Cynthia Haynes Interview 1

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Ok.

CYNTHIA HAYNES: He didn't sit in a chair, he sits squatted down all the time.

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses her family and how they came to Kannapolis and how they worked in the textile mills.

Keywords: spinners; women mill workers

Subjects: Cannon Mills Company; Child labor; Kannapolis (N.C.); Women textile workers; Working class women--Family relationships

Partial Transcript: CYNTHIA HAYNES: The union?

JUDITH HELFAND: Sure.

HAYNES: The IEBW?

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses her union organizing at Cannon Mills in Kannapolis, N.C.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Amalgamated Clothing and Textile Workers Union; Textile workers--Labor unions; Women textile workers

Partial Transcript: CYNTHIA HAYNES:--lived with my uncle. And I think grandpa would talk to us. You know hes's not, not for the union, I knew that.

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses why her grandfather worked during the strike, and discovering her Uncle Red was a union organizer.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Cannon Mills Company; Labor unions--Officials and employees; Soviet Union; Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: So then tell my about yourself. I mean--

CYNTHIA HAYNES: Me?

HELFAND: You grew up here right?

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses her mother's career and issues with brown lung, how Haynes became a textile worker, and how she became involved in the union.

Keywords: brown lung; eight hour workday; spinners; spinning; stretch-out; union organizing; women mill workers

Subjects: Cannon Mills Company; Wages; Women textile workers

Partial Transcript: CYNTHIA HAYNES: I know its a lot better than it was when my grandpa was working and my momma, but it can be better.

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses changes in the condition in mill between her grandfather's time and hers, and her Uncle Red, who was a union organizer.

Keywords: mill buildings; union organizing; weavers

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934); Textile workers

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: -- have you heard? When the union first came in, you must have heard a lot of stories. I mean a lot of people--

CYNTHIA HAYNES: I've always heard them bad stories.

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discuss why people are afraid of the union coming in.

Keywords: doffer; union organizing; unions outside the South

Subjects: Labor unions--Organizing

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now when you were coming up, and you were young, before you wet in the union, before you went to the mill, what kind of stories had you heard?

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses how she combats workers' fears of reprisals due to their union support, and what happened after the union lost the previous time it tried to organize Cannon Mills.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Labor unions--Organizing; Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: What was that like when everyone was signing the cards?

CYNTHIA HAYNES: I couldn't believe it. I was in a state of shock.

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses handing out and receiving union cards, and the publicity that has been done during this union campaign.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Labor unions and mass media; Textile workers; Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now, uhh, there's a lot of older folks who were involved back then, or who remember it, and uh a lot of them won't talk about it.

CYNTHIA HAYNES: Really?

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses want to learn more about her Uncle Red who was a union organizer during in the 1930s.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934); Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: CYNTHIA HAYNES: And a lot of reasons that some of the young people are against the union their parents and grandparents has taught it to them. If would be like grandpa, I would be just like them.

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes talks about the impact of the textile workers' strike of 1934 has on current opinions on union organizing.

Keywords: legacy of the strike

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: CYNTHIA HAYNES: Oh, I said, "You mean Uncle Red was a union organizer?" I said, "I must take after him."

Segment Synopsis: Cynthia Haynes discusses anti union sentiment in her family.

Keywords: anti-union sentiment in the South; union organizing

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions