Clara Williams, Rex Sanders, Max Sanders Interview

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Why don't you just tell me your name so I can make sure the level is good, okay?

Segment Synopsis: Clara Williams discusses the textile workers' strike of 1934, and how her husband was shot and killed during the strike.

Keywords: picket lines; union organizing; violence during the strike

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

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Um, so maybe you could tell me a little about the union activity before this strike.

Segment Synopsis: Clara Williams, Max Sanders and Rex Sanders discuss union organizing, the textile workers' strike of 1934 and how they did not receive help from the union after Willliams' husband's death.

Keywords: National Recovery Administration; eight hour workday; union organizing; violence during the strike

Subjects: Textile Workers' Strike (Southern States : 1934); Textile workers--Labor unions; United States. National Recovery Administration; Wages

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Can you just speak for a moment?

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders discusses why he and his dad have joined unions, and his father's death.

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

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Um the union, they, they said, and I'm putting it in quotes, "That the union made a martyr out of your father, that he became a martyr to for the union cause."

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders discusses why unions have such a hard time organizing in the South.

Keywords: union organizing

Subjects: Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Well now these people -- what do you think about these people living in mill villages?

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders discusses mill villages and the control companies excersied over their employees.

Keywords: mill villages; paternalism

Subjects: Bibb Manufacturing Company; Blacklisting, Labor; Columbus (Ga.); Working class--Dwellings

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: The 1934 strike came out -- even like today these men were saying I don't understand why they wanted to strike because the '34 strike came on after we got eight hours instead of twelve.

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders, Max Sanders, and Clara Williams discuss the impact of the NRA and the funeral of Reuben Sanders.

Keywords: National Industrial Recovery Act section 7a; eight hour workday; stretch-out

Subjects: Great Depression; Ku Klux Klan (1915- ); United States. National Recovery Administration

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Um we were talking about why unions don't work here.

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders discusses why unions had a hard time organizing in the south.

Subjects: Pepperell Manufacturing Company; Textile workers--Labor unions

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Now Max, you knew your daddy.

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders, Max Sanders, and Clara Williams disucss what happened when Reuben Sanders was killed.

Keywords: picket lines; violence during the strike

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

Partial Transcript: REX SANDERS: That's another thing, when she worked in the mill I saw her come out of the mill, her hair was caked with cotton.

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders, Max Sanders, and Clara Williams discuss working in the textile mills and why textile workers were called lintheads

Keywords: lintheads; spinners

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

Partial Transcript: REX SANDERS: Yeah we ain't got no kids left at home now, if I don't let her know where I'm at she get worried.

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders, Max Sanders, and Clara Sanders discuss their families and family members opinions of the union.

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

Partial Transcript: JUDITH HELFAND: Were your wages any different, after the strike, after you went back to work?

Segment Synopsis: Rex Sanders, Max Sanders and Clara Williams discuss union organizing and how they made ends meet during the Great Depression.

Keywords: eight hour workday; mill buildings; union organizing; women mill workers

Subjects: Food; Gardening; Great Depression; Wages--Women