Page 6 - Women in the Steel Plant, World War 2

ISSUE : Issue 37

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1984/8/1

words, disregarding my sex, I just had to fit in where I was on the seniority list. And that hurt me more--I felt, oh gee, they knew very well I couldn't do that. And even when I used to meet him and talk to him, I still felt that. And yet, how right he was--he's the one that went to war. He was the one that had the job be? fore. And he's the one that had been the prisoner for 3 or 4 years. Everything rightfully belonged to him, and he made his career there. But I was a little bit? ter, 'cause I thought I was the one that should have been allowed to make the choice where I wanted to go. But when the supervisors explained what would be expected of me, it was that busi? ness of having to go through the plant to (6) SAFEfY keep away, it may be live and dangerous. Guard it, and send someone to cali us. nova scotia power corporation get to work, and out again, more than the actaal work itself. I loved the work. I loved doing the chemical analysis. So they asked me if I wanted to go to work in the lower lab. That I could have the job if I wanted to. But at the same time, they were saying it in such a way that I felt that they didn't want me to go down there ei? ther. So I gave up. Erma Maxwell; I didn't think I'd be actual- ly doing the same work as the men. You know, I thought it was just small jobs, like. Well, they told me I was going to be work? ing on the batteries. That's at the coke ovens. We were working with the men, and they kind of showed us, showed the women. There were three on each side--there was the pusher side, and then there was the coke side--two sides to the battery. Usual? ly, I worked on the coke side. (What did you do.there?) The same as the men, you know--breaking doors, and mudding them. On both sides you did the same thing--break, mud, and pick up. (Which comes first?) Breaking. They had this machine on the pusher side, this big machine. And it had this big contraption that went up to the door. The man that op? erated the machine pulled a lever and this thing went out and grabbed the top and the bottom of the door, and kind of shook it, because there was mud around it. And he'd take the door off. And then he'd pull it back, and move the machine. Then this oth? er big steel thing would push the coke right through the ovens. On the coke side they had the hot car. The coke just came THE SPLENDOUR AND THE GLORY OF AN UNFORGEl TABLE SEAFARING ADVENTURE SCHOONER: BLUENOSE I AND BLUENOSE II BY SILVER DONALD CAMERON The story of two extraordinary and beloved ships, and of the proud, impetuous and fiercely deter? mined men who sailed them--a stirring account of a storm-tossed voyage through history, and of the tragedy, joy and inspiration in the wake of Bluenose I and Bluenose II. $4.95 paperback Available at Your Local Newsstand, or by Writing: A PAIR OF TRINDLES BOOKSHOP Historic Properties, Halifax, N. S. B3J 1W5 DISTRIBUTED BY H. H. MARSHALL LIMITED

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