Russell Alberts talks about working at REO Motor Car Company, in Lansing, MI, from 1928 to 1939. Alberts describes conditions in the plant, his jobs, pay, benefits, and hours, before unionization and the great strides made by workers after the big labor strike of 1937 and the Lansing Labor Holiday. He also talks about the REO Clubhouse, the radio station, REO products and making experimental vehicles for the American military. Alberts' wife, Eva Alberts, describes her work in the REO Navy Department during the war and both discuss an accidental death in the plant and the safety issues which plagued the manufacturer for decades. The interviewer is Shirley Bradley. Recorded as part of the "REO Memories" oral history project.
Download this recording (MP3 format)

• Interview date: 1992-04-16
• Duration: 1:28:50
• Interviewees:
  • Alberts, Eva
  • Alberts, Russell
• Interviewer:
  • Bradley, Shirley J.

• Transcripts
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