Retirees and Workers and Union Hall Election Night

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: We need you for a little--
[break in video]

GEORGE STONEY: (Inaudible)

M1: I'm a little bit hard of hearing if you want to talk to me.

Segment Synopsis: Several retirees discuss the current drive to organize a union at Fieldcrest Cannon.

Keywords: union organizing; women mill workers

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions; Working class women

Partial Transcript: L.C. WRIGHT: There is one thing I'd like to say. There is people here in this company, that uh, Phillip Morris is right down the road here and they have a good union. And they make good wages. And they'll campaign against the union like bloody murder in this mill, but quick as they get a chance at a job at Phillip Morris, they go.

Segment Synopsis: The retirees discuss how they have helped with the current union drive.

Subjects: Strikes and lockouts--Textile industry; Textile workers--Labor unions; Working class--Political activity

Partial Transcript: GEORGE STONEY: But just this afternoon we talked to a gentleman who wanted to know, "Why did you have to bring it up? People should forget that in the past." And we're trying to say people haven't forgotten it.

Segment Synopsis: The retirees discuss the impact that the 1934 textile workers's strike had on later union drives.

Keywords: Cannon Mills; legacy of the strike; mill villages; paternalism

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

Partial Transcript: GEORGE STONEY: Would you, would you get somebody to sign there? We just want--

M1: (inaudible)

F1: I didn't sign it yet!

F2: Suck it up!

Segment Synopsis: Various union members sign a t- shirt.

Partial Transcript: GEORGE STONEY: Tell us what happened to you, uh last night.

M1: I went in last night about 15 minutes early and uh, I was going to my job, and uh, the supervisor and the superintendent stopped me and called me to the office, they had to talk to me.

Segment Synopsis: Union organizers discuss how the company has been working to force them out.

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

Partial Transcript: F1: Its rumors that there was a union maybe back in the 30s or somewhere back in there, but nobody will talk about it. And only to say " I will not be a part of this union because of what happened along time ago." But nobody tells you what happened a long time ago.

Segment Synopsis: Union organizers discuss how they haven't really learned about the 1934 textile workers' strike.

Keywords: aftermath of the strike; legacy of the strike

Subjects: Kannapolis (N.C.); Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934); Working class--Education

Partial Transcript: GEORGE STONEY: Now what do you tell your children?

F1: About the union? I-- I tell them-- they're for it, my children are for the union. They're unionized where they work. They don't work at Fieldcrest.

Segment Synopsis: The union organziers discuss what groups have helped support them in their current drive to unionize Fieldcrest Cannon.

Keywords: Cannon Mills

Subjects: Religion

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now what are the things, that the company is telling you that the union is? Do you know what I mean. All those sterotypes, anti-union images. What are they telling you? we're trying to understand that. List them

Segment Synopsis: The union organizers discuss tactics used by the company to discredit the union.

Keywords: Cannon Mills

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: One more question. Can you talk about how you've seen your friends and your co-workers-- have you seen them change in the last 10 weeks? Those-- like yourself to join/ Cause that's a real postive thing.

Segment Synopsis: Helfand asks about how the union drive has affected the workforce in the mill.

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions