Page 20 - We Worked for General Instruments: Part Two: The Conclusion

ISSUE : Issue 50

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1989/1/1

I'd say 29,000 of them were women. And they'd be coming in on top of buses, hang? ing on the side. I've seen cars with 6 peo? ple in the trunk, and still some on the top--coming in. It was an experience. You feel sorry for them. (Any idea what they were working for, what kind of wages?) The girls were getting-- one girl told me she made $28. (Would that be a week or a month?) That was a week. And the supervisor I was training, he was going to be paid $35 a week. But you must remember, for a businessman meal down there, and the first drink free, was only $1.50. So $35 would go a long way. Mary Hawco Roy Burchell was my foreman down there, okay? He worked with the girls on the line, teaching them how to test tuners. He had been down (to Mexico) at one time. So this time, he came out and asked me, "Mary, what would you think of going down to Mex? ico? There's some things there we'd like you to do." "Terrific," I said, you know, "I'd love to go. Could talk about it with hubby and that, but-- like to go." So there was another girl, also--and she died since then.... The two of us went down together--two girls went down together. Of course the girls were over in--was it Holiday Inn we went to? I don't know where the boys went to. I knew I was going for (just) 29 days. (So you weren't going down there to work?) No. They were pulling the General Instrument plant out of Sydney. There was one that they were starting up--the best RUDDERHAM'S Sport Shops are in the ski business! Famous names include: • Salomon • Rossignol • Raichle • K2 • Tyrol • Head A complete selection of ski clothing by: • Far West • Sun Ice • Banff • Asics Tiger Drop in for a complete view of our ski department. Rudderham's Sport Shop Ltd. 2 LOCATIONS IN SYDNEY: Cape Breton Shopping Plaza 562-3666 Mayflower Mall 539-3644 as I can explain to you--in Juarez (Mexi? co) . So, we went down into El Paso, Texas, and we stayed there. And then we were driven (across the border) over into Jua? rez every morning. And we went in and looked around the plant. Watched the girls testing tuners on the line. Those girls down there, I don't know who trained them, exactly how much they knew. We did have--I remember one man, his name was Frank MacDonald, he came in (to Syd? ney) from Mexico. And he watched the girls Vac Shack A ( #1 For Service ) [C'j VACUUM SALES & SERVICE • Parts & Accessories • Most Makes & Models 15% DISCOUNT FOR SENIORS 213 Charlotte St. C??'0 CCCO Sydney, N.S' DDZ-OOD' Connors Office Products Typewriters * Typewriter Rentals * Photo Copy Service Drafting Supplies * Office Supplies * Calculators Artist Supplies * Laminating Service * Office Furniture GBC Punch & Bind Machines * Canon Personal Copiers A Your One-Stop Shop in Cape Breton! 5' Phone (902) 562-7900 Fax #539-8672 ' 350 Charlotte Street, Sydney

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