by Joanne Tosti-Vasey | Aug 31, 2014 | stories
My grandmother, Bernice Savage Bowery was the mother of eight children. According to my now 92-year old aunt, my grandmother, in addition to raising eight children was a social activist. She would spend many a day down at the Palm Beach FL court house complaining and advocating for one thing or another. Eventually someone there said to her, “If you are so passionate about this, why don’t you run for Congress?” So she did. Less than 10 years after women achieved the vote via the 19th Amendment to the US Constitution. She didn’t win but she did run. My mother never told me this story since she was an infant/toddler when Grandma spoke out and ran for...
by David Hurlburt | Aug 31, 2014 | stories
I never met my grandfathers either my mother or fathers father. I did some searching at the baseball hall of fame and found out all the stories about my grandfather being a baseball player in 1900 to 1910 were true. He played for lots of teams from one coast to the other. As a retired CWA member I was thrilled to get all of his statistics but the real thrill was to see his membership card in the umpires union. My grandmothers last husband the only “grandfather I ever knew was a union printer and that is where I heard about unions and craftsmanship. He told me to do the best job you could so you will be proud of the work you have done. He also told me to save a nickel from every dollar that you earn. I listened to his stories as he would beat me a checkers. He was a member for over 50 years and he received an award for being the oldest living member of the...
by A.D. Butz | Aug 31, 2014 | stories
Here’s a brief remembrance for my Grandpa C.F. Butz (1894-1985): Starting before he finished grade school, Grandpa Butz worked with his hands his whole life — from farming to railroads to carpentry as well as a successful little greenhouse business in northern Ohio. It wasn’t just a smooth path of course. One of his brothers was killed by a horse kick to the head. He was drafted into World War 1 but refused to shoot at anyone. No high school diploma. No college degree. Yet he owned a home with land, sent most of his (male) kids to college, and retired to Winterhaven, Florida — where he showed me his curiosity about the world (via National Geographic mag) as well as how to pick & ‘toss’ grapefruit. #TheWayTheyWorked seems pretty different...
by James Daniel Saley | Aug 31, 2014 | stories
I am a forth generation electrician out of Detroit’s Local Union 58 International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. My family has been blessed to have been and continues to be associated with such a strong and proud tradition of men and women who have spent 75 years helping “BUILD AMERICA” into the greatest country ever to exist on this planet! “HAPPY LABORER DAY”! May GOD Bless America and all the Earth’s People!...
by Maureen Kris Halikis | Aug 31, 2014 | stories
My maternal grandfather was a foreman of the Weirton Steel Mill during WWII. He had such pride in his work and he worked hard for his family. My paternal grandfather owned a small restaurant in Coraopolis PA. They served the community through meals and hard work too. Both were from a very small island in Greece of the Dodekanese (Castellorizo). My parents married in Chicago and then came to Los Angeles to build the family...
