YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio — Marcelle Wilson is Site Manager for the Youngstown Historical Center of Industry & Labor and a history professor at Youngstown State University
She’s part of a team interviewing dozens of women from the Mahoning Valley who worked outside of home over the past five decades.
“Women, but it’s true for all people, have issues with child care, affordable child care, flexibility with their work, being able to take care of sick relatives as well as work full time,” said Wilson. “A lot of these issues are comparable to the challenges women have always faced in the workforce.”
A recently unearthed interview with Youngstown native Dorinda Tabor from the 1990s is being used in the project.
“I would be running one crane all day and some days I would be just jumping from one crane to another,” said Tabor, a former crane operator via archived video.
Tabor spent two years working at the U.S. Steel McDonald works from 1942 to 1944 as a crane operator, while her husband was fighting in World War II.
In the more than one-hour interview, she sheds light on some issues women faced at the time on the home front.
“Back then, there was a bunch of chauvinism. There was a lot of the men who just more or less resented the women being in the mill. But then, at that time, they had no choice. I mean, it was wartime and work had to be done,” said Tabor. “I think with it all, women began to realize that they were very capable, and they were very able of holding down these jobs.”
The “Women at Work” project is made possible by a grant from Columbus-based, Ohio Humanities Council.
“We decided to try and investigate that a little more and find out what is similar, what has improved as a result of the laws that have been passed. And then where does society still need to devote some time and effort,” said Wilson.
Besides comparing and contrasting the experiences, Wilson says the museum plans to open an exhibit and hold workshops for women of all ages by the fall — followed by a final presentation in November
“The older ladies can provide the younger ladies with advice and they can commiserate over what’s gotten better and what’s still a real challenge for them. I think it’s important because it’s a human issue,” said Wilson. “It’s an issue that deals with anyone who has a mother, a sister, a wife. It’s a project that should help any working person.”
