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Author: sbrown (69.249.254.---)
Date: 10-07-05 11:40
American Radio Works: No Place for a Woman [Real Player]
http://americanradioworks.publicradio.org/features/ironrange/
Many great things have come out of Minnesota, and the fine radio documentary programs developed by American Radio Works fall squarely into that category, in no small part due to their fine investigative journalism and curiosity about the world. Their latest documentary explores the experience of women who came to work in the iron mines of northern Minnesota. The documentary is divided into three segments, and on this website visitors can listen to the entire program, if they so desire. The program begins by exploring the changing context of job opportunities for women in the 1970s, and continues on to tell the stories of women like Pat Kosmach, who was an activist in the Steelworkers union during this turbulent time. The site also contains a number of fine additional features, including a section that tells about the experience of women who were called to work in the region during World War II. The site is rounded out by several reflection pieces by Catherine Winter and Stephanie Hemphill, who were responsible for researching and creating this documentary. [KMG]
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Author: Muriel & Tom (---.hsd1.wa.comcast.net)
Date: 11-09-05 02:24
This documentary is particularly important in providing both realism and insight beyond the book "Class Action" and the heavily Fictionalized 2 hour cut at this case in the movie "North Country". Both grab at the "Sex Sells" context of the case, but not the realities of the span of legal actions and pain that these women endured over 14 years. ( A Lois Jenson like character, played by Charlize Theron as the primary character in the movie, and Frances McDormand as the Pat Kosmach character don't begin to capture the long term stress and courage of these women and the others working in the mining operation). Some commentaries following the movie premier from Lois Jenson and Sprenger ( the class action attorney), are at: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/story/356015p-303483c.html . Simply having the courage to hold together for the duration in the face of enormous societal and worker peer pressures, actual violence and sexual harassment threats as well as job loss once the suits started were the real story.
("Lois was an injured party looking for a leader, which she found in Pat Kosmach. Pat was the backbone of the case," said Paul Sprenger, who headed the women's legal team).
Do a search on "Pat Kosmach" and you will also find deeper background including a Minnesota Public Radio show, a 2 part Washington Post article and other sources. ( Also, as portrayed in the movie, Pat Kosmach did have Lou Gerhigs disease. She survived to see the victory of the Class Action suit, but died in the settlement phase. The incredible irony is that neither she nor her surviving five kids got a penny in settlement).
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