Add to collection
You do not have access to any existing collections. You may create a new collection.
Other
Campbell, Freda (audio interview #4 of 5)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the fourth of five lengthy interviews conducted with Freda Campbell in the living room of her modest home in the foothills of Glendale. Short and trim looking, Campbell was always warm and friendly, though had a business-like air about her. A history buff, Campbell was quite conscious of the problem of historical accuracy and understood why apparent trivia and details were important. As in the previous interview, she often checked the accuracy of her memory by consulting various documents that she had saved and recovered from her closets. 10/13/1980
- Date
- 2021-05-03
- Resource Type
- Creator
- Campus
- Keywords
- Handle
["Submitted by Chloe Pascual (chloe.pascual@csulb.edu) on 2021-05-04T01:53:16Z No. of bitstreams: 8 7802339173913444-rrrfcampbell15.mp3: 26881043 bytes, checksum: 98d036e045efc94e45f0bf9e3420252d (MD5) 0886077239529574-rrrfcampbell16.mp3: 25648900 bytes, checksum: 8f34e28271a08732d4c31351707449f7 (MD5) 0848568858824377-rrrfcampbell17.mp3: 26960874 bytes, checksum: 4ebaf0c436760c5c716f8360a0a282ce (MD5) 4106238199484472-rrrfcampbell18.mp3: 24960939 bytes, checksum: af06bbda602faa6ed32b70a76d0a710d (MD5) 2698588344884443-rrrfcampbell1.jpg: 22846 bytes, checksum: d32eec1c1cb03aedf5e408e8a457a9fc (MD5) 9420976723521878-rrrfcampbell2.jpg: 21572 bytes, checksum: 74dc21f5d1c033ae4add48be9f13d2bf (MD5) 2740871195893750-rrrfcampbell3.jpg: 22655 bytes, checksum: c9afb7d2b073f0b9990ea8ca147416f5 (MD5) 0762694577043552-rrrfcampbell4.jpg: 21452 bytes, checksum: 7cf4ba9a112882e2277a106d89ca8306 (MD5)", "Made available in DSpace on 2021-05-04T01:53:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 8 7802339173913444-rrrfcampbell15.mp3: 26881043 bytes, checksum: 98d036e045efc94e45f0bf9e3420252d (MD5) 0886077239529574-rrrfcampbell16.mp3: 25648900 bytes, checksum: 8f34e28271a08732d4c31351707449f7 (MD5) 0848568858824377-rrrfcampbell17.mp3: 26960874 bytes, checksum: 4ebaf0c436760c5c716f8360a0a282ce (MD5) 4106238199484472-rrrfcampbell18.mp3: 24960939 bytes, checksum: af06bbda602faa6ed32b70a76d0a710d (MD5) 2698588344884443-rrrfcampbell1.jpg: 22846 bytes, checksum: d32eec1c1cb03aedf5e408e8a457a9fc (MD5) 9420976723521878-rrrfcampbell2.jpg: 21572 bytes, checksum: 74dc21f5d1c033ae4add48be9f13d2bf (MD5) 2740871195893750-rrrfcampbell3.jpg: 22655 bytes, checksum: c9afb7d2b073f0b9990ea8ca147416f5 (MD5) 0762694577043552-rrrfcampbell4.jpg: 21452 bytes, checksum: 7cf4ba9a112882e2277a106d89ca8306 (MD5)"]- Language
- Notes
- SUBJECT BIO - Freda Campbell went to work at Lockheed in 1942 and remained there for the next thirty-five years, until her retirement. The fifth of eight children born on a farm in VanWert, Iowa, Campbell aspired to be a school teacher. After graduating from high school, she began teaching in a country school, and subsequently attended Iowa State University for one summer session. Bumped from the first job by a superintendent who hired a member of his own family, Campbell went to Des Moines after an unhappy experience in another school. There, she began working as a domestic. She moved to California in 1934 and worked in various domestic and waitressing jobs until she went to work at Lockheed in 1942. She abandoned her aspirations to teach, although she did return to college, earning a BA in the 1950s. Instead she worked her way up from electrical bench assembly work to a salary position in the 1950s. Campbell was quite occupied with a variety of volunteer activities, including the presidency of the local Audubon Society, but was always accommodating and generous with her time. Her home, nestled in the foothills of Glendale, overlooked a large, lovely yard and reflected her interest in nature and environmental issues. TOPICS - postwar wages and raises; EAA; parts listing responsibilities; technical writing skills and working on IPBs; description of Department 65 and spares; difficulty obtaining technical writing job classification; postwcareer and educational aspirations; transfer to P2 prototypes; gender and job discrimination; problems obtaining a higher job classification; sexism of co-workers and supervisory staff; relationship with women co-wsexism; gender and job discrimination; managing work and school schedule; career expectations; re-classification and promotion efforts; promotion to leadman and senior analyst; attitudes about marriage; social lifGuild (ESG) assistance in obtaining salaried position; postwar changes in the plant; ageism; menopause; changes in IPB division; ESG activities and events; union activities; environmental issues and activism (DesoM
- *** File: rrrfcampbell15.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:14-2:44)... When the war ended, Campbell was making $1.15 as a parts lister. Her pay increased to $1.32 in January 1946 when the union negotiated a settlement with the company to assure that workers' pay was not diminished when their hours were reduced from forty-eight to forty hours after the war. (2:44-5:50)... Campbell discusses UAW elections and contract negotiations in the postwar period. When the 1952 strike was called, she was no longer with the UAW. [Editor's note: Lockheed was organized by the IAM, International Association of Machinists, not the UAW.] By that time, she was reclassified as a technical writer and under the professional's union, Engineers and Architects Association (EEA). (5:50-12:04)... In December 1947, Campbell was transferred to spares in Department 65 and immediately began working on technical manuals (IPBs), a job that went beyond the duties of a parts lister. She acquired the mechanical and technical skills necessary for this job when she worked in production and tool planning. She also took a course in blueprint reading during the war. Although the spares section was predominantly staffed by men, there were three women there working on IPBs, including Campbell. She was the only person in the department who broke down plumbing figures because the men had a difficult time tracing plumbing lines and she had previous experience in this area. (12:04-19:01)... Department 65 was responsible for listing the spares and figures for all of the air force, navy, and commercial contracts handled in the plant. Approximately ten people worked on technical manuals and another ten on parts listing. By 1948, she began complaining about her job classification as a parts lister considering she was doing the exact same work as a technical writer, and she was upgraded to a "B" classified technical writer. She thinks that she should have been upgraded to an "A" classification based on her responsibilities. At that time, she came under the Engineers and Architects Association (EAA, later Engineers and Scientists Guild, ESB). (19:01-23:21)... During the period that Campbell worked as a parts lister in Department 65, the company did not hire any men as technical writers. However, after the war, there was a lot of "bumping" and a couple men from other departments were reassigned or placed there when they returned from the service. She notes that she was the only person in spares with a "B" classification in technical writing. Although she does not recall any hostility towards veterans who bumped people, she was not privy to reactions on the production floor where the majority of veterans were assigned when they returned. (23:21-26:48)... Even as Lockheed continued to lay people off up to the Korean War, Campbell still had hopes for advancing in the company. She developed an interest in industrial relations and thought about taking courses in this field at Los Angeles State University. However, a counselor there told her not to pursue an industrial relations degree because people in that field were having a difficult time finding work. He encouraged her to go into teaching instead "I thought it would be better than having an hourly classification at Lockheed." Although she did not give up on the idea of advancement, she wanted an alternative in case the company continued to resist women's efforts to obtain better job classifications. End of tape. *** File: rrrfcampbell16.mp3 (0:09-1:11)... Although Campbell preferred to stay at Lockheed and move into a higher professional or technical classification, she was not optimistic after she became a "B" technical writer. As a result, she decided to pursue a teaching credential with an emphasis in history. She was able to work during the day and take courses in the evenings. (1:11-5:48)... After Campbell was classified as a technical writer, she was assigned to modification, mock up, and prototype development of P2s in Hangar 309. She worked closely with the engineers on illustrations and several aspects of the planning prospect. When they realized that she had knowledge of the P2 prior to modification, they came to her with planning questions. She was instructed not to discuss her work with anyone because the department handled classified material. (5:48-10:02)... Feeling that she was more qualified than the man working as an "A" technical writer, in 1950 Campbell began agitating for a re-classification to "A." In the mean time, technical writers' classifications were changed to catalog analyst ("A") and catalog technicians ("B"). When she inquired about an upgrade, her supervisor told her "there were not going to be any women as analysts." Although she complained to the union, she was told that they would try and handle the matter internally before resorting to a grievance. (10:02-18:00)... Campbell relates a couple of incidents in which she encountered sexist behavior from both supervisors and co-workers. Working in male-dominated classifications was not easy for Campbell, but "I thought I should have whatever was coming to me" and most of the men she worked with agreed. (18:00-22:04)... From about 1949, Campbell was the only woman in the plant working on IPBs. And although she befriended women who did clerical work in the department, she did not develop close relationships with them because she was busy with school after work and a lot of them lived far away from her. (22:04-24:10)... The women with whom Campbell socialized at work knew about the problems she was having getting an upgrade, but she had to be careful what she said for fear it would come back to haunt her. She did get support from women who were in higher classified positions, including a woman who was an illustrator she worked with in Department 65. Campbell eventually got her "A" classification, noting: "I tried not to hold any animosity, but I was on my guard." (24:10-26:44)... Campbell heard about other women in the plant who had problems getting promotions, but for the most part women seemed to be satisfied with their gender-based classifications. She refers to the woman who was union chair during the 1952 strike who later received a higher classification, noting her belief that the company upgraded union officials just to "shut them up." She finds it amusing that "Lockheed is now proud to highlight all the things women are doing" in the plant and recalls the occasions that men called the office to speak to "Mr. Campbell" about the technical manuals she wrote. End of tape. *** File: rrrfcampbell17.mp3 (0:08-1:15)... Campbell discusses the reactions of the men who called to speak to "Mr. Campbell" about the manuals she produced. She also notes that occasionally she encountered resistance when she contacted departments in the plant for information. (1:15-5:30)... Campbell talks about juggling school and work. She typically took six units per semester, which she felt was a manageable workload. Most of the people in her college courses as Los Angeles State University were teachers. She was surprised at the number of men in her classes attempting to get credentials. (5:30-11:39)... After being upgraded to analyst, Campbell's next goal was to obtain a salaried position. The Personnel Manager in her department sent her on one or two interviews, but the department managers "would not take a woman." Campbell received her degree in 1955 and was going to apply for a swing shift position so that she could complete her practice teaching requirements. Just then, the union negotiated salary classifications for analysts/leadman. By the time she was promoted to leadman (sic), the salaried position was upgraded to senior analyst. When she approached her section supervisor about a promotion, he told her, "I can't tell those fellows they got a little girl for their boss." She contacted the union chairman who told her supervisor that he'd have to find a better reason to deny her a promotion. She was promoted to senior analyst in 1957, and decided to abandon her teaching credential because the pay and benefits were not commensurate to what she was getting at Lockheed. (11:39-15:11)... When Campbell was promoted to lead, she supervised eighteen people. However, most of these men reported to a male senior analyst in the department leaving her with approximately six or eight men. In general, she did not experience too much resistance from the men she supervised and if they resented her they hid it. She had higher standards than most men in her position and was not bashful about turning work away if it was incorrect. She recalls the time her supervisor apologized for not including her in a luncheon with his secretaries, but forgot to invite her because he thought of her as one of the boys. She responded, "for the difference in pay, I'll be one of the boys." (15:11-20:17)... At one point, Campbell was the only salaried woman in her section. In 1961, there were five salaried women in the entire department. When employees were put on salary, they received an oval-shaped badge. She tried not to flaunt hers and took it off as soon as she left the plant because some of the women were jealous. In fact, her supervisor told her that immediately after she was put on salary, a few women came into his office and complained about not being on salary. Campbell believes that her education helped her progress and suspects that her supervisor told that to these women. Both men and women wanted technical classifications, but were scared away by the responsibilities and were not confident enough to learn new skills. (20:17-21:43)... Campbell did not make a conscious decision not to marry; she simply never met the right man at the right time. She continued to date, but was never in a rush to get married even when she was younger. (21:43-26:42)... During the period she was a senior analyst, Campbell's social life increasingly revolved around church friends and activities although her social activities were impeded by her school schedule. She also participated in work-related events, such as management club meetings and the engineers union (EEA, later ESG) dinners, which were held once a month. Most of the women in this organization were engineers, but very few came the dinners. She mainly socialized with the wives of the men she worked with at these events. End of tape. *** File: rrrfcampbell18.mp3 (0:06-1:56)... When Campbell approached the union about the difficulty she was having getting a salaried classification, they supported her and said that they did not condone gender discrimination in the workplace. She later found out that two of her fellow engineers vouched for her. The union was fair and felt that she was entitled to a higher job classification based on her skill and experience level. (1:56-7:04)... Note: Campbell requested that the recording be paused when she recounted a story about a woman who worked in her department. During the Korean War, the majority of new hires in her section were men. The several women who were hired in the department were mainly put into non-technical job classifications. By the 1950s, women working at Lockheed "weren't a novelty anymore." Many were re-hires, some of whom were good workers while others were worthless. She recalls an incident when a man and woman were discovered having sexual relations in the "quiet" room, after which they were fired. Supervisors took disciplinary action against employees responsible for breaking company rules. (7:04-7:46)... Note: there is an interruption in this segment as Campbell goes to retrieve her pay stubs. Campbell could not recall the amount of her salary when she was promoted to senior analyst in 1957. She attempts to locate this information in her files (during which there is a pause in the segment). (7:46-12:20)... Campbell talks about the technical and mechanical advances in production after WWII. The company also began purchasing equipment in order to do its publishing and printing in-house. In general, there was a trend towards specialization and mechanization in the postwar period in comparison to the war years, when production processes were broken down into small tasks so that unskilled and inexperienced people could do the work. She was unaware of the level of skill of the women hired during the Korean War, but knew that most of the women went into clerical and production jobs, not technical positions. (12:20-17:31)... Campbell doesn't recall any examples of ageism. When she was ready for retirement, she realized that people thought she was younger than she was. She thinks that she probably would have gotten a bigger promotion if she was younger. She began going through menopause around 1958, during one of the heaviest times of her career. She began taking estrogen pills and no one ever complained about her being irritable; but on one occasion a male co-worker implied that she was having a hot flash because she complained about the temperature in the office. (17:31-20:29)... Approximately two years before she retired, her division was split. She contemplated transferring to a new section so that she could work under a supervisor who she preferred, but ultimately decided to stay in IPBs because she enjoyed working in that environment. She also thought about pursuing an editing position, but did not want to strain her eyes anymore than she had. (20:29-23:11)... The union (ESG) did not have a lot of meetings other than contract negotiations and social dinners at which people were recognized for their efforts in the plant. Their events also included touring other plants and sponsoring educational programs and lectures. When she was a member of the UAW, she only attended one or two meetings. [Editor's note: the IAM is the union that represented Lockheed workers, not the UAW.] (23:11-26:00)... Campbell was never asked to run for a shop steward or an officer position in the union. In any event, she would not have been interested because she was too busy with her work, home, and school responsibilities. The company did not want salaried employees in union offices because they would have too much influence over the workers. When she was going to college, Campbell became interested in environmental issues and began taking trips to the mountains with her nature study class. After she graduated from college, she joined the Desomount Club, and served as an officer for a year as well as editor of their newsletter. End of tape.
- Rights Note
- This repository item may be used for classroom presentations, unpublished papers, and other educational, research, or scholarly use. Other uses, especially publication in any form, such as in dissertations, theses, articles, or web pages are not permitted without the express written permission of the individual collection's copyright holder(s). Please contact the CSULB Library Administration should you require permission to publish or distribute any content from this collection or if you need additional information or assistance in using these materials: https://www.csulb.edu/university-library/form/questionssuggestions-the-digital-repository-group
Thumbnail | Title | Date Uploaded | Visibility | Actions |
---|---|---|---|---|
7802339173913444-rrrfcampbell15.mp3 | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
0886077239529574-rrrfcampbell16.mp3 | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
0848568858824377-rrrfcampbell17.mp3 | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
4106238199484472-rrrfcampbell18.mp3 | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
2698588344884443-rrrfcampbell1.jpg | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
9420976723521878-rrrfcampbell2.jpg | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
2740871195893750-rrrfcampbell3.jpg | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download | |
0762694577043552-rrrfcampbell4.jpg | 2023-10-18 | Public | Download |