Gibson Labor History

[Unionman]

I'm studying labor law and as a Gibson collector, I've been interested in the labor history of the company, as well as that of other musical instrument companies. At Fender for example, I've read accounts of working conditions being rather hazardous prior to their purchase by CBS (open vats of toxic chemicals, etc.). I know that the CBS years are not looked upon favourably by collectors, although I played many CBS-era Fenders with no problems whatsoever, it does seem that it was better-run in some respects than prior to 1965.

 

At Gibson, my research has informed me that Stan Rendell busted the union there (this is from the Walter Carter book as well as many articles in which he complains about negotiating with the work force) and of course moving production from a labor rights state to a state where labor has less power means lower wages and thus costs. I haven't located much information on the workforce prior to the 1960s yet.

 

I've tried many Gibsons from different eras and they have all been superb. I have two Gibsons from the 1970s in my collection and they are just as good as my '96 Les Paul and '95 Flying V.

 

As Gibson collectors, have any of you had any discussions with Gibson employees from the past on this topic?

[pippy]

... I haven't located much information on the workforce prior to the 1960s yet........have any of you had any discussions with Gibson employees from the past on this topic?

The only thing can offer is taken from Gil Hembree's book on Ted McCarty's time as CEO of Gibson - 'Gibson Guitars : Ted McCarty's Golden Era 1948 - 1966'.

 

Ted McCarty; ...."CMI (Chicago Musical Instruments; Gibson was part of the group) had seven companies. I was at Gibson for 18 1/2 years, it was unionized and we never had a strike. There were six companies in Kalamazoo taken into the union during the war and, as far as I know, all five others had one or more bad strikes. People would say, 'Why hasn't Gibson had a strike?' And I'd say, 'Because we treat our employees like they're important. We don't make them feel like nobody gives a damn.' "

 

Tellingly, shortly after Arnold Berlin took over the role of President of the Gibson Corporation from his father - a move which led directly to the resignation of Ted McCarty as CEO and the beginning of what is known as 'The Norlin Era' - the factory was hit by several strikes.....

 

This is backed up in the book by interviews Mr. Hembree had with some three-dozen employees who were working at the Parsons Street plant during this time. All of them, without exception, spoke of the 'McCarty years' as being a period of industrial harmony; and the years that followed as being badly run from the top.

 

Reading the book might be well worth your time. It's long-ish (and dry-ish in parts) but the subject of staff-relations crops up frequently in the text and more so in the interview section.

 

It might also be worthwhile contacting the 'Heritage' guitar company in Kalamazoo. It was set-up (in the now vacated Gibson plant after their move to Nashville) by three top ex-Gibson executives from the 'Old Days'. Someone there might be able to give you some info.

 

P.

[damian]

I'd like to read that book.................I also studied Labor Law, and was a Shop Steward for a while, as well as a legal consultant to unions

 

for a handful of years ( no, I am not a lawyer )........I'm neither pro union nor anti union....I am pro worker....IMHO whether or not any particular

 

company is union or not is is only a fraction of the big picture of what a company is and how it is run.......Quality says a lot about any company......

[pippy]

I'd like to read that book.................I also studied Labor Law, and was a Shop Steward for a while, as well as a legal consultant to unions

 

for a handful of years ( no, I am not a lawyer )........I'm neither pro union nor anti union....I am pro worker....IMHO whether or not any particular

 

company is union or not is is only a fraction of the big picture of what a company is and how it is run.......Quality says a lot about any company......

Damian; you should. I can give you a 'money-back' guarantee that you would get a great deal of enjoyment from it (and you've got that in print!).

 

It might not be as 'Glamourous' as many books on the subject of guitars but few of those are anywhere near as informative nor as interesting as Hembree's effort.

 

The relationship McCarty had with his workers and his approach to dealing with them is subtly fascinating.

 

P.

[milod]

You can't have real quality, regardless of exceptionally skilled workers, under certain types of on the job stress, IMHO. And that's regardless of industry. The work itself has been proven to be a major motivator, and a feeling that "higher ups" wanna micromanage you is a major demotivator.

 

OTOH, I think the OP needs to realize that the 50s were a different world. In fact, that continued into the 1970s. I can't forget big open pots of molten lead for letterpress web presses or linotype operators who frequently got hit with a "squirt" of molten lead.

 

Even today there's a lot of solvent in the air in printing plants, and paper dust. But the pressmen are artists at what they do when they can - and they're proud of it regardless of higher-ups.

 

OSHA in ways was a good thing, although it often has been incredibly stupid in wanting a lot of production type environments to be as safe as your bedroom. I can't forget that they said nothing about the molten lead, but forced a grid around an exhaust fan 15 feet up on a wall 10 feet away.

 

m

[Unionman]

The only thing can offer is taken from Gil Hembree's book on Ted McCarty's time as CEO of Gibson - 'Gibson Guitars : Ted McCarty's Golden Era 1948 - 1966'.

 

Ted McCarty; ...."CMI (Chicago Musical Instruments; Gibson was part of the group) had seven companies. I was at Gibson for 18 1/2 years, it was unionized and we never had a strike. There were six companies in Kalamazoo taken into the union during the war and, as far as I know, all five others had one or more bad strikes. People would say, 'Why hasn't Gibson had a strike?' And I'd say, 'Because we treat our employees like they're important. We don't make them feel like nobody gives a damn.' "

 

Tellingly, shortly after Arnold Berlin took over the role of President of the Gibson Corporation from his father - a move which led directly to the resignation of Ted McCarty as CEO and the beginning of what is known as 'The Norlin Era' - the factory was hit by several strikes.....

 

This is backed up in the book by interviews Mr. Hembree had with some three-dozen employees who were working at the Parsons Street plant during this time. All of them, without exception, spoke of the 'McCarty years' as being a period of industrial harmony; and the years that followed as being badly run from the top.

 

Reading the book might be well worth your time. It's long-ish (and dry-ish in parts) but the subject of staff-relations crops up frequently in the text and more so in the interview section.

 

It might also be worthwhile contacting the 'Heritage' guitar company in Kalamazoo. It was set-up (in the now vacated Gibson plant after their move to Nashville) by three top ex-Gibson executives from the 'Old Days'. Someone there might be able to give you some info.

 

P.

 

Thanks, I will check out the book. I did ask about this with Heritage but the person who responded answered with a curt 'no comment' re. my inquiry. I'd like to look through the archives of the Kalamazoo Library if I'm ever there again.

[Unionman]

You can't have real quality, regardless of exceptionally skilled workers, under certain types of on the job stress, IMHO. And that's regardless of industry. The work itself has been proven to be a major motivator, and a feeling that "higher ups" wanna micromanage you is a major demotivator.

 

OTOH, I think the OP needs to realize that the 50s were a different world. In fact, that continued into the 1970s. I can't forget big open pots of molten lead for letterpress web presses or linotype operators who frequently got hit with a "squirt" of molten lead.

 

Even today there's a lot of solvent in the air in printing plants, and paper dust. But the pressmen are artists at what they do when they can - and they're proud of it regardless of higher-ups.

 

OSHA in ways was a good thing, although it often has been incredibly stupid in wanting a lot of production type environments to be as safe as your bedroom. I can't forget that they said nothing about the molten lead, but forced a grid around an exhaust fan 15 feet up on a wall 10 feet away.

 

m

 

It was in the Richard Smith book about Fender that I read about the open vats of various liquids in the plant. Pretty alarming. Even if you disregard the health hazard, what about fire; many people smoked in the '50s. In my experience, the more regulation the better, and that's not just a reference to manufacturing or working in a lab; Wall Street needs to be muzzled and perhaps tasered....

[milod]

Well...

 

I guess I'm a bit older and still live in a different world. Not that I'd care to be back washing auto mechanic tools in gasoline at age 10 as I did back then, but...

 

It seems almost you've your mind made up about how horrid things were as run by uncaring corporations.

 

Seriously, I'll return to the comment about "a different world." It wasn't that people didn't care, their caring simply was exhibited in different ways than current "shop safety" standards.

 

I guess what I'm saying is that on the human relations thing, yup, things ain't changed a bit, and a jerk is still a jerk whether the shop floor janitor or the big shot in a suit.

 

But concepts of what constitutes good working conditions have significantly changed. You've gotta realize that in the '50s, letting employees smoke - and they weren't stupid enough to cause big fires, you'll notice - was part of a good work environment, not a bad one.

 

A different world, yeah. But no more than listening to my Grandpa talk about the horse trading business in the 1890s on the northern plains, or some of the homesteaders circa 1900 I actually have spoken to.

 

Teddy Roosevelt, btw, was a "conservative" by a lotta modern standards, but he probably did more to protect the environment and cut some of the power of the "barons of the bags" than anybody since. But he's gotta be considered by standards of the day, not those of current middle class urban folks.

 

m

[charlie brown]

And...IMHO, too much "over-regulation," is toward/for stupidity, and away from Common Sense!

 

CB

[milod]

CB....

 

Kinda like that uncovered, unprotected molten lead pot - but by golly, the exhaust fan 15 feet above it hadda have a steel cage to protect folks' fingers.

 

<grin>

 

Funny thing, but even the kid newspaper carriers pretty well could see the molten lead used for type was pretty warm, and they just plain stayed away from it. Never did see anybody climbing a ladder over the lead pot in order to stick their fingers in the fan.

 

m

[charlie brown]

CB....

 

Kinda like that uncovered, unprotected molten lead pot - but by golly, the exhaust fan 15 feet above it hadda have a steel cage to protect folks' fingers.

 

<grin>

 

Funny thing, but even the kid newspaper carriers pretty well could see the molten lead used for type was pretty warm, and they just plain stayed away from it. Never did see anybody climbing a ladder over the lead pot in order to stick their fingers in the fan.

 

m

 

Exactly!

 

CB