Oral History Interview with Roy Lee and Mary Ruth Auton, February 28, 1980. Interview H-0108. Southern Oral History Program Collection (#4007).
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Abstract
"I've had a hard life, " Roy Lee Auton remarks in this interview. Auton moved through a number of jobs, fought in World War II and the Korean War, married three times, and was still working at the time of the interview at age sixty-seven. Auton's violent relationships with his first two wives dominate the stage in this interview, but the supporting cast includes reflections on a long laboring life, descriptions of the rhythms of mill and factory work, opinions on unions, and Auton's commitment to maintaining his dignity and independence at the factory or in his love life. This is an engaging interview with a self-reliant white southern laborer. Auton's wife, Mary Ruth, makes a very brief appearance at the end of the interview.
Excerpts
Taking revenge on mill boss after being fired
Violent union groups raid work sites
Wanting to work for himself, not for a union
Fighting with wife, fighting with wife's father
Standing up to employers with skills and native wit
Standing up to the boss earns benefits for factory workers
Disdain for the lack of clear purpose in Vietnam and Korean Wars
Unbothered by desegregation.
Competition between women has created a high-pressure work environment
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Finding aid to the Southern Oral History Program Collection
Database of all Southern Oral History Program Collection interviews
Subjects
Textile workers--North Carolina
Women in the textile industry
Burlington (N.C.)--Social life and customs
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Documenting the American South undergo an editorial process to remove
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