Race, gender, and labor unions during American industrialization

Women at Work

WORKING WOMEN AND INDUSTRILIAZATION

Prior to industrialization, most women were working as domestic servants in homes of wealthy people. Even when industrialization helped few women gain better jobs at sales and clerical positions, most black women were severely restricted to domestic service alone because of racial discrimination. White women mostly moved to jobs with better wages when opportunities arose, leaving the black women behind to bear the brunt of domestic service. The wages were disappointingly low and most women were paid anything from $4 to $8 per month. The conditions under which they worked were wretched and they were made to work from dawn to dusk with little time given to spend with their families. Apart from all this, domestic servants were also considered 'thieves' and their vices were regularly highlighted. Conditions were not so positive for women working in factories as they regularly had to compete fiercely in order to keep their jobs as there were many others waiting to occupy the same. Because of the absence of Labor Unions, women were forced to endure horribly bad treatment, low wages and massive amount of work. From the complaints received by Jewish Daily Forward, it is clear that workingwomen were no better in these factories than they were in domestic service.