University of Michigan-Flint
Frances Willson Thompson Library

Genesee Historical Collections Center

Name of the collection: MIKE WESTFALL
Inclusive years: 1980-2008 [bulk 1981-1987]
Quantity: 2 linear ft.
Acquisition: This collection was donated to the Genesee Historical Collections Center by donor no. 272 in February 2005.
Access: There are no restrictions on access.
Photographs: 155 positive prints are kept in the photograph boxes and will be cataloged separately.
Processed by: Paul Gifford, April, 2005.

Biography

           Marshall (Mike) Westfall was a third-generation autoworker and labor activist.  He worked for General Motors Flint Truck and Bus Group, in Flint, Michigan, from 1964 until 1994. 

           In the 1970s, he began to write, speak out, and conduct rallies dealing with corporate restructuring and its impact on workers and manufacturing communities.  In order to educate the public, he developed worker teams that would participate in television and radio programs in Flint and elsewhere.  Westfall’s groups attended and demonstrated at G.M.’s annual meetings. 

            By 1981 Westfall was writing national monthly newsletters and was founder and chairman of United Autoworkers Local 598 25 and Out Committee, later called C.E.R.P. Committee (the acronym stood for C.O.L.A. for retirees; Early Retirement; Paid personal holidays, demands resulting from impending manufacturing job loss).  Ralph Nader began writing about Westfall’s work in the late 1970s and worked with Westfall for the next decade. Westfall invited Nader to Flint, and Westfall also assisted Nader with his book The Big Boys.

            In the mid-1980s, Westfall was elected chairman of the caucus in power at Flint Truck and Bus Assembly, the largest truck capacity plant in the world.  He served on the Board of Directors of the Flint Work Center and for a project by Technivision, Inc. (of Alexandria, Virginia), called the “New World of Work,” a U.S. Department of Education-sponsored activity.  In this capacity he advised on the development of movies and videodisks relating to the impact of corporate restructuring.

            From 1985 the Westfall Awareness Committee fought for contractual changes to protect manufacturing jobs and developed proposals concerning early retirement to offset job loss.   In 1987, Westfall organized and sponsored a rally in Flint, for the 50th anniversary of the UAW, where he brought in as keynote speaker Victor Reuther, one of the union's founders.  Between 1988 and 1990 General Motors and the International UAW enlisted Westfall to write the pilot retirement concept to be used to counter restructured job loss.  This early retirement pilot concept, which would be used to reduce the workforce going forward, was negotiated in 1990 and has since become the blueprint early retirement program for all automotive and other industries.

            Since retirement, Westfall has lived in northern Michigan and has remained active in various projects.  He has since become an independent writer, as well as the editor of a Christian conservative website called Michael Westfall’s The American Conservative Worker.  He and multiple clips of his group's film footage appeared in the 2007 film Manufacturing Dissent, which questioned the ethics of Michael Moore.

Scope and Content
 
            This collection consists of papers generated by Marshall (Mike) Westfall's activity in the United Autoworkers and in other venues.  It includes his regular columns in union and general newspapers, speeches, committee newsletters, as well as files on specific events, such as rallies.  The primary topic of most of the material is "C.E.R.P.," a benefits package proposed by Westfall as a response to employment losses incurred by automation.  He argued that by increasing personal paid holidays, lowering the minimum number of years, and giving the full cost of living allowance (COLA) to retirees would allow earlier retirement.  Westfall took an interest in industrial automation.  He attended trade shows and General Motors Corporation annual meetings to learn what GM and other manufacturers were attempting to do.  He became involved in the production of a film and a television production over these issues. 

             The files on C.E.R.P. consist primarily of newsletters and newspaper columns.  Other files concern particular events, such as tax abatements for General Motors Corporation in Flint and rallies in Flint and Detroit and elsewhere.  There are formal proposals for contract negotiations with General Motors concerning healthcare and overtime and early retirement.  There are a number of files concerning film projects, including one by Michael Moore, which developed into "Roger and Me."  The collection also includes a number of photographs, largely of committee meetings, conventions, and picket lines.  The eighteen cassettes of audio recordings are mostly of television and radio interviews, largely on the same issues, with Westfall and other members of his committee, as well as the proceedings of the 1987 Flint rally and other events.

Folder list

BOX 1
 
Correspondence, 1981-1987

Speeches, 1981-1985

Newspaper articles written by Westfall, 1981-1986

Newspaper articles about us, 1981-1987

C.E.R.P. (Cost of living for retirees; Early Retirement; more Personal Paid holidays)

            General, 1981-1982

            Technology newsletters, 1981-1982

            Public Awareness newsletters, 1982-1984

"25 and Out" columns, 1981

Technology conferences, 1981-1984

"Worker in Crisis" papers, 1985-1986

Notes and miscellaneous, 1980-1987

Property tax assessments reduction, 1985

General Motors Corporation stockholders confrontation letters, 1985-1988

Autoworkers Against Concessions, 1987

Pension C.O.L.A. program, 1989

Detroit "Fink" rally, 1990

National health care proposal, 1990

Overtime/early out proposal, n.d.

Early out contract program proposal, 1990

Television and films

            Technivision, Inc.  "The World of Work" (television program), 1982

            "C.E.R.P., War of Survival" (film), 1982

            New Work Center, 1985

            Film proposals, 1983, 1988

            Films and picture, 1985

            Michael Moore, 1990

Future directions, 1983

Rallies, 1985

Westfall Papers website, 2005

Online articles by Westfall, 2005-2008

Online articles about Westfall, 1981-2007

BOX 2

Cassette tape recordings

            1.  Mike Westfall/ Ralph Nader backyard Flint rally on GM property tax reduction, July 28, 1985.

            2.  Westfall/Nader rally, continued; Meeting at University of Michigan-Flint over GM tax reduction, October 10, 1985; various Westfall interviews.

            3.  Workers Against Concessions rally, Flint, April 5, 1987 (audio from film), with speeches by Mike Westfall, Don Douglas, Dave Barber, Tom Gilbert, Rosemary, Holland, and Victor Reuther.

            4.  Workers Against Concessions rally, Flint, April 5, 1987 (continued), with speeches by Victor Reuther, Jerry Tucker, Mike Westfall (questions and answers, conclusion).

            5.  Westfall press release, UAW Local 598; WJRT-TV (Channel 12) special, Norma Hall interviewing Mike Westfall and Whitey Hale; special report, Jan. 30, 1983, with Mike Westfall and John Robbins; "Newswatch" (WEYI-TV, Channel 25), "Open Camera,"                  Mar. 12, 1983; WNEM-TV (Channel 5), with Tom Inon, Mike Westfall; various interviews.

            6.  Various UAW interviews, 1983-1985; "Open Camera," WNEM-TV, May 16, 1985, with Westfall Committee; Interview with Jim Musselman (Nader staff); "Newsmaker," WJRT (Channel 12), Feb. 2, 1986, with Westfall Committee.

            7.  "Newsmaker," WJRT-TV, May 17, 1987, with Westfall Awareness Committee; June 16, 1987, with Westfall Committee; "Community Concerns," WEYI-TV, with Mike Westfall and Whitey Hale, President, UAW Local 326.

            8.  C.E.R.P.; audio from C.E.R.P. movie produced by Mel Serow.

            9.  News, clips, interviews with Westfall, 1981-1982; "Newsmaker," WJRT-TV, with Ellen Welker; Erik Green, WEYI-TV, Feb. 27, 1982; John Robbins, WJRT-TV, interview with Westfall at home on blackmail contract, Apr. 9, 1982; various news clips,                  interviews, etc.

            10.  "Dave Barber Show," WEYI-TV, with Mike Westfall, June 20, 1985; "Newsmaker," with Norma Hall, WJRT-TV, interview with Mike Westfall and Jim Musselman.

            11.  UAW Region 1-C Technology Conference, Oct. 13, 1981, with Mike Westfall, Harley Shaiken (MIT), Bob King, vice-president, UAW; Reuben Burks, treasurer, UAW.

            12.  UAW Region 1-C Technology Conference, Oct. 13, 1981, with Harley Shaiken (questions and answers); Mike Westfall; Reuben Burks, treasurer, UAW International union.

            13.  UAW Region 1-C Technology Conference, Oct. 13, 1981, with Bob King, vice-president, UAW; Carol Haddad, Michigan State University; questions.

            14.  "Talk to Me," David Newman, WXYZ radio, Detroit, interview with Mike Westfall; television excerpts, 1981; audio of "C.E.R.P.: War of Survival" (film); Westfall union speech, 1981.

            15.  WTAC radio, Flint, interview program, Apr. 2, 1987; GM stockholders' meeting, May 22, 1987 (poor quality).

            16.  WNEM-TV, Westfall interview, 1984, Tom Inon; "Radio Nightline," Flint, May 20, 1987, with Tom Gilbert, Rosemary Holland (Westfall Awareness Committee); Perry Wright radio show, Flint, May 1987, interview with Terry Ford, Mike McNamara (Westfall                    Awareness Committee).

            17.  "Morning Magazine, Dave Barber, WTAC, interview with Mike Westfall, Mar. 30, 1987; "Nightline," WTRX, Steve Clawson, Victor Reuther, Mike Westfall, Apr. 1, 1987.

            18.  WFBE, Feb. 22, 1982, Gary Horn, Mike Westfall debate with GM official; Tom Inon, WNEM-TV, ca. 1985 (poor quality).

            19.  Perry Wright Show, "Nightline," WTRX, with Mike Westfall and Ralph Nader, over GM tax fight, July 3, 1985; "Nightline," WTRX, interview with Mike Westfall, Jim Musselman, over GM taxes, Oct. 9, 1985.