Wildcat women : narratives of the women breaking ground in Alaska's oil and gas industry / by Carla Williams ; commentary by Julia Feuer-Cotter ; foreword by Dermot Cole
Publisher:
University of Alaska Press,
Copyright Date:
2018
Description:
xxiii, 232 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), map ; 23 cm
Oil Rush : Above the Lower 48 and Below Zero -- Pipe Dreams : A History of the Alaska Pipeline -- Frozen Assets : A Women's History of the Alaska Pipeline -- Persistence and Perseverance -- Wildcat Voices -- We Can Do It! -- Irene Bartee -- Kate Cotten -- Lianne Rockstad -- Debora Strutz -- Norma Carter -- Donna Ford -- Dana Martinez Parker -- Onice McClain -- Marlene McCarty -- Roxie (Hollingsworth) Majeske -- Robin Connolly -- Rosemary Carroll -- Clara King -- Samantha George -- North to the Future -- The Flow Continues -- Femininity on Alaska's North Slope.
Summary:
"Subzero temperatures, whiteout blizzards, and even the lack of restrooms didn't deter them. Nor did the sneers, harassment, and threats. Wildcat Women is the first book to document the life and labor of pioneering women in the oil fields of Alaska's North Slope. It profiles fourteen women who worked in the fields, telling a little-known history of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline. These trailblazers conquered their fears to face hazardous working and living conditions, performing and excelling at "a man's job in a man's world." They faced down challenges on and off the job: they drove busses over ice roads through snowstorms; wrestled with massive pipes; and operated dangerous valves that put their lives literally in their hands; they also fought union hall red tape, challenged discriminatory practices, and fought for equal pay--and sometimes won. The women talk about the roads that brought them to this unusual career, where they often gave up comfort and convenience and felt isolated and alienated. They also tell of the lifelong friendships and a sense of family that bonded these unlikely wildcats. The physical and emotional hardship detailed in these stories exemplifies their courage, tenacity, resilience, and leadership, and shows how their fight for recognition and respect benefited woman workers everywhere"-- Provided by publisher. "True stories and profiles of women who worked on the Alaska pipeline"-- Provided by publisher.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.