Class Action

In the mid-1970s, the mines of the Iron Range in northern Minnesota were compelled by the federal government to start employing women. Lois Jenson was one of the first four women to be hired by Eveleth Taconite Company in 1975. Her very first day, hostile glares and unfriendly comments from her male co-workers made sure she knew she was not welcome.

Class Action: the Story of Lois Jenson and the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law describes the years of systematic, endless sexual harassment endured by the women of Eveleth Mines. There was no recourse for the women from either the company's management or from their union.

Interestingly, as the years went by and women workers became common at Eveleth, the harassment did not die down; rather, it escalated. Crude comments, humiliating pranks, and obscene graffiti became stalking, housebreaking, groping, violent assault, demands for sex, rape threats, and death threats. A few of the events are far too disgusting to be described here.

I also think it's interesting that the women of the mine did not band together, share their experiences, and gather strength from each other. They endured stoically and in silence, rarely confiding in one another; and when one of them finally demanded justice, many of the others turned against her.

Lois Jenson put up with this treatment for nearly ten years, until a manager with a sexual obsession with her (expressed in dozens of long, creepy letters) had her transferred to his department: he became her direct supervisor. She balked, showing the letters to the union and to the mine's management. They did not help her. Finally, she called a lawyer - but Jenson's ordeal was just beginning. The case that became Jenson v. Eveleth Taconite Co. dragged on for years.

Class Action doesn't just tell the tale of Jenson and the other women at Eveleth; it also examines the cultural influences that went into the situation, from the isolated and harsh environment of northern Minnesota; to the intense union pride felt by most of the miners, including the women; to the Anita Hill hearings, which took place during the case.

I haven't seen the movie North Country, which is based on the case; but I recommend the book. It's a fascinating story.