Transitions: Sue Ayers

Transitions: Sue Ayers

In this video Sue Ayers discusses the disappearance of unions for Deaf workers.

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: It’s really sad to see unions, in general, unions not just those related to printing but automotive works, like General Motors [indistinguishable] or airplane unions, or in California they had shipping unions. There were so many Deaf people that I’ve met who would tell me, “I worked in the shipping union” or “I worked in the airplane industry” You could earn good money at these blue collar jobs and many people did. That paid well and had benefits. Now the airports have downsized significantly. Shipping is different. Unions are different. Cars- It’s all automated now, robots took over the work, Now the only blue collar work Deaf people can find is at the post office, the mail. But even that has decreased. Now, I think now, it seems, the only good jobs now are at Amazon. That’s the only one. Amazon, this sign making a smile on the face, because Amazon has that little smile on its logo. So that’s one option. And another option, well, nothing else is coming to mind right now. Without any blue collar jobs that means you have to go to college. Now you must go to college. It used to be, during my time, you had two options. You could go to college, if that’s what you liked, but if not you could find a good job elsewhere. But now you must go to college or school, something like that, but it’s a necessity.

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