On the Job: Marginalization at Work

On the Job: Marginalization at Work

In this video Jan DeLap and Janie Golightly provide examples of unequal treatment experienced by Deaf printers.

Zilvinas Paludnevicius

Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center Collection

2022

This Item has been made available for educational and research purposes by the Drs. John S. and Betty J. Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center at Gallaudet University. This Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You may need to obtain permission for your intended use if your use is otherwise not permitted by the copyright and applicable related rights legislation. For specific information about the copyright and reproduction rights for this Item, please contact the Schuchman Deaf Documentary Center: https://www.gallaudet.edu/drs-john-s-and-betty-j-schuchman-deaf-documentary-center

American Sign Language

A video featuring ASL interviews with several subjects. Jan DeLap, an older white woman seated in a darkened studio; and Janie Golightly, an older white woman seated in a darkened studio. The video begins with a still black and white image of the Composing Room at the Washington Post featuring a row of linotype machines with fair-skin white men seated at each machine, with the text Marginalization at Work.

Jan De Lap: That’s true, there was some scut work and some people really hated that work. Like, we had what we called trucks. Which was a big, heavy, metal machine with wheels that you pushed. When you finished a full page in hot metal, it was heavy. Those lead columns were locked in a full page frame. When someone was done making-up the page they would call for the truck. The cart was pushed to the edge of the table and the metal frame was pushed onto the flat top of the cart. The cart was then pushed over to make the copy, the engraved copy. So supervisors tended to send Deaf workers to do that job. Oh that would upset the Deaf. They’d say, “Why aren’t they sending hearing to do that job? They always send us Deaf”. We always had issues about that.

Janie Golightly: Yes. I remember, typically the Deaf would push trucks, meaning the big heavy cart with wheels and we’d use the hot metal at that time, to do make-up and create a full page. We’d use the metal frame, put in the pictures and the articles from the linotype machine to put into columns. Once we had everything laid out and ready, we would need to move it. To push it over. And it was heavy! You needed to move it over to make the copy, the plate for printing on the press. So you needed to bring it over there, and to do that you’d use a truck. The truck was pulled over to the table, and there were other people doing make-up on either side of you at the table. So the truck was pulled up to the opposite side, and you’d push the heavy lead page onto the truck. And someone needed to then take that cart over to the other department. And that person, tasked with that was often a Deaf worker. Oh many were so annoyed with it! You know! You’re targeting us! I didn’t experience that, I was fortunate. But I recall one man, he always tasked Deaf workers with that chore, pushing the truck. They’d have to push it over. Later on, the Deaf had complained about it about the hearing workers, all that. You know, same old story. Now, my father was there working as a sub. My dad wanted to work, he’d worked for many years- he was retired, he was 70 or 80 years old at the time. So although he was retired, he wanted to come along with us to work. I asked, do you want to sub? And he replied yes! I do. So okay, he came along with us to work as a sub. Drove into work with us. My father was really proficient at the linotype. He had been doing it for over 40 years. He was skilled. And they asked him to push the truck. Now, he said, “sure!” He accepted it without complaint. He was 70 years old! At that time, 70! And they were asking him to push the truck, again and again. He didn’t push hard. Just kept at it. He was strong. So they kept asking him to do it. Someone saw that happening, and was pissed off. They yelled and called for the union chairman. “Why are you having this man do this? He’s in his 70s! Why are you targeting him? Why don’t you ask a hearing worker? Many of them were younger in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Why not them?” Why was it my father? So that’s when they put a stop to it. That one night. And my father had said he didn’t mind, but they said “No! You’re done doing this. It’s time. It’s only fair that both Deaf and hearing do it.” So my father said ok, and that was the end of it. That was a funny story, yes.

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