Egbert arrest Jan 1962 photo

[Studebaker Wheel]

This wire photo from Jan 18, 1962 made the newspapers around the country during the local 5 strike against Studebaker. The work stoppage would last 38 days and one of the last issues to be resolved was the dropping of the charges against Egbert.

[BobPalma]

I well-remember that photo and caption, Dick. 'Surely must have seen it in a then-current weekly Automotive News, to which my father still subscribed at the time. And it also would have been in the three Indianapolis daily newspapers then extant; The Indianapolis Times, The Indianapolis News, and The Indianapolis Star.

Those 38 days of work stoppage undoubtedly cost Studebaker the last chance they had for a 100,000-unit model year....and less than 2 years later, most of the Local 5 strikers who were hell-bent on cashing in on Studebaker's uptick in sales under Egbert's fine leadership, were facing an uncertain future as they saw the few remaining Studebaker automobile assembly jobs floating across the Great Lakes to Hamilton, Ontario.

Something about the old adage of he who laughs last, except there was nothing funny about it. More like karma, for those who believe in it. (Personally, I prefer Ayn Rand's quotation in my sig line; it's easier to understand.) BP

[Stu Chapman]

How well I remember that story. But of course it developed over a year before I joined the company. Sherwood Egbert's executive secretary, Martha Rich, told me all about the details many years later.

Bob Palma is so right. Unfortunately, in today's society, so many have not yet learned anything from the mistakes of the past. Time for reflection. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah (a few days late), Happy Holidays, Happy New Year to you all.

Stu Chapman

[stude dude]

The same thing happened recently here in Australia where Toyota Motor Co. workers held out for wage increases even though it was well known that the company was losing money on every new Camry they built (subsidized by commercial vehicles and taxpayers) and there was a real concern the local plant would close. They won the dispute, production costs increased, and now they are closing......shame.

Chris.

[Kato]

How well I remember that story. But of course it developed over a year before I joined the company. Sherwood Egbert's executive secretary, Martha Rich, told me all about the details many years later.

Bob Palma is so right. Unfortunately, in today's society, so many have not yet learned anything from the mistakes of the past. Time for reflection. Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah (a few days late), Happy Holidays, Happy New Year to you all.

Stu Chapman

As the saying goes: "Those that forget their past are destined to relive it" The older I get the more I realize how true this is!

[nels]

I well-remember that photo and caption, Dick. 'Surely must have seen it in a then-current weekly Automotive News, to which my father still subscribed at the time. And it also would have been in the three Indianapolis daily newspapers then extant; The Indianapolis Times, The Indianapolis News, and The Indianapolis Star.

Those 38 days of work stoppage undoubtedly cost Studebaker the last chance they had for a 100,000-unit model year....and less than 2 years later, most of the Local 5 strikers who were hell-bent on cashing in on Studebaker's uptick in sales under Egbert's fine leadership, were facing an uncertain future as they saw the few remaining Studebaker automobile assembly jobs floating across the Great Lakes to Hamilton, Ontario.

Something about the old adage of he who laughs last, except there was nothing funny about it. More like karma, for those who believe in it. (Personally, I prefer Ayn Rand's quotation in my sig line; it's easier to understand.) BP

I don't think it was the strike so much, the real problem was the outcome was basically a stalemate. If the corporation would have won some good concessions from the UAW instead of nothing, the banks would have taken a much improved outlook on Studebaker's ability to control labor costs. The strike did put the final nail in the coffin.

[BobPalma]

I don't think it was the strike so much, the real problem was the outcome was basically a stalemate. If the corporation would have won some good concessions from the UAW instead of nothing, the banks would have taken a much improved outlook on Studebaker's ability to control labor costs. The strike did put the final nail in the coffin.

Agreed, Nels; my point about the 38 days was not about the ultimate outcome [move production to Hamilton] so much as the issue of them being on track for a 100,000-unit 1962 model sales year, which they were by all indications. Seriously.

Public acceptance of the newly-restyled 1962 Lark line was excellent and they had a sporty bucket-seat, 4-on-the-floor model mandatory in their market by 1962. They were on track to a 100,000-unit year, which wasn't that ridiculous. After all, 1959 and 1960 had both been 110,000+ years. Although they were losing replacement sales to new Big Three entries, that was still a pool of 250,000-odd 1959 and 1960 Larks ready to be traded for the latest and greatest from South Bend, since the 1962 Lark was so different from 1959 and 1960 models, and most of the shortcomings of the 1959 and 1960 models had been addressed (flathead six, hood prop rod, under-floor master cylinder and automatic transmission check points, through-the-floor clutch and brake pedals, etc.).

But having no cars built for 38-odd days left some dealers with short stocks in the important spring selling season, especially when Egbert had scored a home run, being able to pace the 1962 Indianapolis 500 mile race and/while promoting the new Avanti at the same time. Cousin George and I will never forget attending one of the May Saturday Time Trials for the 1962 500 and seeing our first-ever Avanti in the flesh. Woo-hoo; heady stuff for a 16 YO (me) and 21(?) YO (George).

As I understood it, and nobody has come forth to convince me otherwise in the ensuing 53 years, UAW Local 5 had a more lucrative contract with Studebaker than did workers at The Big Three in terms of overall compensation...but the beef that birthed the subject strike was "X" number of minutes of clean-up time or some such silliness, in the big scheme of things. Heck, if Studebaker could have negotiated down to a pact equal to The Big Three, instead of Studebaker UAW workers having it better than the Big Three, Studebaker might have had a fighting chance for a couple more years before other factors caught up with them. BP

[Bill Pressler]

Bob, all your points are dead-on as usual, but I'm thinking Studebaker did break 100,000 units in the '62 model year, didn't they? I seem to remember the "92,000" number for Larks, 9,335 for Hawks, 7,300-odd Champs, and whatever few other trucks they built.

[nels]

[QUOTE=BobPalma;962756] Agreed, Nels; my point about the 38 days was not about the ultimate outcome [move production to Hamilton] so much as the issue of them being on track for a 100,000-unit 1962 model sales year, which they were by all indications. Seriously.

Public acceptance of the newly-restyled 1962 line was excellent and they had a sporty bucket-seat, 4-on-the-floor model mandatory in their market by 1962. They were on track to a 100,000-unit year, which wasn't that ridiculous. After all, 1959 and 1960 had both been 110,000+ years. Although they were losing replacement sales to new Big Three entries, that was still a pool of 250,000-odd 1959 and 1960 Larks ready to be traded for the latest and greatest from South Bend, since the 1962 Lark was so different from 1959 and 1960 models, and most of the shortcomings of the 1959 and 1960 models had been addressed (flathead six, hood prop rod, under-floor master cylinder and automatic transmission check points, through-the-floor clutch and brake pedals, etc.).

But having no cars built for 38-odd days left some dealers with short stocks in the important spring selling season, especially when Egbert had scored a home run, being able to pace the 1962 Indianapolis 500 mile race and/while promoting the new Avanti at the same time. Cousin George and I will never forget attending one of the May Saturday Time Trials for the 1962 500 and seeing our first-ever Avanti in the flesh. Woo-hoo; heady stuff for a 16 YO (me) and 21(?) YO (George).

As I understood it, and nobody has come forth to convince me otherwise in the ensuing 53 years, UAW Local 5 had a more lucrative contract with Studebaker than did workers at The Big Three in terms of overall compensation...but the beef that birthed the subject strike was "X" number of minutes of clean-up time or some such silliness, in the big scheme of things. Heck, if Studebaker could have negotiated down to a pact equal to The Big Three, instead of Studebaker UAW workers having it better than the Big Three, Studebaker might have had a fighting chance for a couple more years before other factors caught up with them. BP[/

Oh, I know, Bob. The best thing would have been no strike at all, at least for the time being. It was very, very poor timing on the UAW's part. Also ashame that all the employees didn't vote on the decision to strike or not strike. I guess that is complacency.

[studegary]

I wonder if the guy's first name was really Gloyd? I have heard of Lloyd and Floyd. Floyd is most likely, to me, because the G is next to the F on a regular QWERTY keyboard.

[8E45E]

Those 38 days of work stoppage undoubtedly cost Studebaker the last chance they had for a 100,000-unit model year....and less than 2 years later, most of the Local 5 strikers who were hell-bent on cashing in on Studebaker's uptick in sales under Egbert's fine leadership, were facing an uncertain future as they saw the few remaining Studebaker automobile assembly jobs floating across the Great Lakes to Hamilton, Ontario.

And all they were left with in South Bend was a spanking new Union Hall as I mentioned here: http://forum.studebakerdriversclub.c...gbert-Arrested

Craig

[BobPalma]

Bob, all your points are dead-on as usual, but I'm thinking Studebaker did break 100,000 units in the '62 model year, didn't they? I seem to remember the "92,000" number for Larks, 9,335 for Hawks, 7,300-odd Champs, and whatever few other trucks they built.

Bill, you are correct when Hawks are included. I was speaking of the all-important Lark line and should have clarified that. I will go back and edit my OP to do so. Thanks.

I have 93,052 Larks and Lark-based taxicabs of all body styles, plus 9,335 Hawks = 102,387 for the 1962 model year.

Just for grins, I did some figuring as to how many cars might have been produced in those 38 days. Let's assume there were 11 days off for weekends and 3 off for vacations, yielding 24 days during which they could have built cars out of the 38 days on strike, figuring the 38 days included weekends and a couple holidays.

Now, with 365 days per year minus 104 for weekends, 10 for holidays, 20 (4 5-day weeks) for model-year changeover, and 24 strike days lost equals 207 actual production days. The 92,052 Larks they built in those 207 days equals right at 450 cars per day.

450 cars per day X the 24 days lost to the strike = 10,800 cars that were never built. The 92,052 Larks they did build plus the 10,800 they didn't build would have put 1962 model year Lark production well over 100,000, not to mention Hawks and trucks, as you say. Even if 10% of the 10,800 never built were Hawks, there would still have been over 100,000 1962 Larks built. BP

[nels]

Were there lots of left over 1962 models as there were 1963 leftover models?

[BobPalma]

Were there lots of left over 1962 models as there were 1963 leftover models?

Not that I remember, Nels. There were few, if any. 1962 sold out pretty quick. BP

[StudeRich]

I do not remember any sizeable numbers of left over '62's at Frank H. Afton Co. in Inglewood, Calif. certainly not like the '63's and '64's, the stock they had sold well especially the New GT Hawks, they even "imported" a few from other Dealers.

Frank was still downplaying the "Lark" Name on the '62 Cruisers by removing the "Lark" Letters on the front fender, filling the holes and having his own Body Shop refinish the area on every New Cruiser they sold.

By 1963 his requests at the Dealer Council were met on the '63 Cruisers, and the Lark name was officially GONE from Cruisers, and by 1964 all but gone from everything except the Challenger.

The Advertizing Agency did screw up the Brochures and Showroom Salesman's Guide however, by calling Commanders "Larks" which they never were marked as, named or called.