I guess it was no coincidence that Norma Rae was showing last night. As I watched this movie about the unionizing of a southern textile mill, I kept thinking - great, they got the union they wanted and less than 20 years later the factory closed down and moved to Mexico/China/Vietnam/etc.
I also was thinking about my grandparents, both of whom worked in textile mills in New England. My gram tells this great story about how while she was walking the picket the line, my grandfather was a scab crossing the picket line. I'm sure for my grandfather this was simply a practical consideration - one had to have money for food and shelter. The other thing this movie highlights is why my grandmother at 95 has major hearing problems. Back in the day no one knew a thing about protecting your hearing and that machinery was loud!
No comments:
Post a Comment