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Oral History Interview with Eula McGill, December 12, 1974. Interview G-0039. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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  • Abstract
    Eula McGill talks about being raised in a family of Alabama textile workers and gaining an early appreciation for unions despite the physical threats to workers and organizers from bosses and non-union workers. She shares well-formulated thoughts about union members' motivations being not just about garnering a living wage, but establishing personal and economic independence in a world ruled by company stores and company-owned housing. Despite some failings, she says, unions do more than any other institutions to improve the conditions of working people.
    Excerpts
  • National Recovery Act and unions saved laborers from miserable conditions
  • Dangerous lives of union organizers in 1930s
  • Workers seek independence as well as higher wages
  • Violence often unavoidable in climate of extreme abuse
  • Working people ultimately will side with the union
  • Women key to labor movement
  • Few black workers in textile factories
  • Fear biggest obstacle to labor unions
  • Apathy may spell death of labor movement
  • Worker first, citizen second
  • Learn More
  • Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection
  • Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews
  • Subjects
  • Women in trade-unions--Southern States
  • The Southern Oral History Program transcripts presented here on Documenting the American South undergo an editorial process to remove transcription errors. Texts may differ from the original transcripts held by the Southern Historical Collection.

    Funding from the Institute for Museum and Library Services supported the electronic publication of this title.