My grandfather, Hal Thomas, came back from World War II and moved to St. Louis where he went to school on the GI Bill and worked the assembly line at McDonnell Douglas for thirty years. As a member of the International Association of Machinists, he had decent pay, seniority to choose his work schedule, and a good pension. He sent five children to college on his union paycheck, and enjoyed a decent retirement. When I was a child, he was already retired and hosted the entire extended family for dinner every Sunday at the house he bought with his union job. As a labor and community organizer, what Hal Thomas was able to provide for his family is what I work for all workers to be able to provide for their families.
