mply hadno other recourse. Sometimes these power-gods had to bereminded that it was we, the workers, who kept this placerunnin (Hamper pg.206). Relationships between workers weregenerally very good, although there was a hierarchy amongthe workers between the new guys and the experienced guys. Franklin...made a career out of intimidating rookies(Hamper pg.51) because until a worker had put in 90 days hecould be fired for any reason. Not all of Hampersco-workers saw eye to eye with him when it came to hiscolumn in the Flint Voice. After one column in which hepoked fun at someone down the line he nearly was strangledto death.The interactions between Management and the lineworkers was quite different than that among the lineworkers. The same solidarity that created bonds between theline workers creates rifts between workers and management.Consequently management did what they could to make it hardfor the workers and to re-affirm their own dominance. HenryJackson, [was] always in a mad quest to break up thechemistry of the Rivet Line by importing snitches andmilksops... (Hamper pg.188). One example of a cruelpersonal vendetta was when during a layoff a supervisorforced one worker to stay on when he didnt want to andthere were many workers who would rather work than be laidoff, strictly as a personal attack. The line workers spitefor management was demonstrated during a slow down whenHamper and one of his friends were discussing a fantasydocudrama they would make that ...would be a collection ofshort pieces that chronicled the systematic executions of[their] least favorite shoplords (Hamper pg.125). Beyondjust friction with their direct management the workers hadquite a few complaints with the higher up corporatemanagement. After an elderly woman was hurt on the assemblyline attempting to do a job she was unqualified for, Hampernoted GMs total aimless approach in evaluating thecapabilities and limitations of a given worker (Hamperpg.110) and ...
