Described by the Chicago Police Department as “more dangerous than a thousand rioters,” Lucy Parsons is a strong example of woman leadership in union work. She was enslaved early in her life and consistently participated in activism for the homeless, women of color, political prisoners, and lead marches for seamstresses. Along with her husband, Albert Parsons, she helped found the International Working People’s Association and was one of the first female members of the Industrial Worker of the World (IWW).

American women were some of the first to workers to form unions in the Industrial Revolution after being thrown into the workforce. Unions were a way for working women to bring about change in the labor movement, especially at a time when voting was not permitted. For example, women textile workers took on the first of America’s labor strikes, reform groups, and protests. They fought to change grueling fourteen-hour shifts, dangerous conditions, and extremely low wages. The International Ladies Garment Workers Union formed through uniting with male co-workers to achieve higher wages and shorter hours.

Woman-dominated sectors of labor such as nursing, retail, and service entailed lower wages and longer hours after women lost their former jobs once World War II ended. Such conditions, as well as sexist views of women in the workforce, gave birth to the second wave of feminism. The Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW) formed as a fierce advocate for women in the workforce; seeking to increase female participation and leadership in unions. Many issues in the workforce specifically effecting women were addressed, such as equal pay, nondiscriminatory hiring, paid family leave, and sexual harassment.

Women have worked hard to fight for equal rights and opportunities as men in the workplace. Under the chains of capitalism, unfair treatment and exploitation will always be commonplace. A woman’s place is not only in the workforce or the union, but also in the revolution to destroy capitalism.

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Hindsight is 20/20 they say. Looking back, there were so many signs that her words of unity and female empowerment were just a front. She would close a little early on some days and say things like, “Hey! It’s a beautiful day! Don’t you want to spend time with your family? Go home!” – and yeah… of course I want to go home and spend time with my family! But, I also need the money that I’m all of a sudden not going to make because you felt like it was too sunny to work! After a few days of this “gracious early release” from work, I brought my concerns up to her. She said that it never even crossed her mind that I needed the hours! She said she would allow me to stay in the closed building to work the rest of my shift. I could just “find something to do ”. That was the first crack in her image. She’s not like us.

My coworker, who had been working for my boss longer than me, was telling me about her future plans with her and her daughters after her upcoming raise. I say “working for ” but technically she was “contracted”. In her contract she was not allowed to work for other agencies or to practice with any of the clients that went to this office and she was also only allowed to negotiate her base pay every 2 years, so technically not an employee but it sure sounded like my boss was her boss to me! She was going to talk to our boss next week and I was so excited for her!

One day my coworker came out of the bathroom at the office with red eyes. I asked her what’s wrong and in a whispered voice said, “She said no.” I gave her a confused look. She responded in an even quieter voice, “I’m not supposed to talk to you about it and she’s in her office so she might hear me.” She walked away looking defeated and pissed off.

I asked her to lunch. And there she let her story and emotions out. At the end of it all, I asked her why she thought my boss said no. She shrugged her shoulders and as she let out a sigh she said, “She’s not like us.” I asked her what she meant. She went on, “She doesn’t know what it’s like to not have money or enough money. She’s not lazy, but she was born rich, she lives rich, and she’ll probably die rich too.” We both sat in silence for a bit to ponder what she had just said. It clicked. She’s not like us. We’re part of the working class and grew up in the working class. We didn’t have parents who came from wealth that set us up with money for school or businesses. We didn’t depend on not paying workers enough so that we could make a profit. And we couldn’t just leave early for work to go spend time with our families on a sunny day.

I gave her a hug. She finished her contract and left that office. I never got the chance to thank her for the lessons she taught me. I could never find the right words. But I think about her sometimes and I think about my boss too. We were both women with families but she chose to feed her family off of my labor and the labor of my sister coworkers while I had no choice but to sell my time and work to her for pennies back. She’s not like us.

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Out of about 100 staff members, 80 are women. Nurses and CNAs are overworked and underpaid to an extent that many lose patience and become discouraged with their caseload. Without a doubt, the reputation of nursing homes stems from conditions caused by misogyny, ageism, capitalism, and ableism. The important role of women as caretakers is taken for granted, as well as the need for those they serve.

The current nursing home I work for was one of the first in the state of West Virginia to experience COVID-19. No one knew how to effectively prepare as little was known about the virus. Eventually, over 50 staff and residents became infected with COVID-19 and it took a very long time with diligent efforts to eradicate it in our facility.

The first facility I worked for offered no hazard pay for their workers. CNAs continued to only make $11 an hour for the grueling work they put in every day. Housekeepers made the minimum wage; $8.75 an hour. A facility full of exhausted, frustrated staff effected the wellbeing of residents who already struggled with being in quarantine. On the other hand, the one I currently work for provided an extra $5 on the hour. CNA’s typically making $12 an hour were now making $17 an hour. Housekeepers typically making $11 were making $16 an hour.

In addition, all staff was compensated with an extra $2 an hour for working nightshift. The workload was remarkably similar with typically 20 patients relying only on one nurse and two aides, at times, only one. However, receiving a fair wage and being shown appreciation made a difference in patient care.

Flash forward a year later, hazard pay has been taken away. Many have quit or walked out since the drop in pay. I am a counselor but was recently asked to administer COVID-19 tests on staff and family visitors due to the significant shortage in nursing staff.

Nursing homes are a prime example of how traditional women’s occupations are underappreciated. The important role of women as caretakers is taken for granted in comparison to roles typical for men. In addition, a vast majority of nursing home residents are women. The issue of women’s needs being neglected extends into old age. If we were always paid a fair wage and given the support we need, perhaps nursing homes would not have the terrible reputations they do.

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