How Did The Loray Mill Strike North Carolina

The Loray Mill in Gastona, North Carolina was a textile factory that also ran the village in which the employees lived. In 1929, G. A Johnstone was hired to reduce production cost in the factory by establishing the “stretch-out” system. Soon he would be replaced by J.L Baugh, who would continue with the reduction in production. The working conditions at the Loray Mill drew the attention of the National Textile Workers Union led by Fred Beal. The workers gathered to discuss what steps could be taken to get better wages and working conditions. They compiled a list of demands to present to management, but when the workers' demands were rejected, they agreed to go on strike until their needs were met. The Loray Mill Strike of 1929 was marked by
Although the information is unclear, somewhere between fifteen and two hundred masked men raided the headquarters of the NTWU and using axes and sledgehammers destroyed the building.They then turned their attention towards the brick structure that held the food for the strikers and broke eggs, dumped out the flour, and ultimately destroyed two-hundred and twenty-five dollars worth of food. Without enough evidence, there were never any charges pressed on anyone related to the vandalism. On April 22, 1929, there was a mass meeting of mill workers. They decided to march into the city in order to make their point to management. A large crowd of five hundred entered the city and met with fifty police officers who were armed with bayonets, guns, and blackjacks. The officers attacked the protesters and began to kick, punch, bash with rifles, and prick with bayonets. “Thirty were arrested, and many more retreated to their meeting place, cut and bleeding.” It is understandable that the police would need to prevent a riot from ensuing, but the brutality demonstrated by police was uncalled for especially when most of the protesters were women. The police assumed that since most of the demonstrators were women and children they could be easily frightened with violence and cruelty. Most of the picketers were young women who thought it was liberating to take a stand for their rights. The older women found the strike a more serious situation than the young women who found the strike thrilling. Most importantly, all the women were seeking economic, class, and gender equality. The officers demonstrated great force when interacting with the females, one claimed she was almost choked to death by an angry deputy. Other innocent people were wounded as well who were not a part of the parade such as Ada Howell. Howell was on her way to the relief store when deputy G.B. Prather attacked her “severely