Full Text of the Excerpt

JACQUELYN HALL:

What was the difference in you and your mother that made you go right back to work and just always work, whereas your mother wouldn't ever dream of working?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

I just don't know. She just liked to be at home, a housewife.

JACQUELYN HALL:

Did you not like to be at home, or did you have to work?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

I had to work and wanted to work. I liked work.

JACQUELYN HALL:

Did you ever wish you could just stay home?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Oh, I've done that lots of times, but when I was out a couple of weeks I was ready to go back. Like when I had my surgery and stuff, I'd be out maybe six weeks. Well, I was ready to go back. But this time... [Laughter] This time, I just don't ...

JACQUELYN HALL:

You don't have any desire to go back.

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

No. And I'm not going back unless I get hungry. [Laughter] Because it must be a year and a half till I sign up for my Social Security. I'm hoping it won't be gone by then. [Laughter] But I still think they'll work a way out for the older people, people that have to... I don't believe it'll ever disappear. I believe Social Security will be here.

JACQUELYN HALL:

Do some of the people worry about that, that by the time they get old enough to collect it'll just disappear?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Oh, yes, I've heard just oodles of people talk about it. A niece came to see me yesterday. "Oh, till I get time to draw, it'll be out. There won't be any." My brother's daughter. He said, "Well, I thought the same thing. I've been drawing it for seven years." [Laughter]

JACQUELYN HALL:

Will you get any pension from the company at all?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

We did have a pension plan, but when Gulf and Western took over they paid it to us in a lump sum, so they don't have any now. But we never got very much, because they always said they went in the red, Kayser-Roth did.

PATTY DILLEY:

So it was like a profit-sharing.

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

It was a profit-sharing. So I had up almost to a thousand dollars one time, and when they paid us off I had five hundred and some dollars. Took it away from us, you see, said they didn't make any profit.

PATTY DILLEY:

That's what they said?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Yes.

JACQUELYN HALL:

Did you have any other fringe benefits?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Oh, they have good group benefits out there. [END OF TAPE 1, SIDE B] [TAPE 2, SIDE A] [START OF TAPE 2, SIDE A]

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

And we get a bonus twice a year. The ones that's been there fifteen years gets a bonus at Christmas. And then we get one at July.

PATTY DILLEY:

And this is under Gulf and Western?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Yes. That's about all. They have this Credit Union out there that you can take so much out of your payday and save in the Credit Union. Then they have good insurance. They have major medical and then other insurance, life insurance. They have just about as good of that as, I believe, any mill here in Hickory. Of course, some mills have a period in there, three days for death now that you can be out. They didn't have that down there. They may, later on, take it up. But then what hurt me, too, about quitting, I had my bonus made. Now that's one thing I think they should make something. Anybody that's worked down there twenty-four years, I think they should give a bonus. See, our bonus for July is from April to April. Well, I had my bonus made, but I won't get it.

JACQUELYN HALL:

Now why is that?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Because I quit. But I'd have had a nervous breakdown. I'd rather give up the bonus as to have a nervous breakdown.

JACQUELYN HALL:

The work was really getting on your nerves?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Oh, yes.

JACQUELYN HALL:

When you'd come home from work, you'd still ...

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Oh, goodness. It felt like I was having a heart attack. [Laughter] Mostly my nerves.

JACQUELYN HALL:

It was just physically ...

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

Yes. Strained and tense. And I just couldn't do it. And they said why didn't I go to sign up [for unemployment]? and I said, "Well, I wouldn't get it." When you quit, you don't get any unemployment either. You could have a trial, but they'd appear against me. Now if they wouldn't appear against me, I could sign up. But they'd appear against me.

JACQUELYN HALL:

How do you know?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

I know they would; they're just that kind. Because they won't let you sign up out there.

JACQUELYN HALL:

Won't let you sign up for unemployment?

CARRIE SIGMON YELTON:

No, they'll make you work three days. See, if you work three days, you can't sign up. Now if you can work twenty-three and a half hours you can sign up, but if you work twenty-four you can't. The people out there now is for the company; they're not for the hands at all. Because they're job-scared, afraid they'd lay them off.