A small group gathered for labor journalist Jane Latour’s talk on the importance of recognizing women’s contribution to labor history.
Latour showed her audience that seeing the forest of rights taken for granted can sometimes make one miss the trees that are the women who won those rights to begin with.
“Every person I chose was an organizer,” said Latour. “They all made huge efforts to change their working conditions, for themselves and for their workmates.”
Latour told of Brenda Berkman, the first female firefighter in New York, and of the changes and challenges that followed her throughout her 24 year career.
“Brenda realized that we [women] have to organize for our survival,” said Latour.
Berkman founded the United Women Firefighters organization, and was responsible for instituting workplace changes such as freedom from sexual harassment, and the recognition of women as a viable workplace group alongside other groups such as the Black and Latino unions.
At Berkman’s retirement ceremony, after having made the rank of Captain, she recognized the way history works both for and against the women’s movement, and expressed her appreciation of how long it takes for any real change to occur.
“The women’s movement is a marathon not a sprint,” Latour quotes Berkman as saying.
Latour, along with the women she has profiled in her book “Sisters in the Brotherhoods,” is an advocate for all the women in blue-collar jobs, the so-called non-traditional jobs. These are jobs that may not be glamorous or easy, but that are necessary for the functioning of society—sanitation workers, plumbers, electricians, construction workers, and workers who run the phone lines—among many more.
Throughout the history of these jobs, most of the positions were and still are held by men. Although Latour’s book mostly profiles women who started working in the ‘70s, the trend of women gaining, and holding, roles traditionally held by men began during the World Wars.
“I call these women ‘Rosie’s Daughters’ because they all came after Rosie the Riveter,” said Latour.
During their careers, Rosie’s Daughters have fought for, and won, the right to be hired and work while pregnant, the ability to have a non-hostile work environment, and have made great strides toward pay equity.
“It used to be something like…46 cents to every dollar that men made,” said Latour. “Now, it’s up near 76 or 78.”
However, Latour emphasizes that this is nowhere close to good enough, and that many employers will watch as a woman consistently undersells herself with regard to wages, automatically valuing her own time at less than her male counterparts. Added to that is the systematic favoritism which results in men receiving larger raises and promotions, more hours overall, and more overtime, and the effect is massive pay inequity.
This is one reason that Latour, and the women in her book, are activists. They make sure that women know their options, and in fact that they have these options, when it comes to approaching employers for raises. Also, they advocate researching industry standards when applying for a position as it is difficult to receive equity if the applicant does not know what her male counterparts are receiving in terms of salary and benefits.
Latour regularly looks at trade publications, such as union bulletins, and sees very few women. However, she is encouraged by the trend in hiring since the ‘70s, and will continue to be an advocate for these trades by selling her book and giving lectures, and standing with the women who have broken into non-traditional jobs.
“There is a tendency for women in these jobs to be seen as tokens; we can’t help that,” said Latour. “But they start these jobs, and they find they actually like them! There is so much pride in their craft, and they find the work beautiful.”
The IUSB Preface > Arts and Entertainment
Author Latour gives talk on her history
TALK | Author Jane Latour spoke at IU South Bend last week about women and labor.
Published: Sunday, February 21, 2010
Updated: Sunday, February 21, 2010
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