On the Job Report: Electrical Workers Call Out Sexist Bosses

I work for a private electrical contractor as a “helper.” I run wires, work on live circuits, break down walls and the like. I’ve been in this field for two years and nothing about it has been easy. I’m in a field with a group of international workers, from China to Ghana, who are all being screwed over by the boss. Despite our terrible wages, many of these workers still suffer from capitalist ideologies. One of those ideas is sexism.
While we’ve had many conversations on the job, many of my co-workers are influenced by the foreman—a real sexist pig, to put it mildly. When you’re green like myself, you get teased a lot and the foreman loves picking on me. For one, he thinks that all wives cheat on their spouses. I told him, “No, not in my marriage.”
When you’re in a relationship where you share not just your bodies but also your minds, politics, hopes and fears, there’s nothing that could break that trust.  He told me, “You’ll see when James comes.” (“James” is the equivalent of the milkman joke that exploits the fear of adultery.)
 “Why is that?” I asked.
“Because you look like your woman wears the pants. I bet when you come in, you say, ‘Honey can I have some sex, please? No! Oh, okay then.’”
By that time, a big crowd had formed. I told the foreman that my wife isn’t my property and I understand when she isn’t in the mood. The foreman shouted, “When I’m ready, she has to be ready!”
I said, “That’s horrible,” and walked away.
“Because I’m a man!” I heard him shout in the distance.
Later, on the train ride home with one of my co-workers, I asked what he thought. “I don’t know, man,” he said. I told him that I thought the foreman sounded like a rapist. My co-worker just laughed and looked away. I thought that maybe his response showed that he was afraid of saying something against the foreman, or, worse, that he might feel that type of behavior is okay.
Contracting is traditionally a male-dominated field, and there were no women present at the worksite.  It’s an environment that breeds sexist, misogynist, disgusting ideas about women. Under communism, we would have a different kind of workplace. We won’t be segregated by race, sex or sexual orientation. Working people will just work together, without foremen.
The next day, to my surprise, a co-worker approached me and said he really admired and respected the way I handled myself, and that I didn’t have to disrespect my wife to do so. When you fight sexism, your co-workers will pay attention and might even take your anti-sexist cue. Today, we argued with the foreman over his sexism till he walked away (see more next issue). This co-worker is now my friend and a CHALLENGE reader.
I learned many things from this small struggle—most of all, that we must not give in to capitalist ideas. We must stay confident in our Party’s anti-sexist, anti-racist line. The working class is listening, and ready to strike back!