This is when women first began to work for political equality with men. They pushed for equal opportunities involving their careers, working conditions and wages, and the right to own property. A breakthrough came in 1916 when Robert Borden granted the sisters, wives, and daughters of soldiers the right to vote. Nurses serving in the forces were also added to that list. Unfortunately, after the war ended many women were pushed to the side, as the female factory workers, ambulance drivers, and nurses
Workforce Hardships The drive for a woman, particularly a single woman to make ends meet can often be a challenge, and the work in textile mills and factories have long been the provider for many, although made ten years apart in the films Norma Rae, directed by Martin Ritt, released June 15, 1979 and North Country, directed by Niki Caro, released October 21, the message of what it takes to bring home a paycheck still rings true. The evidence in the language from the management, along with characters Norma Rae and Josey Aimes, also the setting in the cafeterias and costumes of single working women are all cinematic devices used in both films can be compared as they are more alike than are different, targeted toward women in the workforce as they try to make their way in a tough working environment. The language the management uses in Norma Rae can be compared to the language in North Country to show how management in both films shows no sympathy for the working woman, and how they seem to turn their heads to what they choose to ignore. A good statement on how the power of management can operate stems back to the late nineteenth century by an unnamed male manager from the fifth edition history book America and Its Peoples, “I regard my people as I regard my machinery. So long as they can do my work for what I choose to pay them, I keep them, getting out of them all I can.
She became part of the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW) about 10 years after becoming a socialist. This group supported the disenfranchised, oppressed, lower class workers. The IWW had notoriety for being very radical. She defended their actions, and supported them wholeheartedly. Helen Keller was the most intense with her activism
(Joyce Bryant 02.03.09) By late 1918, more and more women had taken over jobs once held by men. Nearly three million new women workers were employed in food, textile and war industries. Labor unions fought to keep from hiring women in factories. They were paid half the wages and worked longer hours in very dangerous conditions. Over 210,000 women were permanently disabled and at least 37,000 lost their lives in poorly lite factories and
This photograph by Martin Shakeshaft displays a number of women and children protesting about the closure of the deep coal mines in 1984. Tens of thousands of jobs were lost immediately with the closure of the pits. Much media attention is given to the men involved in the miner’s strikes of 1984-85 although women were involved too, albeit in a more indirect way. The photograph clearly shows this as it is made up of purely women and children. Many women’s groups were started during 1984-85 in support of the strikers.
Throughout America’s history, there are few dates that are as influential as May 25, 1911. On this day, the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory caught fire and took the lives of 146 workers. Before the “Triangle Shirtwaist Fire,” the factory was a successful garment industry that thrived off of political corruption, and extremely horrible working conditions. Not only was the disaster responsible for the death of 146 workers, it helped shape many changes dealing with business and politics. During the early 1900’s, countless immigrants were settling in America.
On March 25, 1911 when a fire broke out at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, many young women and men were then trapped and had no escape. The government had closed its eyes to fire safety and working conditions until it was forced to witness burning bodies smack the ground one after the other. If the government had taken a responsibility to maintain safety regulations within these factories, over a hundred young women and men would not have seen their death so soon. After the fire, a series of intense changes, reforms, and laws had unfolded providing and requiring many safety, human right, and labor changes. Not until hundreds of people had to endure extreme suffering did
The response was immediate; with Annie’s help, they formed a union, and 1400 of the women at Bryant & May went on strike. Many Newspapers and members of the public took the side of the match workers and game them money for their strike fund. The strike went on for three weeks. Then Bryant and May gave in and the conditions were improved, wages rose, the sacked given their jobs back and fines stopped. The women accepted the terms and returned in triumph.
Over 3,000 ‘DMVs’ (Deserted Medieval Villages) have been discovered in England, with historians such as Chorpa attributing the reason for desertion to the plague. In perhaps the best known example, Wharram Percy in North Yorkshire, the surviving population is thought to have fled to York to avoid starvation as the village became unsustainable due to 85% of the population dying because of the plague. Some villages, including Kilkenny, saw total oblivoration and 100% death rates. However, perhaps the greatest impact was in the major cities, particularly London, England’s biggest city in the middle ages. London was described by contemporise
After graduating high school she was arrested and jailed for attempting to organize a union for packinghouse workers. [ (I Stand Here Ironing/Author Biography) ] Olsen met her husband, Jack, in 1936 in San Francisco. After living together for several years, the couple was wed in 1944 on the eve of Jack’s departure for duty during WWII. [ (Wikipedia) ] Like her father, Olsen was continuously changing jobs due to her involvement in the Communist Party. But even though her life was turbulently busy, she always managed to find time to write.