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Murphy, Bette (audio interview #6 of 6)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This sixth session with Murphy was recorded ten days after the previous session. Because of her hectic schedule, on the one hand, and her incredible stamina on the other, the interview was completed in this final three hour session. Although the audio quality is generally good, there are some problems on side d. 11/5/1981
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- 2021-04-12
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- Notes
- *** File: rrrbmurphy23.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-6:48)... Although Murphy was associated with community groups in Long Beach during the 1951 strike, her collaboration with these groups decreased when the strike was resolved. The local did continue to work with the United Way. Other than sponsoring blood drives, Murphy refused to contribute anything to the Red Cross because of their refusal to support the local during the strike. The local organized the Political Action Committee, which was active in the state and city political campaigns of labor-friendly politicians. The international and regional offices of the UAW were not concerned about local politics. However, Murphy learned that the Long Beach City Council was an important lobbying power. (6:48-10:50)... The relationship between the local and community agencies was quid pro quo. Murphy digresses regarding the Political Action Committee, indicating that Douglas and the local campaigned for political candidates separately. The company did not allow any political literature to be distributed in the plant. However, Douglas permitted Murphy to schedule appearances at the plant so that employees could meet politicians and hear their campaign speeches. Her role in the Political Action Committee was to talk politics with the employees and bring the political message to them, either in the plant or at the union hall. The Political Action Committee developed a screening process of politicians that involved developing questions and responses before they appeared at the union hall. (10:50-15:50)... Between the years 1972-76, her involvement with the union focused on the Political Action Committee. She attended local meetings and encouraged people in the shop to demand information from their local representatives about their contract. Murphy was dissatisfied with the political caucuses and felt that the local was losing ground on many of the benefits she fought for during the 1951 strike. She thought that a good political caucus would include honest trade unionists who would not use the local as a political springboard. In 1976, Murphy was admitted to the hospital for physical and psychological reasons. She was told that the nerves in her spine were damaged as a result of ulcerated spurs and that she would not be able to work again. When she recovered in 1977, she plunged into union activities once again. (15:50-20:17)... The local voted to strike in 1977 because of contract issues related to medical coverage and the "jet program," a job classification system initiated by Douglas. Murphy discusses her concerns over these issues and she describes how the jet program was designed. Even though the International office felt they should comply with Douglas, they did not pressure the local to accept the contract. The Bargaining Committee and a majority of the roughly 12,000 local members voted to strike. (20:17-27:22)... Murphy was still on sick leave when the strike was called. However, she was able to vote for the strike because the local constitution stipulated that anyone on sick leave or inactive pay was eligible to vote on union matters. Murphy was not aligned with a political caucus when the strike was called. Even though she did not support the local president, she approached him when she volunteered to help during the strike. At that time, he requested her assistance in the kitchen. Murphy describes her duties organizing the kitchen so that the local could feed the picketers. At one time she was working sixteen hours a day and her staff was feeding the picketers, people at the union hall, and children in the nursery. Her kitchen program was popular with the picketers because of homemade dishes like salsa and chili. Unlike the 1951 strike, the 1977 strike was well funded by local businesses and community groups. For this reason, Murphy never tapped into the strike fund or the International to pay for groceries. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy24.mp3 (0:00-1:14)... Whereas the 1951 strike served as a springboard for women into union offices, the 1977 strike highlighted women's abilities to be strong leaders. Women were holding offices in the shop and in various divisions, including the Executive Board. (1:14-3:06)... Murphy recalls only one person crossing the picket line during the 1977 strike. She describes the circumstances surrounding the woman's decision to go back into the plant. The production at Douglas slowed down substantially during the strike and the work was mainly completed by supervisors. (3:06-6:24)... She describes the differences between the 1951 and 1977 strikes, focusing on the attitudes of the local members and the changing structure of the local. During the strike, Murphy realized that she would not return to Douglas because of her physical disabilities. At one point during the strike, her legs and back went numb and she was bedridden for five days. When she returned to the union hall, her staff made sure that she did not do any strenuous activities. (6:24-10:05)... The 1977 contract negotiations took place at the local. The contract presented to the local by the International office and Douglas did not include any changes to medical coverage or the jet program. Douglas offered a "thirty and out" retirement plan. Murphy did not support the contract because the thirty and out program would neither compensate for the loss of worker benefits nor provide enough income for retirees considering the high cost of living at the time. In all, only seven people retired under the thirty and out program after the contract was signed. (10:05-20:21)... Murphy describes the two votes on contract ratification. The local refused to accept the contract the first time and resumed picketing. The International attempted to use scare tactics and political maneuvering to get people to accept the contract. By the time the second election was held, most of the members of the Bargaining Committee supported the contract and encouraged the local to approve it. Murphy was furious because she felt that the International presented the local with the same contract that they refused to approve the first time around. When she was denied access to the microphone to express her dissent, she approached the International president and recorded their conversation on her tape recorder. At that time, Murphy made a decision to return to labor politics so that she could change the contract. She joined the "team caucus," which was established by Gail Powell, the recording secretary of the Executive Board. (20:21-25:59)... Murphy continues her discussion regarding the formation of team caucus and Gail Powell's election to president of the local. When Murphy heard rumors that Powell was a lesbian, she approached Powell and convinced her to inform the other members of the political caucus. Like Murphy, most people did not care about Powell's sexual preference as long as she did a good job representing the local. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy25.mp3 (0:00-2:49)... For health reasons, Murphy could not run for president of the local. She supported Powell's nomination because she thought "it would be great to have a woman become a president." During the election, Powell's sexual preference was the main criticism of the opposition. People in the shop spoke poorly of Powell and the opposition produced several inappropriate cartoons that circulated the plant. Murphy "kept pounding it into them that it was her [Powell] private life and it didn't interfere with her life when she was a shop steward and recording secretary." Powell overcame the criticism and she received the majority vote during the run-off election. (2:49-8:18)... The International and Regional offices were disappointed with Powell's election to president. They knew that Murphy was a member of the political caucus in power and that she was a troublemaker bound and determined to change the bargaining contract. The International refused to send representatives to the local to formally introduce Powell to Douglas management, as was customary. So Murphy took on this role and relied on her experience in management and in various union offices to teach Powell the ropes. The local attempted to completely cut their ties to the International and Regional offices. However, some procedures required that they cooperate with the International. (8:18-9:33)... There were never any attempts by the IAM to organize the Long Beach plant during periods of political upheaval in the local. Murphy recalls when Bob Berghoff (elected in 1980s as president of Local 148), who was working at Northrop during the 1977 strike, refused to help the Local 148 folks who were trying organize Northrop. Murphy views him as a political opportunist and cannot believe that he was elected president. (9:33-11:03)... When Murphy's political caucus was placed in power there were a lot of inexperienced people who earned positions on the Bargaining Committee or in the shop. The International offered training courses in certain procedures and the local established educational committees that offered various types of classes to local representatives. On the whole, however, Murphy thinks that the Bargaining Committee was not a good group that lacked practical experience and knowledge. (11:03-17:15)... Gail Powell did well for the first six months of her presidency. Her political clout, at least with Murphy, started to decline once she started taking advice from men who held part-time positions in local offices. Murphy did what she could to advise Powell, but Powell eventually began to resent Murphy and stopped listening to her advice. Murphy describes some of the incidents that led her to view Powell and her administration unfavorably. One of Murphy's goals in the local during this period was to reactivate the Women's Committee. She was also a member of the Executive Board and the Political Action Committee. (17:15-21:35)... Murphy continues to discuss the problems in Powell's presidency and the reasons why Powell may have distanced herself from Murphy. Eventually, the disorganization in the local caused Murphy's caucus to split up and join political forces with Bob Berghoff, who was popular with the young people in the plant. He organized a political machine with their support, and his political caucus took over the local during the next election. (21:35-27:57)... Powell attempted to revive the Recreation Committee, and organized basketball, swimming, and other types of activities at the union hall. This was good for the local, but Murphy believed that Powell misused her position by granting lost time too often; people were getting paid when they were not participating in activities. Murphy tried to re-establish the Women's Committee (Women's Council). Powell appointed young women to the committee who were active in women's rights marches and other community activities. Two of the women, however, turned out to be members of the SWP. Powell organized a banquet, but the turnout was poor. Generally, women in the shop were uninterested in the Women's Council because they were comfortable with their benefits in the bargaining contract. The only benefit lacking in the contract was daycare for working mothers. This was added to the 1980 bargaining contract; however, funding and insurance issues have stalled the addition of a daycare facility for women employed at the Long Beach plant. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy26.mp3 (0:00-8:43)... In 1980, Powell organized a banquet in an attempt to encourage women to get involved with the Women's Council. She expected 500 guests, but only around 100 showed. Murphy was embarrassed not only by the turnout, but by Powell's decision to hire a lesbian choir to perform at the banquet. Many of the women were dressed manly and it was a turn off to those in attendance. The Women's Council was eventually disbanded because of ineffective leadership and a lack of interest. (8:45-14:50)... Murphy was hurt when Powell did not recognize her years of work in the local during the banquet. However, she decided to stay in Powell's team caucus even though her administration was laden with problems. Eventually, the caucus began splintering off into other political machines. Murphy was often approached by these caucuses and encouraged to switch parties, but she decided to persevere under Powell's administration. Eventually, Powell found a way to get Murphy to move out of her office so that she would not be privy to Powell's business. Six weeks before the election, Murphy joined the unity caucus and was nominated for recording secretary. Powell could not run for president again because her political caucus had all but disintegrated and she had no funds. (14:50-18:05)... Murphy discusses the power struggles that took place in the local during Powell's administration and how the unity caucus regained power; they got control of eighty percent of the shop stewards in the plant. Because of discrepancies during the 1980 election, Powell appealed to the International office which had to authorize a run-off. However, the political machines in the local protested Powell's decision and the "rat caucus" organized an election without Powell's knowledge, and won the 1980 election. (18:05-25:33)... After the "rat caucus" was elected, Murphy ran for president of the Retiree's Chapter. Powell organized a pre-caucus meeting with the recording secretary and the chairman of the unity caucus in an effort to convince them to support another candidate. (Note: at the time of the interview Murphy was still awaiting the results of the run-off election.) The retirees of the local carry a lot of political clout in the local, which makes Murphy a useful addition to the unity caucus. The International office has contemplated sending in an administrator to solve the internal conflicts in the local. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy27.mp3 (0:00-2:30)... In the 1980 election, the unity and team caucuses gained control of eighty percent of the local. Bob Berghoff, the president of the local, and the rat caucus opposed Jerry Whipple's election as Regional Director. Consequently, Whipple and the International office did not provide Berghoff the support necessary to manage the local efficiently and he lost clout with people in the shop. (2:30-4:42)... Murphy describes the incident that occurred between Berghoff and a woman security guard that resulted in his termination at Douglas. He vowed that he would replace the attorneys who represented in him in this matter once he became president of the local. People in the local and in the shop resented Berghoff's decision to give his wife a position at the local. Murphy believes that the purpose of her presence was to spy on his political opponents and to "keep an eye on him because he was running around." (4:42-16:32)... She talks about her battle with Berghoff and Ken Catton over their accusation that she misused local funds while she was campaigning for the presidency of the Retiree's Chapter. When she refused to reimburse the local, Berghoff sent her a letter demanding payment or else face legal action. (She reads this letter aloud as well as the original correspondence she sent to the Retiree's Chapter during her candidacy. She also reads the letter she wrote to Berghoff and the local in response to this matter.) (16:32-18:56)... She comments on the participation level of shop employees in the run-off election held after the 1980 general election went awry. (18:56-22:11)... Murphy's recent contributions to the local involved lobbying for benefits on behalf of the Retiree's Chapter and establishing a strong backing in the unity caucus. Upon reflection, she would have found it difficult not to have any challenges or "nothing to accomplish." Even if she retired, she would continue to volunteer her time at the local because there is a need for experienced people. The local does not discriminate based on gender. As long as someone has "the desire and you want to help it doesn't matter." (22:11-25:50)... Changes have occurred in the union in terms of the positions available to women in administrative and salaried offices. Initially, women were placed on the Executive Board as tokens and they were expected to work in an advisory capacity only. However, as more women became active in the local "they put pressure on the International to become representatives." Women in the shop have had relatively equal opportunities because of the benefits outlined in their bargaining contract. (25:50-27:43)... Childcare issues affect both women and men employed at Douglas. Even though the 1980 bargaining contract approved childcare facilities, implementation has not occurred because, according to Murphy, many representatives in the local are waiting to see if they will lose their positions once the International conducts its investigation. She was also told that facilities would not be created until liability and administrative issues were resolved. (27:43-29:49)... Sexual harassment among Douglas employees is more prevalent today than it was during WWII. There are more young women employed at Douglas, some of whom do not wear appropriate work attire. The local represents and protects women when sexual harassment occurs. However, this has not stopped men from making sexually suggestive comments or pressuring women for sexual favors. End of tape. *** File: rrrbmurphy28.mp3 (0:00-1:40)... Murphy continues to discuss sexual harassment and mentions an incident involving a young woman and a former president of the union. It was not unusual for men to promise women more pay and/or promotions in exchange for sexual favors. Overall, women do not communicate about these issues as they once did when the Women's Committee was in operation. (1:40-5:08)... Murphy hoped that the Women's Council would be a forum for women to discuss their issues and use the Air Scoop (the local's newsletter) as a medium of communication and information. However, a lot of women in the shop did not see a need for the committee because they were covered by their contract and they could report inequities to the Executive Board and the Bargaining Committee. Although the union was fair to women, local representatives were not. Murphy talks about being the first woman on the Bargaining Committee. She comments, "I was conscious about staying in my place until I got to the point that I was sure of myself...and then I could take them on." Once she gained the confidence of men in her local, her next challenge was proving herself to men in the International office. She explains that she was never hurt by a man as much as she was by a woman - Gail Powell. (5:08-6:39)... Murphy discusses the current cooperation among women in the union. In addition to occasionally participating in women's conventions, Murphy is also a member of Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW). (6:39-9:28)... When Murphy started working at Douglas in 1942, her life was transformed. After she got involved with the union, she abandoned her thoughts about attending nursing school and pursuing that career. She had no regrets about working at Douglas because "I was able to make a decent living to support my child and it was very rewarding." She learned that working in the labor movement was much more gratifying than nursing because she represented thousands of people. However, working at Douglas had its ups and downs. She believes that her arthritis may have been caused by all the years she stood on concrete while working in production. (9:28-11:04)... She supports the women's movement and believes that women's efforts will benefit both men and women. However, the women's movement and the ERA have lost support because of the radical/extremist faction that exists within the movement. (11:04-12:25)... Murphy talks about her attitudes towards abortion and a woman's right to choose. She believes that if older women got involved in the movement and talked about their horrible experiences with abortion more people would support it. (12:25-13:33)... She is happy that the women's movement is addressing the issue of equal pay for comparable work because women face this problem at Douglas. Jobs must be reclassified so that both men and women do not experience disparate wage levels. (13:33-15:48)... If she was a young woman today, Murphy would be active in political movements such as the ERA. She would also run for political offices on the city level because this is "where it all happens." At one point in her life, however, she aspired to follow in her mother's footsteps and stay home and raise a family. She digresses regarding her grandchildren and great grandchildren. (15:48-21:37)... Murphy discusses her daughter's family life and career. Although for many years her daughter lived a traditional life that revolved around family, she eventually took on more of Murphy's political and career-oriented characteristics. Their relationship is still very close even though her daughter lives in Montana. Her daughter would like Murphy to move to Montana, but Murphy does not think that rural living would be challenging enough for her. Her grandchildren have great respect for her because of her political and union activities. They like to call her their "swingin' grandma." (21:37-25:39)... She mentions her involvement in organizing a swing band at Douglas during the war. The band would congregate in front of Building 13 and employees would gather to dance and listen to music during their lunch breaks. Douglas management cooperated with Murphy in establishing a music program. They also organized square dances and Murphy remembers that employees would quickly change into their dance attire at the end of their shifts and rush to Building 13 to participate in the dances. As soon as Douglas merged with McDonnell, these types of services ended and the relationship between workers and management became very formal. The camaraderie between employees was never as sound as it was during the war. (25:39-27:06)... The relationship between workers and the trade union has evolved and changed over the years from a very cooperative spirit to a disinterested one. In times of difficulty, people pull together, but in times of prosperity their interest declines and people become complacent. She digresses regarding the retiree's in the local, indicating that they are active because of the threat to their social security benefits. (27:06-28:28)... Murphy believes that the key issues facing women employed at Douglas today involve regaining an equitable seniority agreement. In general, Murphy believes that in order to succeed in the job market women need a college education and an organizing spirit so that they can stand up for their rights. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Bette Murphy was one of those women who eagerly joined the ranks of defense workers in 1942, pleased to be patriotic and to leave her lower paying service job. Born in 1918 to a military family, she spent her childhood in the Philippines, Virginia and San Francisco, before the family settled in Los Angeles in the 1930s. She married an Army dental technician when she was only eighteen, and by the time they separated two years later, her daughter had been born. Murphy went to work first as a waitress, and then as a practical nurse. When the war broke out, she and her daughter were living with a family in Washington, and she served as a "nanny." When she heard about the jobs opening up at Douglas, Long Beach, she returned to southern California to seek work there. She remained at Douglas, with only a brief period of layoff after the war, until her retirement in 1978. From her earliest days at Douglas, Murphy began to recruit her fellow workers to join the union (UAW). Over the next thirty six years she held various posts in the Local and at the time of the interview she was an officer of the Retirees chapter. Because of her extensive involvement in the union, a very long oral history was undertaken with Murphy, whose bright red hair earned the nickname, Red. (In all 14 hours were recorded in the course of six interviews.) Because of her busy schedule, it took a full nine months to complete the first four interviews, Then, an impending strike in 1980 and various health problems led to a one year hiatus in the interviews. Despite the long interruption, the rapport that had been established initially, made the resumption of interviews relatively easy. The interviewers own union activity contributed to this rapport, and to Murphy's candor about the problems she had with her union over the years. TOPICS - Political Action Committee work; health issues; 1977 contract negotiations; "jet" job classification program initiated by Douglas; 1977 strike; and organizing strike kitchen;women's roles in the 1977 strike; scab activity; differences between 1951 and 1977 strikes; health; 1977 contract negotiations; "thirty and out" retirement plan; vote on the contract; confrontation with internationGail Powell and her presidency of the Local; relationship between Local and International and Regional offices; Bob Berghoff; training and education of local representatives; Recreation Committee; and Women's CommWomen's Committee (previously referred to as Women's Council); problems in Powell's administration; internal politics of union; 1980 Local elections; and Murphy's election as president of Retiree's Committee; Notediscussions of Local president , Bob Berghoff, and Regional Director, Jerry Whipple; general elections and Local politics; women's roles in the shop and the local; internal conflicts in union; Retiree's Chapter; chsexual harassment; Women's Committee (previously referred to as Women's Council); role on the Bargaining Committee and Executive Board; women's roles in the local; gender relations; CLUW; attitudes towards women's
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