"Mister Sid" has finally called it a day.
Sidney Richardson, 90, retired last week from Gadsden's Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co. plant, 72 years after he was hired.
Richardson was the longest-serving hourly Goodyear employee for the corporation worldwide.
More than 9,000 employees have been hired at the plant since Richardson, as attested by his time clock card - No. 0912. New employee cards have passed the 10,000 mark. He was the only remaining employee with a "zero" number.
Two years ago, the plant held a two-day celebration when he finished his 70th year with the company. Last week, Richardson was honored at a ceremony at the USWA Local 12.
At his ceremony, Richardson said he would miss coming to work every day and "seeing my family because I spent a lot of time with my work family over the years."
"It's really all I've ever known, so I will miss it," he said. "But the time is right."
Former division chairman Butch Mitchell said he "never had a minute's problem" with Richardson during 23 years working with him.
"But one thing, if he come up short on that durn paycheck, he'd call me!" he joked to Richardson. "I don't believe that plant can survive without you."
Goodyear-Gadsden Manufacturing Director Gordon Linkous said Richardson's picture should adorn the dictionary next to the phrase "work ethic."
"Sid came from our greatest generation," said Local 12 President David Hayes, "one that knew hard work and had to work hard to get by in life, a generation that was grateful to have a good job and took pride in their job by coming to work and doing their job to the best of their ability."
Richardson began working at the plant on Tuesday, June 22, 1943 at the age of 17. That same week, the Allies began bombing Hamburg, the Nazis rounded up Jews in Holland, and race riots gripped the city of Detroit. There were segregated bathrooms at the Gadsden plant, and not yet a union. That was organized later during his first year on the job.
Richardson started at the plant making less than 50 cents an hour.
"That first day was one of those days were you get up early in the morning and you wonder what the next day holds," he said in a 2013 interview. "I didn't even know what I was going to do. I never had been in the plant before."
During his time with Goodyear, Richardson served in the U.S. Army from 1944 to 1947. He also delivered the morning paper for The Gadsden Times for almost 40 years. At the plant, Richardson worked in the reclaim plant, which no longer exists, in the Mix Center, in the calendar/cutters department, and driving a forklift. He worked under 16 plant managers.
When he was hired, the plant produced about 5,000 tires a day. Now, it makes more than 22,000 a day.
At Richardson's retirement, Linkous presented him with a plaque bearing something "Mr. Sid" said, which will be posted inside the plant as a reminder to employees.
"Put forth a lot of effort," it reads, "Put one foot in front of the other, and you can get through anything."
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.
http://ift.tt/eA8V8J At 90 years of age, employee of Goodyear tire plant retires after working for 72 years. First day on the job was June 22, 1943 at the age of 17. via top scoring links : news http://ift.tt/1NerrLO
Put the internet to work for you.
No comments:
Post a Comment