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Luna, Mary (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of three interviews with Mary Luna. Like the other interviews, it was conducted in the kitchen of her home in Gardena. She was relaxed and seemed to enjoy the interview process. This interview focuses on her work at Douglas during the war period. The audio quality of this interview is good. 2/9/1981
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- 2021-07-26
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- SUBJECT BIO - Mary Luna's employment at Douglas Aircraft in 1942 was her job, following graduation from high school. Her father was a field worker, and the family was in rather tight financial straits until she went to work at Douglas. Her employment there also helped to expand her social world. She met and became friends with Mexican women from other parts of the city, as well as her future husband, who she married in 1949. Her job at Douglas also increased her self confidence and she was proud of her work. She continued working at Douglas until her daughter was born in 1951, re-entering the work force again a few years later. Luna remained employed in aircraft production at various facilities, until her retirement in 1978. Her husband also retired at a relatively young age and they enjoyed spending time with each other. Luna contacted the Rosie the Riveter Revisted project after reading a newspaper article in the Los Angeles Times, after which three interviews were conducted with her. The interviews, conducted by Cindy Cleary, were recorded sitting at the kitchen counter in Luna's immaculate older tract home in Gardena. She was a helpful and willing participants and expanded on her thoughts with little prompting from Cindy Cleary, who interviewed her. TOPICS - job responsibilities; sexism; work clothing; plant facilities; social activities; friends; unionization; wages; and working conditions;unionism; sexism; gender relations; security; company services; company store; race relations; lesbianism; work force demographics; friends; and family history;social activities; long term effect of defense work; safety measures; work clothing; medical care and work-related injuries; family history; family life; household management; postwar layoffs; and attitudes of vet
- *** File: rrrmluna4.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-2:51)... She learned about defense work from her high school English teacher, who mentioned that men would probably go into the service and the women into defense work after graduation. When she saw the advertisement for assembly work in the aircraft industry she decided to take the training course. After finishing the course, she went to the state employment office in Inglewood and was told they were not hiring eighteen year olds to work in the defense industry. On the bus ride home, she stopped at Douglas Aircraft and filled out an application. It was required that she pass a physical examination before she was hired. She went to Santa Monica and received a thorough physical and passed. She was hired to work the graveyard shift. (2:50-6:35)... Luna started working at Douglas Aircraft in September 1942. The first night on the job she wanted to quit because the work was difficult. She got the impression from the men that they did not want women there. The lead man did not seem convinced that women were going to succeed in this line of work. Her responsibilities involved riveting aircraft panels. Her father was happy that she was working because the family was able to discontinue welfare assistance. Other relatives and friends also applied for positions at Douglas Aircraft. Luna worked the nightshift for two and a half years and then was transferred to a base plant, where she worked for close to ten years. (6:35-8:11)... Initially, she was not required to bring her own tools to work. Over time, however, she was told that she would have to purchase a tool box and tools for the job. She was required to wear certain shoes and keep her hair up in a net. She was accustomed to wearing pants so it was not a change to wear pants at work. She usually walked to work in the evenings and the environment was safe. Often times, police officers picked her up in their squad cars and took her to work. The environment was very cooperative. However, she admits that she no longer holds the same perception of police officers. (8:11-10:47)... When she first entered the plant she describes it as a scary atmosphere because it was noisy. It was difficult to hear instructions amidst all of the noise. The building was cold because it was still under construction and parts of the plant were open to the outside. The plant consisted of long buildings that were illuminated by florescent lights. The plant was cluttered with different airplane parts on which people worked. She worked with a man who purchased candy bars for Luna and himself. She also went to a cafe with the other women in the factory after work and ultimately gained approximately twenty pounds. Luna stopped these eating habits when she learned they were affecting her weight. (10:47-14:26)... The men at Douglas Aircraft were somewhat leery of the women in the plant. There were number of middle-aged women employed at the plant. However, most of Luna's friends were in the same age range as herself. (Luna displays a photograph, mentioning that women were well groomed and looked feminine even though they were employed in defense work.) Most of her friends at the plant were Mexicans. She socialized with American girls during specific activities, such as bowling or horseback riding. Whenever she attended a Mexican dance, however, it was with her Mexican girlfriends. While living in Hawthorne she was not exposed to a lot of people or activities outside the area. Working at Douglas Aircraft expanded her horizons because she met new people and began participating in social activities in the Los Angeles area. (14:26-18:02)... The men who attended the Mexican dances were either servicemen or immigrant workers from Mexico. Her pursuit of these men was never very serious because she did not trust the Mexican immigrants and knew that servicemen could be shipped off the next day. Luna describes some of the nightclubs and dance halls she frequented. She reiterates the fact that working gave her an opportunity to make friends and experience other parts of the city. She recalls staying with two friends in Los Angeles and meeting one of their sisters who worked in the engine room for a railroad. Interacting with women outside her own family was a new and interesting experience for Luna. (18:02-20:09)... It was often difficult to schedule social activities with her friends because of their work schedules. Everyone who worked at Douglas Aircraft was required to work six days a week and each person had a different day off from work. When she started at the plant it was not unionized. The employees did not receive any vacation time or scheduled breaks. However, whenever someone wanted to take a coffee break they did so at their leisure. The employees were not closely supervised and they enjoyed a substantial amount of freedom in the work place. Each worker was provided with a workload schedule that required people to complete a certain amount of work. If these schedules were fulfilled, plant supervisors did not bother the workers. (20:09-23:48)... She arrived at work early so that she could visit with co-workers in the cafeteria. While working, it was customary for people to talk to each other and socialize. Her lunch break lasted for thirty minutes. She started drinking coffee during this time because it was difficult for her to stay awake. She also tried smoking to appear more sophisticated; however, she quit after a short time because it made her dizzy. Her shift ended at 7:00 a.m. and she slept from approximately 9:00 a.m. until 2:00 p.m., when she got up and completed her household chores. She was responsible for the majority of the chores, but her father and brother helped cook for the family. She went back to bed at 8 p.m. and then got up to go to work at 11 p.m. (23:48-26:25)... It took several weeks to adjust to her job at Douglas Aircraft. She worried that she would be fired because of her performance. Initially, it was difficult to work with the men in the plant because they were gruff and most of the women were not use to men yelling at them. Over time, however, they adjusted to the atmosphere and often yelled right back at the men. Her work in the aircraft industry helped her to become mechanically inclined in other areas and she learned many new skills. (26:25-28:40)... While working at Douglas Aircraft, she changed departments and jobs often. She completed riveting work on various airplane parts and also cut and measured sheet metal. The employees received automatic raises. The AFL organized the plant during the day. In addition to raises, employees received vacation and sick pay when they joined the union. [Note: Douglas was organized by the UAW - CIO, not the AFL.] (28:40-29:53)... During the war, Douglas Aircraft organized entertainment performances on an outdoor stage during employees' lunch breaks. Luna recalls that bands and celebrities performed for the workers and gave them pep talks. End of tape. *** File: rrrmluna5.mp3 (0:00-2:11)... When she joined the union, she received a raise in pay. She was not active in the union and did not attend any union meetings. Towards the end of the war, employees at Douglas received more time off from the plant. (2:11-9:51)... During the war, the women employed at Douglas outnumbered the men who worked at the plant. Men made sexual passes at women and a number of employees dated. Some of the men that Luna worked with teased her because she was easily embarrassed by sexually suggestive comments. She recalls an incident when a man kissed her as a result of a bet. She describes her professional and personal relationship with the man she worked with for approximately three years. Luna explains that it was rare for women to receive promotions. The women who did get promoted to supervisory positions were very tough and aggressive. Although it was unfair that men were promoted over women, the women did not complain about it. (9:51-11:47)... During the war, women did not work in the machine shop or outside the plant finishing airplanes. When the war ended, Luna worked outside the plant reconverting war airplanes to commercial airplanes. Employees were not permitted to go into other departments in the plant. They were required to wear a badge with a photograph and to carry an identification card for security purposes. If an employee went outside their department and wandered into another area of the plant, he or she was questioned by personnel. All of the employees' lunch bags and purses were checked when they reported for work at the plant. (11:47-14:01)... There were women employed at Douglas who provided counseling and assistance to women workers who had personal needs and problems. After the war, Luna went to the nurse on a few occasions because she suffered from morning sickness. A woman guard drove her home. (14:01-16:34)... Douglas operated a general store where employees could purchase work supplies, general appliances, and clothing. This was convenient for the employees because many people did not have time to shop during their day off. The products were charged to an account at the company credit union. At the time, she worked six days a week, eight hours a day. When her shift was over she collected her tools and left the rest of the work there for the next shift to finish. (16:34-20:37)... During the war, Luna's major responsibilities involved sub-assembly work and other small jobs. She describes her relationship with a Black woman she worked with for many years. She had not been exposed to very many Black people before this. The majority of the residents in Hawthorne were Mexican, Japanese, American, or Filipino. There were a mixture of races and ethnicities at Douglas. (20:37-22:17)... Luna ate lunch with the other women she worked with. She digresses regarding her father's disapproval of her dating American men. (22:17-25:51)... Luna believes there were a few lesbians who worked at Douglas. She describes the physical and personality traits of a woman with whom she carpooled. Looking back, Luna thinks this woman was a lesbian. At the time, she was ignorant about lesbians. She believes that lesbian behavior is much more obvious in today's society than it was in her generation. (25:51-29:41)... The labor force at Douglas was a mixture of races and backgrounds. Many of the people she worked with were from Midwestern and southern cities. She was not aware of any racial tensions. She discusses her relationship with a Black co-worker and how she relied on this woman for personal and marital advice. When Luna got pregnant, she took a leave of absence for one year and decided to stay home to care for her daughter. She returned to Douglas when her daughter was four years old. (29:41-30:24)... Luna discusses how her work schedule at Douglas affected her relationship with her family and friends outside of work. End of tape. *** File: rrrmluna6.mp3 (0:00-1:20)... Luna's cousins both worked for North American, but decided to quit because of the work environment. Luna helped her cousins by giving them her old clothes. She was happy that she worked so that she did not have to rely on anyone to support her. (1:20-6:12)... Household expenses were shared by Luna, her father, and her brother. She paid for the telephone bill and contributed $7 for groceries. They purchased groceries on a daily basis because they only had an ice box to preserve their food. She describes the foods that her family ate, which mainly consisted of Mexican foods. The meals that she prepares for her husband vary between Mexican and American dishes. She digresses regarding her daughter's gourmet cooking talents. (6:12-10:13)... When she had a day off from work, she enjoyed shopping, eating out, and going to the movies. When she worked on Fridays, she dressed better than normal so that she could go downtown after work and entertain herself with shopping and a movie. She usually went out by herself and continued to do so in later years. She believes that it is important to spend time alone because it develops self-esteem and happiness from within. She enjoys yard work and home improvement projects, which she believes was directly influenced by the skills she learned in defense work. (10:13-11:24)... Luna's cousin went to work for North American in the 1950s after she raised a family. Through training and experience, Luna's cousin became a highly-skilled electrician. She worked on the space project until she was laid off from North American. (11:24-15:31)... Women workers at Douglas were required to wear a hair net so that their hair would not get caught in the machinery. Employees also protected themselves by wearing safety shoes, goggles, and gloves. Even with safety precautions in place, many people got hurt on the job. She discusses the injuries she sustained while working. The plant provided medical care to the employees when they injured themselves. (15:31-19:17)... Luna anticipated that layoffs would occur when the war ended. Even though employees were laid off, the plant continued to hire people, mainly veterans. The veterans were happy to be around women and she did not experience any negative feedback. She describes her experiences working with and dating a veteran in the postwar period. Her job responsibilities after the war involved reconverting war planes to commercial aircraft. (19:17-20:40)... During the war, Luna went to dances with her girlfriends. She was hesitant to get involved with servicemen and did not date very much during the war period. She was a responsible person and did not get "wild and crazy" when she went out with her friends. (20:40-30:22)... It was difficult for Luna to grow up without a mother. When she married her husband, she was excited about having a mother-in-law. Her brother spent his life trying to create the family he never had. In many ways, her father did not provide a stable environment for his children because of his drinking habits. There was very little discipline in the home and neighborhood kids congregated at her house for that reason. Her father's alcoholism caused him to endanger his life on more than one occasion, and he was ultimately admitted into a psychiatric hospital for evaluation. The segment ends just as Luna is discussing her father's problems. End of tape.
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