Forrest, A. A. (1993). View from outside the wale: The treatment of women and unions in industrial relations. In Women challenging unions: feminism, democracy and militancy. Linda Briskin and Patricia McDermott, eds. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
This chapter explains how industrial relations as a female discipline suppressed women activism to almost invisible levels. Without doubt, this chapter delves on issues of gender, labor, work, and changes that have occurred in both academic cycles and policy in that period. The authors successfully make women activism visible while giving a brief history of involvement of women in unions. Unsuccessful visibility of women in unions and existing myths surrounding involvement of women in unions is presented to allow the reader examine assumptions based on gender that women do not have interest in unions. The authors review literature and data to show factors that make it difficult for women to organize. An analysis of segregation of jobs by sex within industrial relations presents a clearer view if the relationship existing between unions and women. The authors concludes the chapter by recommending to researchers and scholars to acknowledge the presence of dimension based on gender when it comes to conflict at work. Another suggestion is to re-conceptualize the concept of industrial relations in order to enable both men and women receive attention. The chapter achieves its aim of pointing and explaining the factors that affect industrial relations. It is also important to note that the domination of industrial relations by males significantly hindered the visibility of women’s activism.
Falcon, P. (2003). Only strong women stayed: Women workers and the national floral workers strike, 1968-1969.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 24 (2/3), 140-154.
This article delves on the field of feminist and gender studies. The author focuses on the conflicts of gender, class, and race in the oral history of Chicana worker’s agency following the historic strike of women floral workers organized in Brighton, Colorado in 1969. Another strike organized by women was on July 1, 1968, when women-led National Floral Workers Organization (NFWO) went on strike against the Kitayama Corp. The account of the strike, which has not yet been fully told as part of the struggle for justice in the historical context of Chicanas, is part of work in progress. The accounts presented in the article are part of oral interviews drawn from Guadalupe Briseno, who was by then president of the NFWO and the mastermind of the strike.
Even though these women engage in strikes, they chose non-violent methods of demonstration in a similar way to Ethyl Byrne, which involves chaining themselves to a fence to form a picket like. They also have experience with tear gas and their willingness to downplay the importance of their lives, which show the willingness of women to fight for justice. The strike that occurred in 1968 is a sign that women can endanger their lives for the sake of their causes. These causes are the fundamentals that define and present women. The working conditions at the florist industry were very bad. This motivated the women to organize unions that could help them fight for their rights. They were able to change their working conditions after several strikes.
Berger, I. (1990). Gender, race, and political empowerment: South African canning workers, 1940-1960. Gender and Society 4(3), 398-420.
This article studies the conditions that promote high level of involvement among women in the trade union and in national and local politics concerning gender and racial issues. Article bases on a case study on the South African food and canning industry at Cape Town from 1940 to 1960. The most important factors included prevalence of women in seasonal labor, which presented with limited options of enhancing their status at work. There was also presence of a progressive, nonracial trade union that valued close relationship between work, family, and community and that ensured that women worked part-time. There was also an active political movement interested in mobilizing women against the threat their families and work from apartheid state. Additional, unlike women from other areas such as Latin America and Asia, these women had long tradition of productive labor and were expected to participate in visible public activity. According to the article, engaging in full-time work can enhance their involvement in trade unions and national political. It is evident from the article giving women full-time jobs would empower them to take more active roles in the society. The prevalence of women in seasonal labor significantly limits their ability to join trade unions and national and local politics.
Ratnam C.S. and Jain C. H. (2002). Women in trade unions in India. International Journal of Manpower, 23 (3), 277 – 292
The article highlights the presence of occupational segregation faced by women in union structures. The authors explore and record the level of participation of women in trade unions in India. They estimate that less than 8 percent of the workforce in India has not joined labor unions and that women account for the least share of union membership. The authors present a number of reasons to explain the low number of women participating and joining unions. The chances of woman leadership in unions vary considerable in occupations where women are organized. However, the authors find a positive contribution to the welfare of women in India. The country is a pioneer in organizing women in the informal sector such as self-help groups, worker’s cooperatives among others. They also find that these unions are creating social unionism, thereby changing the meaning of trade unionism. The focus here is on broad objectives of development, empowerment and fighting for their rights rather than the business-oriented unionism in North America, where emphasis is placed on “bread and butter” issues alone. The authors propose that initiatives drawn from the Indian Constitution may apply to labor unions and the private sector employers in the case of women in India.
References:
Berger, I. (1990). Gender, race, and political empowerment: South African canning workers, 1940-1960. Gender and Society 4(3), 398-420.
Falcon, P. (2003). Only strong women stayed: Women workers and the national floral workers strike, 1968-1969.” Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies, 24 (2/3), 140-154.
Forrest, A. A. (1993). View from outside the wale: The treatment of women and unions in industrial relations. In Women challenging unions: feminism, democracy and militancy. Linda Briskin and Patricia McDermott, eds. Toronto, ON: University of Toronto Press.
Ratnam C.S. and Jain C. H. (2002). Women in trade unions in India. International Journal of Manpower, 23 (3), 277 – 292
