Labor History Today

The Conductorettes


Listen Later

On this week’s Labor History Today: "This drunk came on and he started showing me a bad time, and I up and popped him and knocked him out. The soldier got one arm, I got the other and we put him beside the telephone pole. We got back in, gave a bell, and away we went. Never knew what happened to the guy. He could still be sitting there—I don’t know."

That was Pearl Wattum, one of Vancouver’s legendary “conductorettes”—the women who kept the city’s streetcars running during World War II while the men were away fighting fascism. On today’s show, from our colleagues at On The Line: Stories of BC Workers, we share their stories—firsthand accounts of grit, humor, and union solidarity from the front lines of public transit. It’s a powerful look at gender, labor, and what it took to keep a city moving in wartime.
And, on Labor History in 2:00: The Day Rosie the Riveter Died.

Questions, comments, or suggestions are welcome, and to find out how you can be a part of Labor History Today, email us at [email protected]

Labor History Today is produced by the Labor Heritage Foundation and the Kalmanovitz Initiative for Labor and the Working Poor.

#LaborRadioPod #History #WorkingClass #ClassStruggle @GeorgetownKILWP #LaborHistory @UMDMLA @ILLaborHistory @AFLCIO @StrikeHistory #LaborHistory @wrkclasshistory  

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Labor History TodayBy laborhistorytoday

  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5
  • 5

5

22 ratings


More shows like Labor History Today

View all
Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff by Democracy at Work, Richard D. Wolff

Economic Update with Richard D. Wolff

1,996 Listeners

Chapo Trap House by Chapo Trap House

Chapo Trap House

8,858 Listeners

Pod Save America by Pod Save America

Pod Save America

87,949 Listeners

Spooked by KQED and Snap Studios

Spooked

16,653 Listeners

Know Your Enemy by Matthew Sitman

Know Your Enemy

2,076 Listeners

Strict Scrutiny by Strict Scrutiny

Strict Scrutiny

5,875 Listeners

Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté by Useful Idiots, LLC

Useful Idiots with Katie Halper and Aaron Maté

4,451 Listeners

The Red Nation Podcast by The Red Nation

The Red Nation Podcast

1,017 Listeners

Labor Radio-Podcast Weekly by laborradiopodcastweekly

Labor Radio-Podcast Weekly

14 Listeners

The Ezra Klein Show by New York Times Opinion

The Ezra Klein Show

16,490 Listeners

Weekly Skews by Weekly Skews

Weekly Skews

639 Listeners

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar by iHeartPodcasts

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar

10,173 Listeners

American Prestige by Daniel Bessner & Derek Davison

American Prestige

1,067 Listeners

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart by Comedy Central

The Weekly Show with Jon Stewart

10,933 Listeners

The Labor Notes Podcast by Labor Notes

The Labor Notes Podcast

45 Listeners