Interview with Ruby Prater, July 1, 1987

Interview Summary

Prater describes what it was like to work at Pikeville Methodist Hospital prior to the strike. She talks about her duties as a nurse's aide that started expanding beyond the typical duties of an aide, like training her superiors. She talks about other working conditions at the hospital, including wages and time off. She describes her experiences on the picket line and other strike-related activities like rallies and boycotting other businesses. Prater talks about her interactions with the people crossing the picket line, including a member of her own family. Prater talks about who lived with her during the strike and talks about how her family managed financially during the strike. Prater talks about her own background, including her childhood, education, and work history. Prater talks about how she was treated when she returned to her job after the strike. She talks about having difficulty receiving her retirement benefits due to her participation in the strike.

Interview Keyword

Pikeville Methodist Hospital Retirement Nurses aides Nurse's aides Picket lines Strikebreakers Scabs Childhood Families. Education--Kentucky Marriage

Interview LC Subject

Women in the labor movement Hospital and community. Hospital care--United States. Medical care--Kentucky Nursing. Occupations. Picketing. Protest movements. Salaries Strikes and lockouts--Kentucky Women political activists

Interview Rights

All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the University of Kentucky Libraries.

Interview Usage

Interviews may be reproduced with permission from Louie B. Nunn Center for Oral History, Special Collections, University of Kentucky Libraries.