Rosie The Riveter Like War Propaganda To Work
From the start in the late 1800s, women have been discriminated against in the workplace. Anti-feministic views have kept women from reaching their potential. Where women did have the opportunity to work, it was not always safe. For instance, on March 25, 1911, the Triangle Shirtwaist factory caught on fire. Of the 500 women workers, 146 died. Many of them jumped to their deaths because the emergency escape doors were locked (aflcio.org). This was only the beginning. Women in the workplace grew more common during World War II. As many men went off to fight in Europe and around the world, women went to work. They manufactured airplanes, submarines, battleships, and other military vehicles. Women faced less inequality than a couple of decades before. There was propaganda like Rosie the Riveter that encouraged women to enter the workforce. However, after the war, men returned home to go back to work. This limited women’s jobs once again. Other groups targeted by workplace hate included minorities and children.
Minorities, especially African Americans were segregated against in the workplace in the early 20th century. It was hard for them to find self-sustaining work. Immigrants also had a hard time finding consistent work for long periods. Managers discriminated against the Irish. Many put up signs that read “NINA” or “No Irish Need Apply.” Immigrants came to America to find the so-called “American Dream” only to realize that this dream was a nightmare. The immigrants that did find work, were often injured by machines. Children, as young as four years old, worked in factories to help their parents with rent, food, and other necessities. They faced harsh conditions such as poor lighting, few breaks, and long hours. Many of them worked their little fingers to the bone, literally. After work, they could not do normal childhood activities like play with friends or study math and language arts. Finally, in the late 1930s, a child labor law passed, prohibiting children from working until the age of 16. While workplace inequality has dissipated over the last 70 years, it is not eradicated.
Today, Americans face workplace injustice especially women. While I do not believe in the “glass ceiling,” women are still being suppressed. Take the top three multi-billion dollar companies in the United States: Apple, Microsoft, and Amazon. Their CEOs include Tim Cook, Satya Nedella, and Jeff Bezos. One thing they all have in common is they are men. By now, you would think a woman would have climbed up the corporate ladder, right? Well, not exactly. At the top level, no. However, many women have become successful entrepreneurs, but they are still faced with discrimination that their great-grandparents faced less than a century ago.
One group of people commonly left out of workplace inequality is older people. In a USAToday.com article titled, Ageism is Never Acceptable in the Workplace: Ask HR, a man described an encounter with his boss that was very harassing. “He has told me he believes I have early-stage dementia. He threw a set of keys at me, and although they didn't hit me, he dented my desk…” In some businesses and corporations, this happens every day. His boss was demeaning. A long term effect of this behavior can lead to mental illness. Ageism is commonplace.
More people, men, and women of all backgrounds are being employed in 2019 than in the early 20th century. Many of the obstacles put in their path by corporate America have been obliterated by state and federal laws. While workplace inequality has significantly decreased, people are still discriminated against for different reasons. Until managers and top-tier executives do something to make their businesses more welcoming, discrimination will continue to happen.
