UAW union Member card
Location 20
Date: November 1938
Owner: Molly Luetke
My great grandfather, Dietrich Racker, and my great grandmother, Margaret Racker, immigrated from Germany to Toledo in 1923. Initially my great grandfather Racker struggled to find work, but he eventually landed a union job at Spicer, becoming a member of the U.A.W. He was trained as a machinist in Germany in a plant that was not unionized. He was actively working to unionize in Germany before he left for the United States, so finding this joy was a blessing that changed the trajectory of his life in America. Through this well-paying job. He was also able to purchase a home in the prestigious DeVilbiss School district so my grandmother could get the best public education offered. He achieved a good life in Toledo, and through this work and union membership was able to contribute to the history of auto manufacturing.