Another question about Frayser (Memphis: foreclosures, crime, unemployment)

[RikBrooks]

Again this is for my novel set in Memphis. I've researched it as much as I can and I can't find out WHY International Harvester and Firestone both closed their factories in Frayser. Apparently this was pivotal to the decline of the place.

Does anyone know why that happened?

[Escape Memphis]

I was too young to read newspapers at the time either one of those things happened but an older brother who worked at Harvester in Frayser indicated that, during an economic downturn, the union decided to strike for additional money and benefits. Apparently this did two things...1st made the economic downturn that much worst for Harvester who was already hurt by the economy; 2nd hacked management off so much that they simply closed the plant in response to the strike. Brother also stated that Harester was run by the union (he as a member)...no one could do anything outside of their job classification, even if they wanted to help the company, because of a rule based mentality that virtually paralyzed the company even when they weren't on strike. In summary, what I was told was the the union killed Harvester which apparently also killed the Frayser area which has today become one of the inner sanctums of murderville (Memphis). Policeman told me about 6 months ago that Frayser was THE headquarters for gang activity in the Memphis area. All I know is that to me, Frayser is no better or worst that the majority of the territory within the City of Memphis boundaries - not to say Memphis in entirety is like Frayser...maybe only say, 60% of it is (lol).

[RikBrooks]

OK, thanks. That explains International Harvester and makes for a good plot line. I'm wondering if Firestone was the same. Wikipedia said that environmental issues closed one plant and that parts of frayser were still uninhabitable! I remember Firestone stank something horrible.

[strumpeace]

Firestone was not in Frayser.

Firestone was south of the Wolf River in what is typically called 'North Memphis'. Lots of folks lived in Frayser and worked at Firestone, though.

[tobester]

I grew up in Frayser in the late 50's to mid-60's ... a Leave It To Beaver existence ... it was the prototypical middle class suburb. Received an outstanding PUBLIC (not private) education (now hold PhD degree). I have many fond memories. It's sad to read what's become of my childhood neighborhood.

[dpjc]

Originally Posted by Escape Memphis

"I was too young to read newspapers at the time either one of those things happened but an older brother who worked at Harvester in Frayser indicated that, during an economic downturn, the union decided to strike for additional money and benefits. Apparently this did two things...1st made the economic downturn that much worst for Harvester who was already hurt by the economy; 2nd hacked management off so much that they simply closed the plant in response to the strike."

Wrong. Harvester, like many manufacturers, was slammed by the Reagan "boom." We saw record foreclosures, record farm bankruptcies, record factory closings, and nearly record unemployment. There had not been a strike at IH in Memphis in YEARS prior to the 1984 closing.

What really happened was, the company was simply going broke under Reagan stagnation -- they sold the farm implement operations to Tenneco, which decided to "consolidate" the farm implement operations in other North American plants -- which were union plants, by the way, so the union had nothing to do with it.

It was just bad economic times all over. The dark days of Reagan Voodoo Economics.

[Callendar]

The earlier post on the union "running the plant" is totally off base. He quotes a younger brother who worked there, but I find that hard to believe.
I worked there for 17 years and was active in the union leadership, and my father was a union leader as well. He worked there from 1947 until the plant closed.
The strike the poster speaks of occurred in 1979 and ended in mid 80. The plant didn't close until 85. The union certainly didn't "run" the plant. In fact, the union/management relations at Memphis plant were far better than in most other northern plants.
The poster who spoke of the Reagan recession is closer to being correct about why the plant closed. Cotton prices hit the cellar, and there was rampant mis-mismanagement on a grand scale. Harvester had a CEO at the time, Archie McCardle (not sure of the spelling) who ran Harvester's stock into the ditch and almost bankrupted the company.
The strike of 79 was but a distant memory at the plant closing in 85.
Corporate greed, a politically inspired recession that played into the Republican agenda, and simple bad management were the factors that closed the Memphis Works Harverster Plant.

[RikBrooks]

REALLY? I just spoke to someone that claimed that it was the opening of the first low cost housing in Frayser and that brought in crime then, and I don't understand this part, he said that companies were forced to hire blacks and not allowed to fire them.

He was insistent but didn't have a lot of details. I suspect I opened a wound for him. I hope that I'm not opening a wound for anyone else.

This might be worth a novel on its own - after I finish this one.

[Memphis10AC]

Ronald Reagan happened to Frayser...

[strumpeace]

Frayser got Reaganed.