Josie Phillips was a packer at Baldwin's Casuals who moved to the sewing room when Shirley Armitage left the factory. Josie grew concerned when rumours started to circulate that the factory was to close. She confronted her boss Mike Baldwin but did not believe his assurances that all was well and her job was safe. Josie was proven right when she discovered that Mike had sold the factory, and suffered the indignity of being locked out of the premises by builder Maurice Jones, who demolished the factory building.