parked across the road. Do they think we would start trouble? Men don't start trouble when they have been preached to, that there will be no violence and it has been two weeks nearly. What!! They have locked the doors and won't allow our dinners brought in. Why?? Those hot meals those ladies have out there will be cold in a few minutes. You men stay upstairs and let our Police Chief and his men go down and ask for the keys to the doors from Peterson. If he refuses we'll have to open the doors anyway. You can be cold, you know, but cold and hungry is too much. Won't give them - we'll push the doors open. There they go.
The doors are open to us for the first time since this thing has started. Men are shaking hands with their brothers on the outside. Everyone is laughing. Let's sing a song. "Hail, Hail, The Gang's All Here". Look out men, the Police – BANG! BANG! Tear gas bombs. Close the doors quick. Policemen in helmets with gas masks on. Why did they fire on us? Where did they come from so suddenly? They have broken the glass in the front door. BANG! Tear gas fired through the broken glass. Get the fire hose. They say no violence then they attack these unsuspecting, peaceful men. Defend yourselves as best you can. They have broken their words, so let them have it. Bring up those hoses. Come on you pickets! Stones, bottles, bricks, hinges, bolts - flying through the air. Not much for defense, but that's all we have. Some of our men are down. Lousy, shooting a man when he has no gun. Over goes a car. There goes another of our men. More tear gas. Smarting eyes. Look out for that riot gun. BANG! BANG! Ahead men, they are retreating. Keep them on the move. Even policemen can't fight and fight with a heart, with all their guns unless they know theirs is a just cause. More gun fire. It's terrible. Wild shouts and women crying for the safety of their loved ones. Ambulance horns. Reports of a shotgun fired very close. Bottles breaking on the street thrown from the roof. Our men up there are doing their bit. Now all is quiet. We have chased them back at last. Take care of wounded, open those windows, let that gas out. You men who were out on the street come and get warm. Put on some dry clothes. Boy those hoses sure came in handy. And was that water cold; look, my pant legs are frozen stiff. Don't leave the hoses men, they are coming back. Come on men! Let's go and get them. To your posts, they are making another attack. Lord protect us. Who's that shooting from the bridge? Some coward that's afraid to come down close enough so we can reach him. We got them on the run again. Don't stop now. Heavenly Father stop this outrage. Now all is silent again. Is that all of this? Peace on Earth, Good Will Toward Men. What kind of peace is this, I ask you? Now stories of the attack. Tears running down cheeks, tears caused by tear gas bombs. Swollen faces, bloody clothes. What a mess. No one can sleep after this. But I'll say my prayers. Heavenly Father we thank you for stopping this outrage and thank you too for protecting us. We had to protect ourselves, Father. We are thankful it is all over for all times, we earnestly pray. Now I lay me down to sleep ….
January 12, 1937:
All is quiet on Chevrolet Avenue. Streets are littered with refuse … broken windows, dismantled cars – all leave their story of the night before. We men are pleased. The Governor is in town. We are glad the State Troopers and the National Guard are here. We have faith in them, maybe we can trust them. We thought the same of the City Police and look … we want no violence, and will not seek any. Maybe the State Troops and the National Guards will act as our protectors from another attack. Tonight maybe we can sleep. What a good night's sleep will mean. I'm going to hit my cotton bed early. Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray ….
January 13, 1937:
Our good Governor seems to be doing everything in his power to bring our men and those of the General Motors together. If this man Boysen would have kept out of it I believe a settlement would have been reached by now. Captain Lyons of the Michigan State Police asked to visit us today and we escorted him and his men through the plant. He said he was really surprised that there was no destruction of property and that the plant was in such fine shape, after all these hours our men have been here. There can be no destruction when our men watch everything so close, and no rules have been broken. It seems to me that each day brings us closer to an understanding and when an agreement is made we are ready to return to our jobs. We are seeing to it that nothing will have to be repaired before production can be got under way. Well, it's time to say goodnight. A peaceful day. I pray for a peaceful night. Now I lay me down ….
January 14, 1937:
News! News! Wonderful news. Governor Murphy, our President, Mr. Martin and Mr. Knudsen are to meet at 11 o'clock today at our State Capitol and we believe that something will come out of this meeting. The boys all feel good about it, but most of us are out of cash at home and our coal bins are empty. You can't put much away when you are working at the pay we receive and the cost of living so high. Out of work two weeks and we are broke. Everyone seems to be passing the day crowded around the radio, listening to News Flashes from Lansing – hoping they might tell us to return to our homes.
The day is passed. We have had word that the conference at Lansing still goes on. We are tired and some of us are going to retire. All guards at their posts. It's after midnight so back to the cotton for me. Now I lay me down to sleep ….
January 15, 1937:
Extra! Extra! Men are to evacuate the plants – General Motors and our Union are to meet Monday, January 18th and come to some agreement in a period of fifteen days. We men can go home – is that good news or is that good news? The agreement that lead to their future negotiations as I understand them are that we leave the plants and that General Motors do not remove dies or parts and do not attempt to resume operations in any of the strike bound plants during the fifteen days of negotiations. Fair enough I think, and my mind seems at rest for the first time since December 30 last year. That's a long time. Well I'm sure I'll rest tonight. Now I lay me down to sleep. Thank you Father for the protection and help you have given us.
January 16, 1937:
We are to leave the plant, Diary. The boys of Cleveland first, then Anderson, Indiana then to Detroit then Flint. There will be a celebration at each place and Sunday evening we will all be in our homes and are the boys pleased? I wonder how the furniture looks and the children's toys. I'll be so glad to be with them again. Boy, I'm even anxious to see Mike (Mike is the cat). Well here they come, newspaper reporters. Reporters from all over the world it seems. Ed Lahey of Chicago, Louis Stack of the New York Times, Paul Benton of the Washington Times, Edward Angly of the New York Herald Tribune, Associated Press, United Press. Where did they all come from and the questions they ask. Let's get a picture of this. We want a picture of that. All through the day and the early hours of the morning. Gee! They're a nervy bunch. But I guess their jobs call for a lot of nerve. Don't feel like sleeping for tomorrow we go home. But may as well lie down. Now I lay me down to sleep. Thank you Heavenly Father for the help you have given us.
January 17, 1937 – Sunday:
Clean shirts, faces that show marks of an early morning shave. Most of the fellows have neckties on today. Everyone seems to be up early. Some are washing their clothes, others are trying to make their shoes shine. Everyone is in a happy frame of mind. Wonder when they will take us out. The band will be here from Cleveland and we are to parade down to the Union Headquarters. What a celebration. Already people are gathering in front of the shop. What a crowd. They seem to be as pleased that we are coming out as we are of going. 1:45 – here comes the car with the loud speaker. Here comes the band. Music, laughter. What is that announcement? We have been double-crossed? We are not going to leave the plants? Gee! I feel dizzy. Not going home? Not going home after all these preparations. General Motors would not keep an honest agreement. Boysen and his Flint Alliance. This thing would have been settled long ago and we would have been back at our jobs were it not for them. Peace on Earth – who, I ask you, is preventing that peace? Were we not ready and willing to carry out our bargain? Discouraged men. Heart-sick men. Men who had planned to go home, but who have decided to stay for our own interest. Again the long march from the front of the shop to the back of the shop. Back and forth until we are tired and then to bed. Now I lay me down to sleep ….
|
Here they confront union supporters. Their purpose was to act as a neutral buffer betweeen the factory and the outside world.