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Fierro, Maria (audio interview #2 of 3)
INTERVIEW DESCRIPTION - This is the second of three interviews with Maria Fierro conducted in the kitchen of her modest, postwar trace home. As in the previous interview, Fierro has a hard time expanding on her responses. 2/24/1981
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- 2021-07-13
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- *** File: rrrmfierro3.mp3 Audio Segments and Topics: (0:00-2:17)... Fierro began working at Douglas Aircraft in September 1940 after receiving job training. Her first assignment was making engine covers. She describes her job responsibilities, which included cutting and riveting aircraft materials. (2:17-3:32)... When the US entered the war in 1941, most of the men left the plant and it was predominantly staffed by women. During the summers, from June until September, high-school students helped employees at Douglas with small tasks. Employees only received one Sunday off each month during the war period. (3:32-5:16)... Fierro enjoyed her work at Douglas. It took a while to get use to the lighting conditions, as the lights changed the color of her skin. Within about two weeks, she increased her speed at doing tasks. Employees helped each other with their work and they had extra help during the war period. (5:16-7:17)... When Fierro started at Douglas, she was required to wear safety shoes, pants, and tie her hair back so that it did not get caught in the machinery. Employees were issued coveralls at some point while she was employed at Douglas. She was accustomed to wearing pants because of her work in other areas. She purchased a toolbox and a few tools. Douglas supplied the essential tools and drill motors and rivet guns were checked out from the tool crib on a daily basis. When Fierro was promoted to a lead position, she gave her toolbox to one of the men because she knew that she would not be returning to the "line." (7:17-9:01)... The men at Douglas accepted women being hired at the plant because they needed to replace the men who went into the service. Her cousin was trained during the same period as Fierro was and when he graduated he was sent to the Navy. When she worked with men at Douglas, they were helpful and showed her easier ways to complete certain tasks. (9:01-10:29)... Fierro's only thought prior to beginning at Douglas was that she would be building aircraft. When the war started, the production changed to war planes. She thought that she had to help the war effort so the home front would not be bombed. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, thousands of people were hired at Douglas. The tunnels that people walked to get to the plant were packed with employees coming and going. (10:29-11:29)... There were only two Mexican women in her department while she was at Douglas. These women eventually married and left the plant. When the war ended, the entire plant was laid off. Between the period of 1948-50, employees were rehired. She returned to Douglas in 1950 and worked there until 1976. (11:29-13:54)... Fierro befriended many co-workers while she was employed at Douglas. Before the war, they bowled after work and went on picnics about once a month. Once the war began, her social activity diminished. Her time was divided between work and family. She carpooled to work with her co-workers. She remembers that gas was rationed and they were able to purchase tires at Douglas for their vehicles. While she worked, her mother cared for her three children. (13:54-15:01)... Fierro felt prepared for the mechanical tasks required of her position at Douglas because of the training she received prior to going to work at the plant. (15:01-17:36)... During the war, Fierro worked with a crew of twenty, most of whom were women. When Fierro was promoted to a lead position after the war, she managed a crew of about thirty employees, most of whom were men. She did not like having women on her crew because she had to find easy tasks for them, which was hard to do given the type of work performed in the department she was assigned. (17:36-19:26)... She often agreed to receive on-the-job training for new jobs so that she could learn more. She excelled at her job, often passing performance tests and exceeding other employees in production time. She was promoted because of her efficiency and skill on the job. During the war, she was promoted to the floor lady and taught other employees how to perform certain tasks. Her highest wage during the war period was $1.15. (19:26-20:37)... Fierro does not recall any incidents of men flirting or harassing women at Douglas. She explains that many of the women were older and there were more women working at the plant than men. However, she occasionally heard stories that employees who worked the night shift often dated. (20:37-24:14)... Although Fierro notes that there were internal problems between the workers at Douglas, she does not provide very many examples. People complained that others received easier positions. The race and gender relations at the plant were good and Fierro describes the atmosphere as "one big family." She recalls one instance of lesbianism at Douglas. The women involved in this incident were not fired, but transferred to different departments. She does not believe that Douglas discriminated against employees because of their race, gender, sexual orientation, or health. (24:14-25:29)... Fierro's earnings were used to support her children and parents. Her father, a retired agricultural worker, was not eligible to receive social security. Her five sisters never worked. When they married, the stayed home to raise their family. Fierro's brothers served overseas and married when they returned home after the war. (25:29-26:56)... Fierro remarried in 1951. Her husband did not like her children because he did not want to support them. She divorced him after only four years of marriage. After her second divorce, she decided that she would never marry again. End of tape. *** File: rrrmfierro4.mp3 (0:00-0:40)... Fierro discusses the marital relationship with her second husband and the reason why they divorced. He was employed at the Grand Central Market while they were married. (0:40-1:38)... Fierro would like to return to school and study nursing; however, she is discouraged by the fact that she would be hired to work the swing shift at a hospital. She worked the swing shift at Douglas Aircraft for many years and is tired of those hours. (1:38-7:33)... Fierro enjoyed taking her children to the beach or the park when she had time. She always took her children with her when she went on vacations. Even though she lived with her parents while she worked at Douglas, she was responsible for many of the household tasks involved in the care of her children. She reported to work at Douglas at 4:00 p.m. and got home between 1:30-4:30 a.m. depending on whether she worked overtime. In 1950, she moved out of her parents' home and into a new home with her second husband. Her fourth child as a "war baby" because he was born in 1945. Her maternity leave ended in August 1945 but she did not return to Douglas because the war ended and Douglas employees were laid off. She discusses her first husband and his absence in his children's lives. (7:33-9:12)... The union was not organized at Douglas until 1950. At that time, employees were required to join the union. She did not attend union meetings unless they were mandated. [Editor's note: the union was organized during the war years.] (9:12-10:00)... During the war, Douglas provided employees with gas coupons. There was a company store that sold work-related items as well as clothing and household items to employees. Fierro did most of her shopping at the company store. (10:00-11:14)... Employees were required to wear safety goggles and safety shoes to protect themselves. There were very few accidents while she was employed at Douglas. She was injured once while on the job and she describes the circumstances of this injury. Douglas made sure she received the proper medical care. (11:14-13:10)... After the war, Fierro was promoted to a lead position at Douglas. The job carried with it a lot of responsibility but it was easy for her because she was skilled in all of the tasks performed in her department. The only job that she did not like while working at Douglas involved working inside the wing. (13:10-18:29)... Fierro was not worried about finding another job after she was laid off from Douglas in August 1945. She found work at local packinghouses doing seasonal piece work. Her wages were comparable to what she earned at Douglas because she was fast at her job. Prior to returning to work after the war, she collected disability checks because she was on maternity leave; however, she did not collect unemployment checks. During this period, she supported her parents and her children. (18:29-19:33)... When Fierro returned to Douglas in the 1950s, she was assigned to rivet fuselage panels. She was happy to return to Douglas because the company offered job security and stability. There were very few women who returned to Douglas during the callback period. (19:33-20:31)... Fierro decided to re-marry so that she would not be alone with her children after her parents died. When she remarried she incurred the extra burden of attending to her husband and "got rid of him fast." (20:31-22:37)... When Fierro divorced her second husband, her social life improved. She often attended dance halls in the Santa Ana and Anaheim area with her sisters. She was not involved with the PTA because she had a very busy schedule. In the 1950s, all four of her children were attending school, thereby decreasing her childcare responsibilities. (22:37-26:23)... Fierro wanted her daughters to finish high school. She discusses her children's lives and careers. End of tape.
- SUBJECT BIO - Maria Fierro had been an been an agricultural worker prior to her employment at Douglas. Fierro was the second of eleven children. After finishing grammar school, she began working in the fields of the ranch that her father and uncle leased in Fountain Valley and later did seasonal packing house work. She married when she was only sixteen and by the time she began working at Douglas in 1940, she had four children. After she was laid off from Douglas, she returned to the packing houses until 1949, when she was re-hired at Douglas. She remained there for the next thirty years until her retirement. A tall, slightly flamboyant woman, Fierro looked younger than her years. The three interview sessions with her were conducted in the kitchen, around a large booth-type table. Her modest postwar tract home, where she raised her children, is filled with family pictures. The interview process was difficult for Fierro, who was uncomfortable discussing personal matters, for instance her marriages. As a result, the interviews are all rather short and direct, with little elaboration. TOPICS - job responsibilities; workforce demographics of Douglas; working conditions; work attire and job requirements; gender relations; race relations; job performance and promotions; wages; WWII; and family history;household responsibilities; marriage; husband; marital relationship; children; single motherhood; unionism; company services at Douglas Aircraft; safety requirements; work-related injury; postwar layoffs; economic
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