ROSIE THE RIVETER: FROM WAR WORK TO WOMEN\'S LIB? Directions: Read the following
ID: 3123371 • Letter: R
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ROSIE THE RIVETER: FROM WAR WORK TO WOMEN'S LIB? Directions: Read the following narrative of Adele Erenberg's experiences as a woman defense worker in World War II and answer the questions at the end. ADELE ERENBERG: MACHINIST When the war started, I discrimination was indescribable. They wanted to kill twenty-six was unmarried, and working as a cosmetics clerk in a drugstore in Los Angeles. I was running the whole My attitude was, "Okay, you bastards. Im department handling the inventory and all that. It felt going to prove to you I can do anything you can do, and asinine, though, to be selling lipstick when the country maybe better than some of you." And that's exactly the was at war. I felt that I was capable of doing something way it turned out. I used to do the rework on the pieces more than that toward the war effort that the guy on the shift before me had screwed up. I There was also a big difference between my finally got assigned to nothing but rework. salary and those in defense work. I was making Later they tau o run an automatic something like twenty-two to twenty-four dollars a screwing machine. It's a big mother, and it took a lot of week in he drugstore. You could earn a much greater strength just to throw that thing into gear. They amount of money for your labor in defense plants. Also probably thought I wasn't going to be able to do it. But it interested me, 1 had a certain curiosity about meeting I was determined to succeed. As a matter of fact I that kind of challenge, and here was an opportunity t developed the most fantastic biceps from throwing that do that, for there were more openings for women machine into gear. Even today I still have a little of that So I went to two or three plants and took their muscle left. entually some of the men became test. And they al told me I had absolutely no Anyway, particularly the older ones, the ones i mechanical ability, I said, "I don't believe that." So I very friendly, went to another plant, AD.E.L. I was interviewed and their late forties or fifties. They were journeymen tool got the job. This particular plant made the hydraulic and die makers and were so skilled that they could valve system for the B-17. And where did they put work anywhere at very high salaries. They were sort of women? In the burr room. You sat at a workbench, fatherly, protective. They weren't threatened by me. which was essentially like a picnic table with a bunch The younger men, I think, were. of other wome and you worked grinding and sanding our plant was an open shop, and the International Association of Machinists was trying to machine parts to make them smooth. That's what you did all day long. It was very mechanical and it was very unionize the workers. I joined and worked to try to get boring. There were about thirty women n the burr the union n the plant. I prosely tized for the union room, and it was like being in a beauty shop every day. during lunch hour and I had a big altercation with the I couldn't stand the inane talk. So when they asked me agement over that. The employers and my leadman f I would like to work someplace clse in the shop, I and foreman called me into the office and said, "We said I very much would. have a ri ight to fire you, They started training me. I went to a blueprint I said, "On what basis? I work as well or better class and learned how to use a micrometer and how to than anybody else in the shop except the joumcymen. draw tools out of the tool crib and everything else They said, "No, not because of that, because Then one day they said, "Okay, how would you like to you're talking for the union on company property go into the machine shop? You're not allowed to do that. I said, "Terrific said, "Well, that's jus oo bad, because I can't get off the grounds here. You won't allow us to leave And they said, "Now, Adele, it's going to be a real challenge because you'll be the only woman in the the grounds during lunch hour. And you don't pay me machine shop." I thought to myself, we hat's going for my lunch hour, so that time doesn't belong to you, so you can't tell me what to do.' And they backed down. to be fun, all those guys and Adele in the machine shop. So the foreman took me over there. It was a big room, I had one experience at the plant that really with a high ceiling and fluorescent lights, and made me work for the union. One day while I was burning, I had a very noisy. I walked in there, n my overalls, and accident and ripped some cartilage out suddenly all the machines stopped and every guy in the of my hand. It wasn't serious, but it looked kind of shop just turned around and looked at me. It took, I hink, two weeks before anyone even talked to me. The They had to take me over to the industrialExplanation / Answer
1)First reason is that she felt guilty of when her country is at war she was selling lipstick and the second is that working at war give better pay than what she is getting
2) As there are thirty women in the job every one went on to chat like they used at home,which made her dissatisfied.
3)Initially every one was away from her and it took two weeks for them to talk and the discrimination was indescribable,but later people above fourty fifties became friends.
4)One day when employers ,leadmen and foremen called her to fire her ,then she told them why are they firing her ,and told them that"you wont allow us to leave the grounds during lunch hour and you dont pay me for my lunch hour,so that time doesnt belong to you,so you cant tell me what to do".Through this she won the arguement
5)For making her transfer to other section and using politics on her
6)She made to know that women are not only meant to work in shops or at home they can also work at war .Besides she also got a good pay than working selling lipsticks
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