Jerry and LuAnn Van Hulle

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Gerard "Jerry" A. Van Hulle & Lu Ann Van Hulle
Rohr Riverside

Gerard "Jerry" A. Van Hulle

When Jerry was looking at jobs, Kaiser wanted to hire him for $1.61 per hour. He applied at the telephone company for a position that paid $1.25 per hour, but he took Rohr's job for $1.10. It was 1955 and Rohr was on strike. His dad told him not to cross the picket line. He called Rohr and Willie Piper told him that the strike had ended the night before. During his first year he worked on the B52 line in the DeGrease Department, putting grease on the skins at night.

For about 3 years in the early 60’s Jerry’s supervisor at Rohr was Cliff Vanderpool. Walt Kurtz was also his boss at one point.

Between 1978 and 1995, Jerry managed the Standard Tool Engineering Department, maintained cribs, designed special tools, and worked in the Research and Development Department as a Technical Specialist. At Rohr there was an effort to get employees to car pool or ride their bikes to work. Jerry lived close enough to Rohr that he could ride his bicycle to work.

Lu Ann Van Hulle

Lu Ann started at Rohr, in 1978, on a dare from her husband Jerry. She was bored and wanted a job. Jerry said "you'll never get a job at Rohr." She got dressed up and got an interview without an appointment and was hired on the spot. She never took a typing test. She worked for Larry Hawkins as the secretary in Facilities, she was the FR lady. She got a quick pre-employment physical as required and then was introduced to Tom and Larry.

Lu Ann worked as a Maintenance Activity Coordinator in the Maintenance Department (Department 242). She remembers one time at Christmas time when a rum cake showed up. It was very delicious. Rohr's health insurance surpassed anything she had ever seen. It was very inexpensive for the employees. LuAnn remembers working at Rohr during the strike of 1984.

Lu Ann worked at Rohr for 15 years before being laid off and retiring in 1992. “Rohr was wonderful to us,” Lu Ann said.

She remembers shopping at Sears and Sages, and dining at Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlor (which has now been torn down) and at The Dunes which was a bar, restaurant and dance hall before it became the Carlos O’Brien’s restaurant at the Riverside Plaza.

Jerry belonged to the labor union until he became management. During his career he worked in Assembly, Tooling, Research and Development, and Teaching. In 1983, Jerry worked as a Standard Tool Engineer, Senior, in Department 454. In 1985, Jerry was working in the Manufacturing Technology Department where he taught a structural assembly class. He also taught at the Edgemont Facility.
  
Jerry remembers working with Glen Jones in Building 7 when just before lunch time the PA operator announced "Attention. Attention everybody. President Kennedy has just been shot."

Jerry retired from Rohr after 40 years. You can reach Jerry at jvanhulle68@gmail.com.