Frank Waldner oral history interview, December 4, 2011

Item — othertype: Oral History

Identifier: WaldnerF_L2012-14

Staff Only

Frank Waldner oral history interview

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Scope and Contents

Interviewed by Traci Drummond. Waldner discusses his family history and growing up in Maryland. He talks about his first job in the military and as a mechanic. He differentiates working in the engine shop and working as a mechanic. He goes to work for Capital Airlines and talks about the various positions he held there. He discusses moving up to the District level and how working in the union has affected his home life. Waldner then becomes Airline Coordinator and he discusses changes in labor since he first started as a mechanic. He faced many challenges as a vice president and he goes into these challenges as well as political events going on simultaneously. He talks in length about the AMFA, PATCO strike and about the Eastern strike with Frank Lorenzo. He ends with discussing the most satisfying part of being a member of the Machinists and how important international relationships were to him.

Dates

Creation: December 4, 2011

Creator

Waldner, Frank (Interviewee, Person)

Restrictions on Access

Oral history available for research.

Biographical Note

Frank Waldner was born on March 10, 1934 in Maryland. His family and the community he was born to were very pro-union. This led him to, after the navy, join the Machinists as a mechanic at Capital Airlines around 1956. Waldner participated in local lodge 1759 as shop steward and later in 1963 he serves as vice president. He is then elected as vice president for District 141 in 1967 while still maintaining local positions. Later on, he became assistant general chairman for the District full time. In 1970 he is appointed to assistant airline coordinator and in 1972 he is airline coordinator. He then gets appointed to the transportation general vice president and stayed in this position until retirement, from 1974-1994.