Originally Posted by quiltjoey

My great grandparents, grandparents, parents, uncles, aunts, and older sisters worked in the Graniteville, SC mills. When they close they moved to Augusta, Ga and worked in the Riverside and Siblie Mills for years. In the late 50's-early, early 60's, they went to the Mill to work that day and the gates at the Mills were chained and locked with large signs that said,"Mill Closed and will not reopen." They all lost jobs and all monies they had invested in the mill in the form of retirement plans. My family did not receive health care, and there were no unions nor did they make $10.00 or more an hour. They made $4-5 per hour. They worked long hard hours without a/c in SC and GA in the summers in those mills. They went lazy people who didn't want to work.
The mills moved out of the Country simply because the owners, stakeholders would gain larger profits at a lower cost. It also happened to the steel mills in the North. We also began to see the farms being slowly bought up by the large food processing companies as well.... Because my family was so affected, I paid attention the all those things happening but as a young person I really didn't understand all of it. I really came to light with the NAFTA bill. I understand it all now. It is so sad. There are hundreds and hundreds of mills all over SC and GA and NC that was a hugh part of the textile industry. They just sit idle now and are falling into decay. I was in Gastonia yesterday at Mary Jo's Fabrics and saw the mills that are still closed and sitting idle there. The clerk at Mary Jo's said the bins that were empty where bolts normally go are most likely not to be refilled. Also any bolt that had "all" written on the end meant that there would be no more of that fabric. It would no longer be available. I think that we should buy fabric where ever we can and on our budget. If it be at LQS, Goodwill, second hand stores, etc. Hopefully things will improve but I don't want to wait and not have any fabric to sew. We know cotton lasts a long time so it won't spoil or go bad if kept properly!! Good quilting everyone!! I love this board....