Thomas Hurd oral history interview, December 7, 2011

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: HurdT_L2012-08

Staff Only

Thomas Hurd oral history interview

Go to file

Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Traci Drummond. Hurd begins by discussing his family background and the circumstances that led to his family moving from Kansas to southern California. Hurd describes some of the jobs that his father held before his passing, his memories growing up around the amusement center, and his family’s political beliefs and the internal conflicts that arose from them. Hurd then describes his military academy and Catholic school educational background, and wishes that he had “joined the Coast Guard like [his] brother.” Hurd recalls the importance of the union in ensuring that he had a job at Rohr aircraft after being laid off and cites that as the reason he became more involved in the union. Hurd recalls a 1970 strike that occurred after a business representative, Ashley Williams “wanted the moon, and he wasn’t going to settle for anything less than the moon,” and how Williams’ actions exacerbated the problems associated with negotiating the strike. Hurd discusses the impact of the Trade Readjustment Act (TRA) on his plant and the IAMAW by moving aspects of aircraft assembly to Mexico, and the role that he had in actively combating TRA that culminated in an editorial in the San Diego newspaper and recognition from Congressman Lionel Van Deerlin (Hurd reads his letter from Congressman Van Deerlin in its entirety). Hurd describes his work organizing a GM bus building facility in Roswell, NM as grand lodge representative, and provides a detailed account of the process of taking over trusteeship of a local lodge. Hurd explains that in his retirement, he chooses to continue participating in his local lodge’s regular meetings and events rather than the retirees’ club that his district lodge administers, because he does not feel that the retirees’ club is involved enough in politics. Hurd worked closely with Lee Pearson, who also participated in the IAMAW Oral History Project.

Dates

Creation: December 7, 2011

Creator

Hurd, Thomas, 1938- (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Thomas “Tom” Hurd was born July 9, 1938 in Los Angeles, CA to Roy James Hurd and Beulah D. Hurd (neé Settle). Growing up, his family was upper-middle class, and while his father held many jobs, the one that Hurd remembers best was his ownership of one-third of the Mission Beach Amusement Center in San Diego, CA. Hurd’s father died young and his mother lost the business that his father had left them in a fire and was left handicapped. Hurd was educated in military academy and Catholic school through his high school graduation. His first experience with union membership was as a box boy at Mayfair Market, where he was a member of the Retail Clerks (now United Food Commercial Workers). Out of high school, Hurd got a job as an assembler at Convair and joined IAMAW local lodge 1112. Although Convair sent him to trade school, Hurd only worked at Convair for eight months before quitting to attend junior college. He only attended junior college for one semester before he returned to aerospace industry, this time at Rohr Industries of Chula Vista, CA. Hurd spent some time in a non-union position as a dispatcher before becoming a steel-rule-die operator and returning to the IAMAW in 1961 as a member of local lodge 755. Hurd held many positions within the local lodge from 1961-1978 including conductor, recording secretary, vice president, and president, before becoming a business representative to local lodge 755, employed through district lodge 50. In 1987, Hurd was selected by General Vice President of the Western territory, Justin Ostro, to apply as a special grand lodge representative and ultimately being promoted to grand lodge representative. In 1996, Hurd was selected as the administrative assistant to the General Vice President of the Western territory, a position he held until his retirement in 2003. Since his retirement, Hurd has maintained active attendance to meetings at local lodge 755. Hurd has one son, who is a business representative in the Teamsters Union.