By Charles R. Jones
In June 1961 I completed a Masters degree from Western Michigan
University in Speech Therapy. My BA was in speech communications from
Lipscomb College, Nashville, TN.
After working for five years in a public school system in Michigan, I
decided to try business for a year or two then go back into teaching.
Upon accepting a job offer from the owner of a new a Ford Automobile
Leasing Company, I was enrolled in a Ford Motor Company Auto Leasing
Program at the old Henry Ford Mansion called the Fairlane in Dearborn Michigan.
My decision to work in automobile leasing was influenced by the experience
I had in selling Cadillac executive automobiles to Cadillac dealers as a part-
time venture while working as a speech therapist.
The concept of leasing is primarily a financial arrangement in which a
residual amount is projected out one or more years, I found the work fairly
interesting and the salary was twice my teaching salary plus 20% of the net
profit.
After two years I had built the lease fleet to a respectable size, plus had about
50 rental vehicles in service (mostly 65 & 66 Mustangs).
During the auto leasing period I stayed active in the Michigan Education
Association where I had served as a district president and was the director of a
service program for Michigan teachers called educational consumer services
(ECS).
During my second year as a Leasing Manager, the Teamsters Union
organized the Detroit automobile salesman into a unit of Teamsters. Having
been active in the Michigan education Association the salesman asked for my
help as they formed a union. I declined, stating that it could present a conflict of
interest.
The owner of the leasing company where I worked also owned a Ford
Dealership. His location was targeted as the only dealership in Detroit for the
Teamsters to strike in 1967.
When the salesman began picketing, the managers of the dealership were
moved into sales positions. I was also asked to come over from the leasing
division to assistant retail sales. I served this fleet sales manager for the Ford
agency as part of my job.
Having served as president of the teachers union, I told the owner that “I
would not be comfortable replacing the sales force while they were picketing.”
I had also worked in an automobile factory before going to college and was a
member of United Auto Worker’s (UAW).
In a burst of anger the owner asked me “if I were comfortable getting a
paycheck?” I told him that I understood his position and it would not destroy
our friendship for him to fire me, which he promptly did.
Surprisingly, I was the only person who was fired because of the strike
and yet I wasn’t a teamster. The Teamsters invited me to the general meeting
to discuss terms for settling the strike. One condition was that my boss would
be required to rehire me with full benefits.
I told the teamsters that I appreciated their generous offer, but it would be
better if they did not mix my situation with their resolution discussions.
My former boss and I remained friends. Upon becoming the manager of a
national leasing company, I agreed to purchase Ford automobiles from his
dealership to supply our needs in the Detroit area.
The next day after being fired I call the National Education Association in
Washington to announce that I had more time to commit to the development of
Teacher Services Corp. (a wholly owned subsidiary of NEA). In July 1967,
my family moved to the Washington, DC area and I became the first employee
of Teacher Services Corp. For the next 20 years I developed and managed
member benefit programs for national associations.
In looking back, I am thankful that I never played the victim role in being
fired. My boss had invested considerable money in me when I was an untried
entity. His firing me did not diminish my gratitude. The passing of time and
the reaching of greater maturity often permits the good guys and the bad guys
to wear the same color hats.