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Houston, Josephine (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of three interviews with Josephine Houston conducted in the living room of her Los Angeles home. She enjoyed the interview process and found it easy to reflect on her past. 7/16/1980
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- 2021-06-02
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- SUBJECT BIO - Josephine Houston was a thirty-two year old mother of eight when she began working at North American Aviation. The first of four children, born in Broussard, Louisiana, Houston moved to California in 1928 two years after she married. Her husband had family in Los Angeles and he hoped to find better employment opportunities there. Houston remained a full-time homemaker after her marriage, for the next sixteen years, until she took the war job. She worked intermittently after the war ended, primarily as an occasional caterer's server. Although she went back to work at Lockheed in 1952, and continued until her retirement in 1972, she continued to see her life at home as her primary focus. Three interviews were conducted with her in her the living room of her Los Angeles home. She enjoyed the interview process and reflected on her past with relative ease. TOPICS - patriotism and decision to work in defense; application process at North American; training; work clothing and tools; work hours; and women's counseling services at the plant;job responsibilities; work force demographics; plant operations; working conditions; men's attitudes towards women employed in defense; work breaks; work clothing; company services and work policies; restroom monitcompany entertainment; work hours; household management; working conditions; gender relations; race relations and racial discrimination; unionism; housing; East Los Angeles neighborhoods; and food and gas rationingchildcare; wages; family life; production slowdown; and layoffs;
- *** File: rrrjhouston5.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-7:22)... Houston learned about jobs for women in the defense industry via advertisements in the newspapers and on the radio. Houston's friend wanted to apply at North American and convinced Houston to apply as well. She wanted to participate in the defense of her country. She also thought that the extra income would help her family. She applied at North American and was hired in October 1942. Her husband was still working a split shift at Whiting and Mead. He was reluctant to have her apply at North American because of the children. However, his work hours meant that he could be home when she was not. Prior to her mother coming to live with them in 1944, the neighbors looked out for the children when Houston and her husband were not home. Very few of Houston's friends went to work in the defense industry. Many of them worked as domestic servants and stayed in that occupation during the war. (7:22-8:44)... She was initially skeptical about working in the defense industry because of the large machinery. However, she figured that, with training, she would be able to operate anything. She was told at the employment office that the pay would be .65 cents an hour and that she would be required to undergo training. She was trained at a facility located Figueroa and Venice for three months. (8:44-14:20)... When she decided to apply at North American, she and her friend drove to the plant located on Aviation and Imperial in El Segundo. She filled out an application and received a physical, which lasted all day. There were both men and women of varying ages and races applying for positions at the plant. During the application process, Houston was asked what types of tools she was familiar with and she was provided with a list of tools to purchase prior to starting the job. She received training for three months, during which time she watched movies that showed how the work was completed in each department and she was familiarized with different tools. Her performance during the training process determined the department she would be assigned to once she started at the plant. (14:20-17:28)... In preparation for her new job she had to purchase pants and tools. It was quite an adjustment for her to wear pants. She purchased her tools from Sears and Roebuck. The plant also provided specialized tools that were checked out from a tool crib through a tag identification process. North American provided her with the names of workers who lived in her neighborhood so that she could find a ride to work. However, during the time she was in training she rode the streetcar to the facility. (17:28-21:38)... There were about fifty people receiving training at the same time as Houston. She was assigned to the swing shift and attended classes in the evenings. When she started working at the plant, she continued working the swing shift. She eventually requested that her shift be changed to days because she was losing a lot of weight because of a lack of sleep. The supervisor refused her request to switch shifts, at which time she made an appointment to meet with the Women's Counselor at North American. After Houston explained her situation to the counselor, she was assigned to the day shift. Houston's attendance record was flawless which is probably the main reason why the counselor helped her. (21:38-27:57)... Houston's training included learning how to operate a drill motor and a rivet gun. She also was taught how to read blueprints. The women and men were trained together and Houston remembers her training as an enjoyable and interesting experience. Once she learned how to operate the machinery, she enjoyed the work. She attended the training classes five days a week and when she was assigned to the plant, she worked six days a week. While in training, she watched films that showed how the operations were performed in each department. These films also depicted the dangers in operating the machinery and the necessary precautions required of the job. End of tape. *** File: rrrjhouston6.mp3 (0:00-3:48)... Note: there is a persistent buzzing throughout the tape. Houston was excited on her first day of work at North American. She was assigned to work in Department 10 along with a group of people she had trained with. She was assigned to work "on the line," which she considered a good assignment. When she arrived at the plant, she was introduced to the supervisor and the lead man of Department 10. She worked with an experienced male employee until she learned the job proficiently. Although the work was not hard, it was continuous. The line moved every ten minutes and she had to finish her task so that the employee in the next station could finish his or her task. (3:48-5:38)... Department 10 was responsible for building the wings of the airplane. Her particular task was placing the cables and sectors on the wing. There were a lot of women employed in Department 10 and the racial background of the employees was mixed. The work in the department was not assigned according to race or gender. The plant was not segregated. (5:38-10:22)... The building to which Houston was assigned was devoted mainly to producing the wings of the airplane. In addition to riveting and drilling the panels on the wings, her department made the frames of the wings in preparation for the paneling. Parts were moved in the department with dollies or special vehicles. A "gondola" unit moved parts to different stations throughout the plant. The plant was well ventilated and illuminated through florescent lighting. The floor was concrete. However, Houston stood on a wood platform when she worked. (10:22-13:27)... She did not do any drilling while working on the wings of the airplane. She describes her job responsibilities in detail. When she finished her task, the wing was sent to a different station so that a new part could be installed. Houston did most of her work standing up. However, there was a point during her work when she had to sit down and crawl underneath a space in order to complete her task. She remembers that the plant was very noisy as result of the riveting and drilling activities. (13:27-15:29)... Houston did not encounter negative attitudes from the men workers. She does not believe that men had a problem working with women. She got along well with her co-workers and everyone was friendly and helpful at North American. (15:29-17:41)... Houston worked the swing shift and was tired because of the change in her sleep patterns. However, she was not exhausted or worn out because of her work. When she was assigned to her position, she felt adequately prepared to complete the task. Compared to riveting, her job was more desirable because it did not involve a lot of noise. The earplugs that employees were required to wear did not completely filter out the noise. (17:41-19:59)... Employees at North American were required to wear earplugs, safety goggles, and steel-toed boots. Initially, women wore hair nets while they worked. A cap with a net and a plastic visor eventually replaced the hair net. Work attire was sold at most department stores. Women were not allowed to wear a lot of jewelry while they worked. (19:59-22:32)... The employees at North American received three breaks; ten-minutes in the beginning of their shift, thirty minutes for lunch, and ten minutes towards the end of their shift. Although the plant was equipped with a cafeteria, she packed a lunch. She socialized with the other female employees during breaks, many of which worked in different departments. They talked about their families, current events, or their work. The women were around the same age as Houston or older. (22:32-24:29)... Houston recalls witnessing only one work-related accident while at North American. This incident involved a woman getting her hair stuck in a snake drill. The company employed a physician and first aid was available for work-related injuries. In regards to the counselor employed at North American, Houston does not recall what this woman's exact role was in the company. However, Houston believes the counselor was probably available for women who wanted to discuss their problems and personal issues. (24:29-28:18)... Employees received their paychecks from their supervisors. North American did not have a place for employees to cash their checks. There were several areas in the plant equipped with restroom facilities for the women workers. During the war, the women's restroom was supervised to ensure that women did not waste time socializing or spending too much time in the bathroom. Each employee was provided with a locked drawer in which they could keep their tools or personal belongings. On Fridays, the plant offered live entertainment for employees to enjoy during their lunch breaks. End of tape. *** File: rrrjhouston7.mp3 (0:00-2:28)... Houston continues a discussion regarding the entertainment provided for employees each week. She does not recall if North American sponsored any other social events or club activities for employees. The company printed a newspaper entitled The Star. The newspaper printed an article about her in one of its issues; however, she does not recall which one. (2:28-9:31)... Houston worked the swing shift for about six months until she requested a transfer to the day shift. She discusses how she and her husband managed their domestic and family responsibilities while she worked the swing shift. Some of their domestic workload was lifted when Houston's mother moved to California. Houston's was able to spend more time with her children when she switched to the day shift. When she started working at North American, she worked five days a week, which was then expanded to six days a week. On the weekends she usually only had time to attend church. (9:31-12:28)... Houston's performance was not timed or evaluated while at North American. She did not have very many opportunities to sit and was mostly on her feet while she completed job tasks. The work was continuous and the assembly line moved every ten minutes. (12:28-14:52)... Houston remembers the environment at North American as friendly. She was friends with both the men and women co-workers and did not experience any tensions while on the job. There were cases of flirtation and romantic relationships, but she was not aware of any of these liaisons occurring within her department. She was "strictly business" and her male co-workers respected her. (14:52-17:35)... Houston recalls two incidents when White employees refused to work with Blacks. These Whites were fired. In general, Blacks and Whites worked well together and did not segregate themselves during breaks. Houston believes that Blacks were the minority group largely present at North American. The segregation she was familiar with while living in the South was not present at North American. Houston viewed equitable race relations as a nice change and believes that most of her co-workers valued the diversity of the work force at the plant. (17:35-22:03)... When Houston was hired at North American, she joined the UAW. At the time, however, she did not understand the role of unions. She was told that if ever she had a grievance the union would work on her behalf to resolve the matter. She does not recall the amount of union dues she paid, and she did not attend any union meetings while working at North American. It was not until she went to work at Lockheed many years later that she learned about unionism. (22:03-26:11)... Houston and her family rented a four-bedroom home located on Lima Street near Compton and Vernon Avenue in east Los Angeles. They purchased this home in 1935. Housing in Los Angeles was scarce during the war years because of the influx of people moving to the city to work in the defense industry. Houston recalls that east Los Angeles was a nice area at that time and the residents were racially mixed; there were never any tensions between the Black and White residents. Although White and Latino students attended the schools in the area, the majority of the students were Black. (26:11-28:55)... Because of the size of her family, Houston received a large number of ration coupons, which she used to purchase clothing and food for her family. She picked up her stamps from an office located on Vernon and Central and did most of her grocery shopping at the Safeway near her home. Her husband purchased a Chevy in 1940-41. Gasoline also was rationed during the war; however, they did not have any problems limiting the use of their car because her husband walked to work. She did not learn how to drive until 1942. End of tape. *** File: rrrjhouston8.mp3 (0:00-1:04)... There were no child care centers in the area where Houston lived. She and her husband occasionally hired a baby sitter to watch their children. Most of the time, however, Houston's mother cared for her children. (1:04-3:04)... Houston had very little spare time. Outside of work, she spent time caring for her children and accomplishing household tasks. If she had time to spare, she spent that time resting. The family was active on the weekends and attended church every Sunday. (3:04-5:58)... Houston's starting wage at North American was .65 cents per hour. The most she ever made while working there was $1.05 per hour. She worked six days a week, ten hours a day for approximately six months during the war period. She was paid for any overtime she worked. The money she earned was combined with her husband's. She felt good when she was able to purchase things for her family with her income. She and her husband also were able to save a small amount of money in case of emergencies. (5:58-8:12)... When she was laid off after the war and then called back, she declined the job offer because the only shift available was the swing shift. During the war, people were confident there would be enough work available to keep them employed. Several of her friends returned to defense work when they were offered positions after the war. She believes that decreases in production were sudden and occurred at end of the war. (8:12-9:05)... Houston recalls that people were very happy when the war ended. She did not have any close relatives in the armed services during the war. (9:05-12:59)... North American began laying off employees after the war ended. She was let go in October of 1945 along with a group of both men and women co-workers. The company told employees would be called back to work when the workload increased. Houston's lack of income forced the family to economize more so than in the past. She applied for unemployment insurance, which was her only source of income until 1951 when she went to work at Lockheed. She worked at Lockheed for twenty-one years. End of tape.
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