Back to Chapter Headings Back to home page Contact Gene Lantz
I've been trying to remember some of the projects I worked on. Of course, I tried to keep it quiet when I was working or looking for a job. Here are some:
The Journalette, a high-school newspaper I started in 1955. I did a lot of the writing, all the editing, all the typing, and most of the distribution. That same year, I won Student Council President, Best Student in Spanish, and Most Useful Student. A pattern was set: I didn't get paid for any of it and still don't.
I worked at the movies and washed dishes to get through high school and 1 1/2 years of college at East Central State
I received the "good conduct" award for suffering through 4 years in the US Navy. I made E-5
Gene's Janitor Service put me through college at OU
Ending the draft and stopping the war in Vietnam
Advocate for ending corporal punishment
Lille Skole, the "Little School" I started in 1970 and surrendered in 1973. I also helped with a day care, "Small Freaks and Other Minorities;" another elementary school, Pearl; a "free" high school, Daeflower; and a "free university," University of Thought.
Opposing various U.S. interventions, including Nicaragua, El Salvador, Grenada, Iraq and Afganistan
An "underground" anti-war newspaper, Mockingbird. I have also written many articles for Heaven knows how many publications using many many names
The Socialist Workers Party, where I had a great many assignments from "Branch organizer" to sweeping up.
I wrote some articles for The Militant and spent over a year as a typesetter
Fund raiser and publicist for the Political Rights Defense Fund, an anti-Nixon legal action. I was a plaintiff in SWP's lawsuit against the Nixon Administration.
Anti-police-brutality work, including the Milton Glover murder in Houston. I was a plaintiff in the ACLU's lawsuit against Houston police.
Women's rights, including pro-choice and the Equal Rights Amendment
Pro-affimative-action
Ending the death penalty and other civil rights causes
Several union election campaigns, including some of my own
Many political campaigns, including one of my own
Resistance Committee
Hard Times News, later changed to Dallas Advocate. Elaine and I did wrote, published, distributed, and paid for it
Winning my doctorate through parsimony and the GI Bill
Saving my own local union during a 15-month concerted action. I was fired for 1 year, 1 month, 1 week and 1 day of it.
Programming the first computer ever used in a North Texas union (a Commodore 64).
Designed, bought and distributed the first union T-shirts ever used at Local 848
Wrote, published, paid for and distributed The 11 Hour Strike, the 15 Month Ordeal
Headed Organizing Committee at UAW 848 during the period when we went from 70% membership to 92%
Opposed LTV's effort to use bankruptcy law to steal pensions. We won that one, but LTV implemented it later in other companies.
Strikes among chemical workers, steelworkers, and auto workers. Union building here and there.
Anti-Nuke work with the Armadillo Coalition in North Texas
UAW 848 Executive Board. Dallas AFL-CIO Executive Board. Texas AFL-CIO Executive Board
Justice for Karen Silkwood work. Karen died under suspicious circumstances while reporting on the Kerr McGee Corporation
Metroplex Citizens for Aid to Nicaragua
"People's Brigades" to pick coffee berries in Nicaragua. Elaine headed the project for Texas. We each went.
North Texas Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador
Freeing Nelson Mandela and opposing apartheid, mostly by organizing pickets at Dallas Shell stations, distributing literature, and selling buttons.
For fair trade and against free trade -- from NAFTA to "Trans Pacific Partnership" I also marched in the "Battle of Seattle."
North Texas Jobs with Justice, doing all kinds of solidarity and organizing work with most of the unions and other kinds of activists in North Texas 1990-2015
Originated, wrote, distributed and edited 848 Organizer
Worked on UAW 848 newspaper, Texas Aerospacer, since 1985 and edited since 1993. I take most of the photos, write most of the text, and do the layout.
UAW 848 archives, including 26 scrapbooks of labor history
Wrote & published A History of UAW 848
Annotated Texas labor history timeline (on line)
Originated primitive web sites for North Texas Jobs with Justice, UAW 848, Texas Alliance for Retired Americans
Originated the committee that won unprecedented benefits for aerospace layoff victims. I think it was the first time in the industry
Did a lot of work on "Wake Up Walmart," and its later version "OUR WALMART." There's a restraining order against me on that.
Chairman, UAW 848 Retirees
Secretary, North Texas UAW Retirees Council
Sgt-at-Arms of Dallas AFL-CIO
Texas Alliance for Retired Americans defending and organizng retirees. I was President for 5 years, then Secretary
Singing with Common Ground Street Choir
Originated Labor Action Group and guided it through our first big victory: standing up for the right ot workers to pick their own representatives
Various civil rights activities. Elaine and I have an award from Southern Christian Leadership Conference and another from Coalition of Black Trade Unionists
I can't remember everything and, of course, I'm not done...
Back to Chapter Headings Back to home page Contact Gene Lantz