From the Archives
The following article titled “What If…” was written back in April of 1984 by then editor of Focus on Labor - Fred Geskus. When you read the article you should observe that many, if not all, of the things he talked about in that article have been tried against us in one way or another since then.
You may ask, “Who was this Fred Geskus?” Well, Fred hired into our plant as a Die Maker Apprentice back in 1957. He became involved in many different ways during his 30 years here.
· He served on the board of Stampers Credit Union.
· He was a Volunteer Fireman with the Georgetown Township Fire Department. He was elected to the Shop Committee of Local 730 back in the early 1970’s, and served there until he was appointed as the Apprentice Chairman in 1977.
· Many of you older Journeymen may remember him as the one who helped hire you into your apprenticeship.
· He served as a delegate to the Kent county UAW/CAP Council, even serving as its Chairman.
· He ran for State Representative from his district back in 1978, losing to the perennial republican from that very republican district.
· When Dallas Dean resigned as editor of local 730’s newspaper, Fred was willing to take on that responsibility too.
So what is Fred doing now? Well, as soon as he got his 30 years in for a pension, he retired in 1987 to pursue his lifelong dream of building houses. Since then he has built a number of houses, remodeled many more, and done more kitchens than he cares to remember. He has found time to help build houses with Habitat for Humanity, with his being the lead builder on the last two up in Luther in 2006; one of them being an all female volunteer detail. He finished his cabin up by Baldwin in 2005, pouring the cement for his deck while it was raining acorns in the fall.
He finally shot a dear rather than his blind a couple of years ago and can be found fishing for that elusive walleye on Lake Cecilia in the summertime. He has alternated spending winters in Arizona and Florida, and can be found walking the beach at Daytona this year. I am not sure what he is looking for there, but his interest sure perks up during Bike Week! Fred is the father-in-law of Maintenance Supervisor Ron Knoper, is still in relatively good health, and turned 71 this past month.
Respectfully submitted,
Karl Dyksterhouse
Vice Chair, Retirees Chapter
What If Nobody Was There?
By Fred Geskus, April 1984
There are a lot of our members who resent the leadership of our Union being involved in politics. But let’s look at what our Union and its leadership have to gain by our involvement. We gain unemployment protection, safe work places for our members and the working class who are even non-union, and seek social justice for all people.
What if it was 1994 and the Unions had been eliminated and broken to the point where they no longer were a unified force?
What if the large conglomerates, large industries, banks, insurance companies, and special interest groups had managed to get the people elected to Washington and Lansing who support only their ideas? Then suppose that Congress said that the government would no longer require companies to contribute to social security, or to provide unemployment benefits or worker compensation, or ceilings on interest rates.
Suppose Congress said we no longer are going to use taxes for pension guarantees, Medicare, food for the hungry, the government agencies who watch over pollution, agencies who protect us against monopolies, agencies who protect our civil rights, and they eliminated the Labor Department.
What if the gas companies and electric companies were going to double our rates and the Unions had no one to send to the hearings because they were not allowed in politics?
What if the elected officials of the special interest groups passed a law that said union contracts were illegal and there should be no minimum wage or overtime paid?
What if all of these things came to pass because we, as a group of people, fell victim to the propaganda and the money influence in this country, and we had no one to tell the elected officials we wanted justice for ourselves and our fellow workers? Would you be the one to write letters and keep informed on every issue and take the time to study a candidate’s background and then take time from work to travel to Lansing or Washington to let them know?
Well, let’s get it straight. We, the Union, are involved for only one reason - and that is for the member’s protection and social justice. We don’t hide the fact that we are involved in politics and what our goals are, and there are a lot of our members who have shown their support by signing their V-CAP deduction cards.
What If Nobody Did?