The jobs at the Van Plant were tough, brutally so, heavy, precise and the pace unrelenting “The vans keep coming…like bullets…” said one woman working in Bodyshop and it was just like that. The line didn't care how tired you were, whether your marriage was breaking down, or your spouse dying. The line moved and you moved with it. The bolts needed to be tightened, the parts moved into place, welded, painted and shipped without defect. It was hellish in the summer, an old plant, a metal box with no air conditioning and few windows, the air moved sluggishly about with fans. It would be 40c some days and the machinery would break down from the heat, sometimes for hours. Even a minute of downtime was treasured, talked about, relived.

In this unlikely environment the employees of the plant developed deep bonds, providing support in many ways, practical, emotional and financial. Someone would help with the job, listen to stories of troubles at home, or take up collections for those in dire need....