Union: Frank Amann

Union: Frank Amann

In this video Frank Amann explains how Deaf community members advised one another on obtaining ITU membership at a nearby shop.

Zilvinas Paludnevicius

Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center Collection

2022

This Item has been made available for educational and research purposes by the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may need to obtain permission for your intended use if your use is otherwise not permitted by the copyright and applicable related rights legislation. For specific information about the copyright and reproduction rights for this Item, please contact the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center: https://www.gallaudet.edu/drs-john-s-and-betty-j-schuchman-deaf-documentary-center

American Sign Language

A video featuring an ASL interview with Frank Amann, an older white man seated at home.

Frank Amann: When I mentioned that I had joined, the reaction was always wow! You could travel from shop to shop, how neat! I mean, not me, but it was widely known that people could travel with the union. So there were a number of ways that people joined. Various ways. I - Oh, Some- Most people in the Washington DC area, they all ran to, I mean Gallaudet students, ran to West Virginia. There was this one shop, a city in West Virginia where you could pull an ITU card. So you applied to work and they’d issue a card immediately! Now, I don’t remember why they were issuing those cards to Deaf applicants quickly, perhaps they wanted to collect more dues? I don’t know. But that’s where everyone went. West Virginia. Not only there, whenever there was one of those secret places, people would flock there. I remember. So, West Virginia was well-known for it.

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