Union: A Voice for the Deaf

Union: A Voice for the Deaf

In this video Sue Ayers describes how Deaf members were protected by the union.

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 an ASL interview with Sue Ayers, an older white woman seated at home.

Sue Ayers: The Washington Post was like that. If a supervisor needed extra helpers they would always go and select Deaf workers. It was easy to tell Deaf to be extra help because we couldn’t talk back or discuss it with them, since they couldn’t sign. But hearing people could grumble when they were called on. So the supervisors would negotiate with them more. With Deaf workers it was easy. We would have to complain to the union, a union rep would go and tell the supervisors, not to only select Deaf workers for that task, that there were plenty of hearing people to call on as well. That’s why I’m so thankful to the union. They spoke up for me, they protected me, they made sure everything was fair, among other things. It was wonderful.

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