Enka Mill Village’s unique memory as a happy place to be did not always stay true. Enka struggled through several issues with their employees. Labor relations were an important piece of the company. The workers were the backbone of operations. Without them, the factory could not produce what it needed to produce. In fact, this was visible during World War II when employees refused to go back to work and the government had to take over for a short period of time. Throughout the company’s history there were strikes and lawsuits between workers and the corporation. Unions were one way workers often tried to resolve issues.
By the early 1940s, Enka employees had formed a union as part of the United Textile Workers of America.1 This was likely a direct result of the passage of the National Labor Relations Act from 1935. There are multiple news articles reporting on the various strikes and issues that workers encountered at the American Enka Corporation. One such article highlighted the events of March 23, 1941, when 1,500 members walked out of work. They were all members of this union.2
The company struggled with the ongoing issues with their workers especially in 1945, when the federal government became involved after a several days-long dispute as people refused to go back to work until their wages increased.3 When 2,600 of the plant’s 3,600 workers stopped working, according to a Knoxville newspaper article from 1945, it cut tire production by 5,000 per day.4 The company dealt with strikes a fair amount and newspapers covered these a lot of the time. An article covering the strikes from the 1951 was headlined, “Union May Call Strike At Enka.” According to the article, “the United Textile Workers of America, AFL, announced last night that Enka workers voted 1,434 to 16 in favor of authorizing a strike.”5 Given the vote was heavily in favor of a strike, workers there had to be pretty unhappy with the current conditions.
There was specific information laid out in regards to the wages in the form of a booklet. In this booklet titled, “Information for Factory Workers” that came directly from Enka itself, the company leaders specified their hiring procedures, hours to work, holiday page, wages, overtime, liability for damages, among many other things related to labor.6 It specified the Employment Manager would hire them, and those looking to be employed at Enka had to pass living inspections as well as a physical exam.7 The hours that employees were required to work was set by the company but could change at any time.8
According to J. Wilson Ayers, editor of the Enka Voice, Enka had a good relationship with its workers. “…We have had some strikes, but generally I think our relations have been very good. I think this has been part of a tremendous effort on the part of the union and on the part of the company people.”9 They also had a ceremony in May 1947 honoring the oldest employee. The Technical Vice President, Assistant to the Vice President and several other important people involved in operations presented him with a pin set in ruby. The caption in the Enka Voice said that Nathan S. DeBord, who worked in the Maintenance Department, had been employed at Enka since March 11, 1929, the year the company opened. That event is seen in the image below.
Photograph of Enka employee Nathan DeBord being honored by the company for being the oldest employee.10
Something else quite important to the American Enka Corporation that indicated how much the company cared about their workers was safety. Many versions of the Enka Voice include a “safety report” such as one from January 1934. In it, they note the many things Enka employees are doing to keep safe, be careful, keep your eyes open when driving, go to sleep early if you work with machines”.11 Unfortunately the factory was dangerous regardless of how much the company did to protect their workers. It led to issues in the form of lawsuits. One such lawsuit took place in 1937 when a former employee named Wesley Lee chose to sue the company for damages after developing tuberculosis following his employment at Enka. Click the button below for more details about Lee v. American Enka Corporation.
- J. Wilson Ayers, interview by Dr. Louis Silveri, July 10, 1975, Southern Highlands Research Center Oral History Collection, D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville.
- “Operations Stopped After 1,500 Union Employes Walk Out,” Asheville Citizen-Times, March 23, 1941.
- “N.C. Textile Plant Seizure Authorized,” The Knoxville News-Sentinel, February 19, 1945.
- “N.C. Textile Plant Seizure Authorized,” The Knoxville News-Sentinel, February 19, 1945.
- “Union May Call Strike at Enka,” Rocky Mount Telegram, May 27, 1951.
- Information for Factory Workers (Enka, North Carolina: American Enka Corporation, 1934).
- Information for Factory Workers (Enka, North Carolina: American Enka Corporation, 1934), 2.
- Information for Factory Workers (Enka, North Carolina: American Enka Corporation, 1934), 3.
- J. Wilson Ayers, interview by Dr. Louis Silveri, July 10, 1975, Southern Highlands Research Center Oral History Collection, D. H. Ramsey Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Asheville.
- “Enka Honors Oldest Plant Employee,” Enka Voice, May 1947, 16, in private collection held by Becca Norris.
- “Safety,” Enka Voice, January 1934, 23, in private collection held by Becca Norris.
