Unraveling Workers’ Letters: The Voices behind Nelly Don

Lucille Turner

Item

Title

Lucille Turner

Description

Letter by factory worker asserting her right to express her own opinion on the working conditions, hours, and wages at the Donnelly Garment Company. Turner does not want an outside union to represent her or her coworkers.

Creator

Contributor

n/a

Date Original

undated

Location

Kansas City, Missouri

Collection name

James A. Reed Collection, K0443

Identifiers

Box 34

Source

The State Historical Society of Missouri-Kansas City

Publisher

n/a

Access Rights

The Donor hereby gives and assigns to the University all rights of copyright which the Donor has in (a) the Materials and (b) in such of his works as may be found among any collections of Materials received by the University from others.

Type

Text

Format

Letter

Transcript

Having been an employee of the Donnelly Garment Company for four years, I feel am quite capable of expressing my true opinion about the Company and my Employer, Mrs. Reed.

We have always had better working conditions, better hours and far higher wages than any Garment Factory in the City. I feel we could not find a better Employer than Mrs. Reed any where in Greater Kansas City or elsewhere. I have always earned a good living, all the year round and I wish to continue working with Donnelly’s in the future, without the interference of any outside Union.

Lucille Turner.