Charlotte Duncan Smith Graham
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Charlotte Duncan Smith Graham | |
|---|---|
| Born | born 1912 Dallas, Texas |
| Died | 1993 |
| Occupations | Seamstress and labor organizer |
| Known for | Union activities |
| Spouse | Frank W. Graham |
Charlotte Duncan Smith Graham (1912–1993) was an American seamstress and labor organizer. She led major strikes in Dallas, Texas and elsewhere against the clothing manufacturing industry, and was an active member of labor unions.
She was born in Dallas, in 1912. Although she married twice, she had no children. Her second husband was Frank W. Graham. She died in 1993.[1]
Work conditions
In an oral history interview, Graham said the Justin-McCarty Manufacturers environment was hot, dirty, and had no fans. Workers wore old dresses they called “rags” because they would sweat so much, and they did not leave their seats because the next bundle of work was brought to them. She said management treated their workers as “less than human,” describing a time a needle went straight through her finger. She was not given time off for the long wait (an hour and a half) to see the doctor nor compensated for the medical costs.[2]
Charlotte Duncan Graham led a dozen women in requesting a charter from the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union (ILGWU) due to anger over working conditions. One instance was when Graham’s coworker was not allowed to use the restroom and consequently had an accident. Furious, Graham went into the restroom for half an hour, "daring the manager to fire her". The workers were only allowed to use the restroom during their thirty-minute lunch or fifteen-minute afternoon break.[3] Following Graham’s 30-minute restroom strike, she completed a training period, after which she was to receive $12 a week. Instead, at the end of the training period, Justin-McCarty would fire workers, rehiring them as apprentices. This prevented the company from following through on the promised $12 a week salary. In addition, Justin-McCarty worked around a garment industry code limiting the work week to 36 hours by having employees clock out at 5 p.m., leave by the back entrance, then come back in the front door and work off the clock until 11 p.m.[4]