Oral History Interview: John William Page

This interview is one of a series conducted with former employees of the Huntington Owens-Illinois, Inc. glass bottle factory. Mr. John William Page was one of the first blacks ever hired to work at the Huntington Owens glass plant. In this interview, Mr. Page discusses the issue of discrimination against blacks and tells about the work he performed in the maintenance department and the automotive shop. He talks about his many family members who also worked at the factory and friends he made at work. He talks about the changes in management, layoffs, cutbacks, automation, and union activities. Mr. Page was laid off when the plant closed in December of 1993; he was only months from reaching his thirty-year retirement.