Sam Beeland Interview

Partial Transcript: SAM BEELAND: You take anybody and get at them, make two, three hundred dollars a week. I wasn't making, I was make two hundred dollars a week when I had to retire.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses how the mill management felt about the National Recovery Act, and in specific section 7a which allowed for labor to organize.

Keywords: National Industrial Recovery Act section 7a; mill managers

Subjects: United States. National Recovery Administration

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: A lot of people filed grievances after the '34 strike to try to get their jobs back.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses the textile workers' strike of 1934, meeting with other union locals during that time, and various labor leaders

Keywords: picket lines

Subjects: Labor leaders; Labor union locals; Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now this is what these fellows wrote. Should I read it to you?

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses a letter about wage discrimination.

Keywords: African-American mill workers; National Recovery Administration

Subjects: African Americans--Segregation; Minimum wage; United States. National Recovery Administration

Partial Transcript: JUDITH: Do you think that your local union would have been open to talking with black people?

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses whether or not there were African Americans in the union local in 1934, and the impact that the strike had on attempts to organize the mill.

Keywords: African-American mill workers; aftermath of the strike; stretch-out

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: SAM BEELAND: I put 44 years down there, and you know something back them days we had no pension.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland disccuses why older workers are upset with the textile mill company, issuses about wages, why organized labor is important to textile workers,

Keywords: mill owners

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions; Wages

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: And what, what do you think the effect was on the South of all those people who got blackballed and had to leave back in '34?

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland speculates on who wrote a letter signed by 14 African American men, why they lost their jobs, and discrimination in the textile mills.

Keywords: African-American mill workers

Subjects: Blacklisting, Labor; Discrimination in employment

Partial Transcript: SAM BEELAND: I'll tell you the truth I never got paid to learn a job in my life.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses why he left school to go to work in the textile mill.

Subjects: Child labor; Textile workers; Working class--Education

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Do you think it was brave of these guys to write this letter to the government?

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses the letter brought up previously in this interview, hiring practices, sexual harassment

Keywords: African-American mill workers; National Recovery Administration

Subjects: Minimum wage; Sexual harassment; Women textile workers

Partial Transcript: SAM BEELAND: Um,but I wish I could help you on that '34, but frankly I'm a little disappointed in myself.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses why he might not have strong recollections of the textile workers' strike of 1934, the mill ownership, and the local union in 1934

Keywords: mill owners

Subjects: Labor union locals; Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934)

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Did you ever have any of the black women work for your family?

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses some of the African American women who did domestic work for his family.

Keywords: domestic workers

Subjects: African American women

Partial Transcript: SAM BEELAND: I don't know who wrote it but I don't think any of them boys-- I know none of them boys at the mill write it.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland speculates on who wrote the letter to the federal government, and discusses the NRA, why the men who were laid off were laid of,

Keywords: African-American mill workers; National Recovery Administration

Subjects: Textile workers; Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: At that time in 1934 did you, were you a boss, or did you--

SAM BEELAND: No I was 20-- 22 years old.

Segment Synopsis: Sam Beeland discusses the work he was doing in 1934, spinning, and other topics.

Keywords: spinning

Subjects: Textile workers