Glassworks Cottage Industry and Historical Inaccuracies

Dark Side of the Glass Industry

Besides almost enslaving their workers, the Glassworks also had other practices, which would be more than suspect in today's climate. For instance, the practice of paying employees in scrips was made illegal under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938. This shady practice allowed companies to ensure that all of the money they paid their workers stayed within the company.  It also caused workers to be trapped in their job unless they wanted to lose everything they had, as the scrips they were paid were only valid in company-owned business, and there was no way of saving up to leave at some point.
Not only did the glass companies try to indoctrinate the adults in their community into the “company machine,” they also indoctrinated their children. They accomplished this by employing young boys in particular. Parents would sign a contract, which obligated their children to work from as early as the age of 10 as indentured servants. The companies liked to do this as it ensured that they would have a steady stream of employees, in case others died or grew too old to work. Additionally, if the children ran away, their parents would be imprisoned, as they signed the contract for their service.

Thus, the companies used the parents to enslave the children and then held the parents hostage so the child would continue working for them until they were indoctrinated and then the cycle repeated itself with the child as the parent, repeating for generations.

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