Ron Majors interview, 2021-11-16
Scope and Contents
D.C. Oral History Collaborative (DCOHC) is a citywide initiative to train community members in oral history skills, fund new and ongoing oral history projects, connect volunteers with oral history projects, and publicize existing oral history collections. DCOHC is a project of DC Public Library, HumanitiesDC, and the Historical Society of Washington, D.C. This collection contains oral history interviews, transcripts, and indexes produced by DCOHC grantees.
Dates
- Creation: 2021-11-16
Creator
- Haack, Michael (Person)
- Eikenberry, Eric (Person)
- Majors, Ron (Person)
Language of Materials
English
Biographical / Historical
Ron Majors is a native Washingtonian who grew-up in the Petworth neighborhood. He served in the U.S. Navy and worked at the Department of Energy before joining Metro in 1980. During his time at Metro he was active in the Metro union. His labor activism went beyond just Metro, as he worked in solidarity with workers around the city to achieve better conditions. In 1992 he was Metro employee of the year. Ron is retired and continues to live in the Petworth neighborhood.
Extent
From the Collection: 1.13 Terabytes
Abstract
Ron Majors reflects on his decades working as a bus operator for WMATA (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority) and the importance of the union for strengthening the rights of workers. Though he joined Metro in 1980, two years after the 1978 Metro wildcat strike, he saw evidence of the strike's lasting legacy regarding labor militancy all around him. Ron talks about what it meant to always be 'strike ready' and how this affected labor relations. He also speaks about his Catholic upbringing as well as his time in the labor movement affected his world view. He also speaks about why he believes that it continues to be important for workers to stand up for each other's rights. Throughout the interview, Ron's love of the Petworth neighborhood and pride in his role as a bus operator and in the union are evident.
Repository Details
Part of the The People's Archive, Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Library Repository