Antoinette Brooks-Floyd oral history interview, November 20, 2013

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: Brooks-FloydA_L2013-17

Staff Only

Antoinette Brooks-Floyd oral history interview

Go to file

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Traci Drummond. Brooks-Floyd begins by discussing her family background, growing up in New York, her father’s work and personal history. She talks about her father’s political background and her relationship with him. She talks about her early marriage and motherhood and taking classes at NYU as well as her early work history working part-time at night as a reservationist at TWA. She describes relocating to Los Angeles and taking a reservationist position at TWA, where they had no union representation. She talks about becoming involved in the campaign to secure union presentation for the part time reservationists. After a failed attempt with the Teamsters, the reservationists gain representation with the IAMAW. She talks about her duties as general chairperson of district 142 and describes how she learned about arbitration and organizing. She recalls working with union retirees on the Obama campaign in Ohio and talks about the importance of mentoring and establishing a training program for mentors.

Dates

Creation: November 20, 2013

Creator

Brooks-Floyd, Antoinette (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Antoinette Brooks-Floyd was born in New York City in 1939. Her father was an investment banker. Her mother, a homemaker with health issues, had worked for the New Yorker magazine during the war. She married early, became a mother, entered NYU, and worked part-time nights as a reservationist at TWA. After her family relocated to Los Angeles, she again worked as a reservationist for TWA and started to become involved in union activities, learning how to represent and organize people. She became involved in the campaign to obtain seniority benefits and to get union representation for the reservationists. Eventually, the reservationists gained representation by the IAMAW. Brooks-Floyd eventually became general chairperson of district 142. She was active in local union political campaigns as well as working with union retirees on the Obama campaign in Ohio. She has also been involved in mentoring young machinists.