First Contract: Women and the Fight to Unionize

L.J. Rouse was a freelance writer in Toronto.

Women in the labor force have a double disadvantage working against them when it comes to confrontation with management; that of their working status, traditionally at the mercy of the “bosses,” and that of women, also traditionally underdogs in what is still, for many, “a man’s world.” Dramatized here are true stories of women whose lives, families and work have been affected for good or ill by their dedication to the labor movement. This use of stand-ins to portray the women who tell their own stories, underlines the seriousness of the message. These women fear reprisal and persecution, of both themselves and their families, if they are singled out and identified as active unionists. This is powerful material — the stories of hard lives made harder than they should be, and often by those who should be brothers in the struggle. Photographs of actual events such as strikes, demonstrations, picket lines and organization meetings, are in journalistic black and white; the dramatized versions of four stories of women’s involvement are illustrated in vivid color. This is a strong statement for sisterhood, and a salute to the loyalty of women to their unions and fellow unionists. A chronology of some important events in the labor movement pertaining to women’s issues is included.