74 years old. 47 years on the job. $10.64/hour.

The reason I got involved with SAF 20 years ago is the same reason I continue to be committed to this work today. Coming from a working class family, I learned early on how unjust our economic system is for low-wage workers and their families.

Half a century ago, my mother—Shirley Jean Wiggins—started working in a small electronics factory in the MS Delta. She has worked for that same factory since 1962, with the exception of 5 years when I was born and when she supported my Dad in his mechanic’s shop. Back then, she earned $.99/hour - $2k/year. Now, she is at $10.64/hour— $22k/year. Needless to say, this is outrageous.

She has worked in odd jobs, the meter room, on the production line, as line leader, and now in the service department. She says, “We do not have many benefits,” and “some times things was hard because I did not make good wages.” Yet, she still says that it is a good place to work. She, like many workers, is thankful to have a job.

This fall, the SAF staff was able to take a tour of Smithfield pork processing plant in Tar Heel, NC—the largest in the world at 32k hogs/day—and talk with some of the workers there. It was a harsh reminder of my limited days working at my mom’s factory when I was a teen—loud noises, weird smells, short timed breaks, clocking in and out, dangerous work, wanting more hours, and the informal locker room buying and selling to make ends meet.

The difference was that these workers have a union, which comes with better pay, benefits, a grievance procedure, seniority, and union staff to call on when things are hard. Unfortunately, most workers don’t have a union.

My mom is not unlike many other workers who labor their whole lives without reaping the benefits that company owners and shareholders receive. And she is not unlike many farmworker women who earn less than their male counterparts, face harassment on the job, and are not ever able to move up the economic ladder.

I work with SAF because I believe that workers deserve more. Through SAF I am able to support efforts to educate workers about their rights, support their organization, advocate for improved protections under the law, and stand in solidarity with workers fighting for good pay and ample benefits.  

This year, I am making my donation to SAF in honor of my mother and all the women that work in factories, fast food, and the fields.

My goal is to raise a minimum of $10,000 in 75 hours--from 12/9 to 12/12. I hope that you will make a generous tax-deductible contribution in honor of my mother & my own 20 years of service to SAF. 

Si se puede!
Melinda Wiggins