Baseball scout Al Lamachia in Vero Beach, Florida

The American Worker Series

"It is about the search for daily meaning as well as daily bread, for recognition as well as cash, for astonishment rather than torpor; in short, for a sort of life rather than a Monday through Friday sort of dying." - Studs Terkel, Working

The American Worker Series examines the meaning of work in people's lives. These stories profile workers' dreams and aspirations; their goals and motivations. Their stories show how they deal with power and authority, humiliation and stress; how they maintain dignity in tedious, thankless jobs; and how they measure their contributions, worth and importance.

The Port Chicago 50: An Oral History (1996)
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The story of the worst homefront disaster of World War II -- an ammunition explosion that killed more than 300 men -- and what happened to the 50 African-American men who refused to go back to work loading ammunition after the explosion. On July 17, 1944, two Liberty ships anchored at the Port Chicago Munitions Case near San Francisco exploded, killing 320 men and injuring 390. It was the worst homefront disaster of World War II. A majority of the casualties were African-American sailors who loaded ammunition onto the ships at Port Chicago. Shortly after the explosion, the African-American munitions loaders who survived were transferred to a nearby base and ordered back to work. Shaken by the death of their workmates and afraid that another explosion might occur, 50 men refused. In the largest courtmartial in Navy history, they were all convicted of mutiny and sentenced to up to fifteen years of hard labor. In January 1946, only months after the war ended, all convicted men's sentences were suspended as part of a general amnesty. While these men were allowed to return to civilian life, they were left angry, ashamed, and afraid they would be fired from their jobs or worried that they would be seen as unpatriotic. As a result, some did not discuss the case, even with family members, for more than 50 years. See a bonus photo of Albert Williams.


Bible Salesman (2000)
28.8K • 56K • DSL
Former door-to-door Bible salesman Jim "The Rabbit" Baker, featured in the classic 1969 Maysles Brothers film Salesman, explains the secrets of his now extinct occupation. See a bonus photo of The Rabbit making a house call.


Sandhogs (Tunnel Builders) (1994)
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A look at the workers building City Water Tunnel #3, a project to add to the New York City water supply.


"Diamond" Jimmy Roy (1999)
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Once Jimmy Roy owned half the businesses in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a steel town just outside Pittsburgh. Braddock's decline paralleled Jimmy's; he now sells jewelry out of a family restaurant. But he's managed to remain optimistic, and argues he holds the secret to being rich and happy. See a gallery of our Polaroid photos of Jimmy.

RealAudio • MP3
James "Diamond Jimmy" Roy died February 2, 2005. He was 81. Here's a short remembrance.

Barbara's Story (1995)
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Profile of an illegal immigrant, working as a cleaner, trying to make her way in America. See a bonus photo of Barbara.


Bail Bondsman/Bounty Hunter (1995)
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A profile of Washington, DC, bail bondsman Mardis Mitchell, and bounty hunter Robert Anderson.


Hog Butchers for the World (1993)
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A look at the history of Chicago's meatpacking industry and the formation of the Packinghouse Workers Union.


Life After Steel (1998)
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When the South Works steel mill shut down in the early 90's, it marked the end of 'big steel' in the city of Chicago. A plant that had anchored the steel industry in Chicago, employing as many as 20,000 workers, was considered obsolete. This is an oral history of some of the men and women who worked at the mill during its heyday, marking where they went from South Works, and where they are today.


Long Haul Woman Trucker (1997)
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Five days on the road with long haul trucker Cathy Sherman, as she takes a load of Oscar Meyer weiner and lunch meats from Madison, Wisconsin, to Southern California.


Soldiers of Production (1995)
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Oral histories of men and women who worked on the homefront in civilian industries -- shipbilding, textile manufacturing, the postal service -- during World War II.


Catfish Handgrabbers (1994)
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The Harrington family explains how they catch gigantic catfish by hand on the Ross Barnett Reservoir in Mississippi. See a bonus photo of the Harringtons, and another of one of the fish's huge mouths.


Catfish Taster (1994)
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Stanley Marshall, "supervisor of flavor" for Delta Pride Catfish, and how he decides just what catfish is good enough for Delta Pride.


Coal Miners (1993)
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Vernon Short and Elwood Brannen, former coal miners in Southwest Virginia, talk about their work and recount mine explosions. See a photo of Vernon Short.


Wes Bobo: Junk Artist (1994)
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A profile of Wes Bobo, who turns collected junk and found objects into art and mechanical inventions. See a bonus photo of Wes in his yard.


Lincoln Memorial Cleaner (and his obituary) (1992)
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James Hudson, a National Park Service worker whose job included keeping the Lincoln Memorial clean, talks about what his job meant to him. This segment includes an epilogue and obituary for Hudson, who died after the initial story aired from heat exhaustion after a Fourth of July clean-up on the Washington, DC mall.


Death Row Guards (1993)
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Prison guards working death row at Alabama's Holman Prison and Louisiana's Angola Prison talk about their work: what they do and how they feel about it. See a bonus photo of guard Timothy Mayeaux.


Red's Barber Shop (1993)
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A conversation between Barber "Red" Swarz and one of his customers at Red's Barber shop in Braddock, Pennsylvania.


Nuclear Weapons Disassemblers (1994)
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Once, workers at the Pantex weapons plant in Amarillo, Texas, built nuclear weapons -- now they dismantle them.


Professional Poker Player (1993)
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Poker legend Johnny Moss talks about his life and work.


Omaha Racers (1997)
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A month with a minor league basketball team: trying to make the team and life on the road.


Children's Portrait Photographer (1992)
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Profile of people who work in family portrait studios during the holidays.


Chili Pepper Picker/Grower(1993)
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A look at a chili grower and chili pickers in New Mexico's Hatch Valley, the "chili capitol of the world." See a bonus photo of a chili grower.


Repo Men (1993)
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Men who repossess cars in the Pittsburgh area.


Telemarketer (1993)
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Telemarketer Carol Schwarz talks -- and sings -- about her work.


Curtis' Famous Weiners (1994)
RealAudio • MP3
In Cumberland, in the Western Maryland hills, Curtis' Famous Weiners has been selling hot dogs for more than eighty years. It's the oldest business in town. For the past thirty years, Curtis' has been owned and operated by the Giatras family: Louie and Alchea, and their youngest son, Gino.


Union Strippers (1995)
RealAudio • MP3
A profile of the topless dancers who organized a labor union at a strip club in San Diego.


Baseball Scout (1993)
RealAudio • MP3
A profile of veteran baseball scout Al Lamachia at work in Florida. See a bonus photo of Lamachia.