Making ends meet : women's factory work experience

The purpose of this thesis was to make women's factory work more visible. This is an exploratory and descriptive study of a sample of sixteen factory workers in Nova Scotia obtained using a network technique. The interview schedule was designed to measure women's perception and experiences in the following areas: labour process position, the double day, working relationships, job satisfaction, union activism, forms of management and control tactics, gender and sexual harassment, and women's resistance. This information was analyzed using a feminist perspective. Women factory workers have unique experiences. Women continue to be responsible for most of the housekeeping and child care duties. There exists a double standard between the treatment of male and female workers and this discriminatory treatment is perpetuated by a management style and practice that allows male control and privilege. The male dominated workplace is a macho territory that directly and indirectly rejects women. These women expressed various forms of alienation yet most did feel a sense of pride and independence because of the work they accomplished. Women's rights are not protected in the workplace and those who resist their oppression often receive little support from unions or co-workers.