Have you heard of the girl who had to pick between her family and her safety? Well that's what happens in Lyddie by Katherine Paterson. Lyddie is a young girl who has to work at the mill to pay off her family's debt. In the mill where Lyddie works, there is a petition going around that will cut her pay, but it will also give her more worker rights. I believe Lyddie should sign the petition. But others think she shouldn't because of the loss of money. I would put my health and safety over a couple extra dollars if I was in Lyddies shoes. The factory is over-working its workers and exploiting them. A worker at the factory, Besty, said: "When I first started the spinning room, I could do a thirteen hour day and to spare. But in those days I had a hundred thirty spindles to tend.
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The company is having an insane 260 spindles, at such a high speed that would make the devil curse (pg91). Another mill worker says that with this new speedup, she hardly notices people anymore (pg98). This same girl is also working 4 looms at a time. It's already hard to work a loom at a regular pace, but now she has to work 4 at an increased speed. Later that same day she was too tired at night to copy out a page of Olver (pg 98). The factory is causing extreme fatigue among the workers, so much so that one of the workers can't even copy out a book page, because of how overworked she is. Lyddie needs to sign the petition to help herself and her colleagues. The dangerous working environment is another major problem at the mill, with sickness and injury spreading among the girls. On her first day of work Lyddie could hardly breathe, the air was so laden with moisture and debris (pg 75). The uncleanliness of the factory is a huge safety hazard, causing the worker to have trouble breathing. The air can also lead to future breathing complications. Lyddie was a victim of the weaving
The company is having an insane 260 spindles, at such a high speed that would make the devil curse (pg91). Another mill worker says that with this new speedup, she hardly notices people anymore (pg98). This same girl is also working 4 looms at a time. It's already hard to work a loom at a regular pace, but now she has to work 4 at an increased speed. Later that same day she was too tired at night to copy out a page of Olver (pg 98). The factory is causing extreme fatigue among the workers, so much so that one of the workers can't even copy out a book page, because of how overworked she is. Lyddie needs to sign the petition to help herself and her colleagues. The dangerous working environment is another major problem at the mill, with sickness and injury spreading among the girls. On her first day of work Lyddie could hardly breathe, the air was so laden with moisture and debris (pg 75). The uncleanliness of the factory is a huge safety hazard, causing the worker to have trouble breathing. The air can also lead to future breathing complications. Lyddie was a victim of the weaving