Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Object Name |
Agreement |
Catalog Number |
2017.071.36 |
Description |
Auto-Lite Union booklet. "Agreements National, Insurance, Pension and S.U.B. Between The Electric Auto-Lite Company Todeo, Ohio and Auto-Lite Unit January 18, 1959. Booklet is 164 Pages. Dimensions: 3.5" x 6" |
Physical characteristics |
Booklet is white with black text and the Auto-Lite logo. |
People |
Schneider, Elva |
Search Terms |
Auto-Lite Plant "Things that Matter" |
Subjects |
Businesses "Things that Matter" |
Notes |
Featured in Things that Matter: You may recall the 2016 "Things That Matter" article on the Electric Auto-Lite picket stick that had been signed by 71 employees of the La Crosse Auto-Lite plant. In January of 1956 employees went on strike after the company had proposed a policy change concerning the dismissal of employees. The strike resulted in workers and management having two meetings with the U.S. Mediation and Conciliation Service. An agreement was reached and the strikers returned to work after 11 days. Last year, the La Crosse County Historical Society received a donated Auto-Lite union book along with an I.D. card. The artifacts were donated by Marlin Schneider, who was a member of the Wisconsin State Assembly and represented the 72nd district from 1970-2010. The union book and I.D. card belonged to his mother, Elva Schneider, who worked for Auto-Lite for 24 years. Her donated I.D. card was issued in 1942; however, she had already worked there for several years before then and stayed with the company until it closed its La Crosse plant in 1959. During her time at Auto-Lite, Schneider worked in the voltage regulator department. The Auto-Lite union book is dated January 18, 1959. The book was issued to employees three years after the strike and contained information such as regulations, rules, and guidelines. However, the union book's use was short-lived, as news broke of the company's plan to close the La Crosse plant in May of 1959. The company announced July 3 as the official date of closure for the La Crosse Plant. The closure affected over 1,200 hourly and salaried employees. At the time, Auto-Lite had been "the city's second-leading employer, trailing only the Trane Co.," according to a La Crosse Tribune article from May 9, 1959. Auto-Lite assisted employees in finding new work by providing a placement bureau at the plant in the months prior to its closure. Following the plant's closure, former employees found work in a variety of places in La Crosse. Some chose to open their own businesses--one such business was La Cro, which was created in 1959 by several former Auto-Lite employees. The company is still in operation today as a custom wire and harness assembler. Other former employees, including Elva Schneider, found work in established businesses across La Crosse. Schneider was employed by Artmar Inc. in the 70s and Community Health Options Inc. in the 80s and 90s. This article was originally published in the La Crosse Tribune. Title: Auto-Lite Union Book Author: Hailey Hudzinski Publish Date: March 24, 2018 |