Table 2.--Proportion of Women to All Workers Employed in Bridgeport, by Industry, April 1940 and July 1945

Source: USES Labor Market Developments Report, Bridgeport, Conn., Area.

30

29

22

8

13

14

13

22

32

13

33

20

52

37

17

2

13

39

36

37

50

75

30

Dec. 5, 1945.

By January 1946, with reconversion well under way, some indication. of the postwar pattern in women's employment was evident. When peak employment in manufacturing establishments in the area was reached in July 1943, 33.7 percent or 33,700 of all the manufacturing employees were women. Although the number has since declined to 22,400, the proportion remains high. In aircraft and ordnance, war industries, both men and women had been laid off in great numbers, and women had been laid off in greater proportions than men. Within manufacturing, the electrical-machinery industry, a normal consumergoods industry, made outstanding gains in employment of women during the war and was maintaining these employment levels to a considerable degree. The needle trades, where the number of women employed decreased from 4,600 in 1940 to 2,900 in July 1945, had regained some of their women workers but were still from 1,200 to 1,500 short of their employment before the war.

DO THE WOMEN WORKERS OF BRIDGEPORT BELONG TO LABOR UNIONS? Out of the 65 locals in Bridgeport, 27 reported they had women members. The total number of women belonging to labor unions in Bridgeport in early 1946 was estimated to be slightly over 7,000. The 27 locals represented workers employed in 40 establishments, of which 36 were manufacturing.

The two manufacturing industries, electrical machinery and apparel, which normally employ the largest numbers of the women employed in manufacturing in Bridgeport, are highly organized, and women form an important part of the union membership. The United

Electrical, Radio and Machine Workers of America, CIO, with 9 locals in the city, has organized the workers in electrical-machinery plants. Apparel workers have been organized by the International Ladies' Garment Workers Union, AFL (5 locals), by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers, CIO (1 local), and by the Corset Workers Federal Union, AFL. The apparel workers include women in women's garment, underwear, blouse, and corset shops and in men's shirt shops.

Numerically there are more women union members in the electrical industry than in the apparel industry. In the apparel industry, however, the proportion of all union members who were women was 90 percent, while in the electrical industry it was a third, reflecting differences in the relative numbers of men and women employed in the respective industries.

Among the other 11 locals which have women members are those in the iron and steel, other metal, aircraft, and other industries. In these industries the unions which have the largest number of women members in Bridgeport are the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, CIO (4 locals), and the United Automobile, Aircraft, and Agricultural Implement Workers of America, CIO (1 local).

In nonmanufacturing industries, which toward the end of the war in July 1945 employed almost one-third of the women workers in Bridgeport, union organization is less highly developed than in the manufacturing industries. Of the 27 locals which have women members, all but 4 have jurisdiction in manufacturing industries only.

Women's activity in unions usually has a direct bearing on the benefits women receive from collective bargaining agreements. In many Bridgeport unions women have taken an active part. Of the 26 locals reporting the activities of women members, women held some office in 20. Women held the office of president in 5 locals, and in 2 locals the chairmanship of the executive board. Shop committees in the 16 dress, coat and suit, underwear and blouse, and corset shops covered by ILGWU agreements were composed mostly of women. In 12 of these 16 shops women held also the position of business agent or chairlady. In the Corset Workers Federal Union a woman held the position of business agent, and the chairladies for the 2 shops covered by agreements with this local were women. In all 9 of the UE locals women held offices such as members of executive boards, secretaries, organizers, or shop stewards.

Although in many unions women were active in shop committees and in union offices, in most unions it was reported that women's attendance at union meetings was not as good as men's.

WHAT PLACEMENT, TRAINING, AND COUNSELING SERVICES ARE AVAILABLE TO BRIDGEPORT WOMEN?

Placement The United States Employment Service is the outstanding placement service in Bridgeport, and within the limits of its appropriation it offers good placement service for both men and women. The USES is the chief source of community information on trends of employment, unemployment, applications for employment, job openings, and data on the characteristics of women registered for work in specified occupational groups. Seeking to provide a public employment service effective in meeting the needs of both employer

and employee, the Bridgeport office maintains regular contact with local employers.

During the war the USES concentrated on getting employees for essential industries and consequently had to curtail service usually given, both in following up the placement of persons looking for employment and in considering the problems of peacetime industries such as trade and service. In addition, under the strain of its wartime tasks and with considerable staff turn-over, this office, in common with other USES offices throughout the country, had to drop many of its special services, particularly that of counseling.

The four commercial employment agencies which were operating in Bridgeport in February 1946 were visited. All were fee-charging, and the persons in charge stated they had more job listings than applicants. One, affiliated with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, promoted job opportunities as well as placement of Negroes; most of its placements for women were in the domestic and other service fields. The other agencies were small and did not keep detailed placement records but stated that most of their openings and placements were in the clerical and service occupations.

Training Apparently the number of women who were getting vocational training in Bridgeport was very small in February 1946. The Bullard Havens Technical School, financed by State funds and operated by the State Board of Education in cooperation with the local board of education, offered regular day courses of a secondary level for a large number of trades and 2-year courses above the secondary level for junior engineers.

Courses were offered in mechanical skills, building trades, graphic arts, and electrical and automotive occupations. Registration in these courses was not limited to men and boys, and a few girls were, in fact, registered in them, mostly in the graphic-arts section. One girl was taking the 2-year course for junior engineers. It was clear, nevertheless, that attendance in these courses by women was regarded as unusual and a demonstration of individual initiative. In the strictly girl's-trades area the only course offered was dressmaking. Of approximately 400 to 450 students in all regular courses, 50 to 55 were women.

This trade school itself, however, is not entirely responsible for the inadequacy of vocational training. The policy of the school is to offer any course which will prepare women for employment if a definite demand is expressed for such training. During the war women had been trained for aircraft and other industries. Only because there was no demand for more extensive industrial training at the time of the study were such a limited number of courses given. When Women's Bureau agents were in Bridgeport, the school reported that plans were being made to offer a greater number and variety of courses to girls.

The Job Research Shops of the Bullard Havens School were a new part of the school program. These shops offered an orientation and try-out program especially for veterans, displaced workers, and handicapped individuals. The objective of the program was to assist workers in selecting an occupation in line with their interests.

and aptitudes, to give them an opportunity to try out jobs, to give preliminary orientation in job requirements and duties, and to offer training in needed skills or counseling in the choice of further training. When fully staffed and equipped, try-out job facilities were expected to be provided for jobs in machine operating, electrical and radio work, riveting, plumbing, sheet metal work, carpentry, printing, and clerical work. During the first two months of operation, veterans had been the principal group served. Only one woman had registered for a try-out. As the program develops, more opportunities for try-outs and orientation along the lines of women's interests and job openings are planned.

Vocational courses were also given in public high schools, the public trade school, and by several community agencies. In addition, prevocational work was given in the public primary and secondary schools and in the private junior colleges. Other trade-training facilities for women consisted of courses in private schools-three business schools, two beauty schools, three nursing training schools, and a kindergarten training school-and on-the-job training carried on in a few plants and institutions.

It is obvious that any future decision on trade-training courses for girls should be based on what jobs are likely to be open to women, what the need is for trained workers, and how adequately private schools or on-the-job training facilities are already performing the task. In addition, the fact that women can fill some positions in fields once regarded as men's work should also be taken into consideration in making training plans.

Since regular vocational-school classes cannot hope to carry the full burden of all types of training needed in the community, some consideration needs to be given to how these services can be extended by advisory or supplementary methods. Such new training techniques as were found satisfactory during the war are still applicable, i. e., short courses for "spot" training, foreman training, job try-out and orientation, and on-the-job training with related instruction in the public school.

Some

Closely tied to the question of providing training is the problem of providing personal income during the training period. When a short course is sufficient, the financial burden will not be severe. workers, however, will need scholarships or direct financial aid, particularly when a longer period of training is required. While these are total community responsibilities, recommendations and referrals by the employment services to other agencies which provide financial help are often necessary. Great Britain has moved toward a solution of the problem by making provision for attendance at training courses during the period unemployment compensation is being paid.

The Women's Bureau agents were informed in February 1946 that a study of Bridgeport's educational facilities for both men and women was in the process of development. The Bridgeport Community Advisory Service Center assumed that this study would include a review of the vocational training practices of the city. The studyplan seemed to offer particular opportunity for making a careful analysis of vocational-educational opportunities and needs as they affect women as well as men.

740955°-47-2

Counseling The Community Advisory Service Center was developed primarily to meet the needs of returning servicemen. It was also designed to give counseling to displaced war workers and new workers, but in February 1946 about 92 percent of the persons who used its services were veterans. The Center has been in operation since the fall of 1944 and has a background of community planning which involved the State Reemployment Commission, the city government, and many local organizations. The Center is both an outgrowth of the planning done by these organizations and a contributor to further community planning.

Less than 10 percent of the persons serviced by the Center have been women-predominantly veterans, school girls, and relatives of servicemen although neither the USES, the YWCA, nor the local schools were staffed to offer women professional counseling. With the expected decrease in veterans' needs, the Center plans to put more emphasis on other community groups. In fact, the request to the Women's Bureau to make this study was prompted by the Center's interest in expanding its services to women.

The functions of the staff give an idea of the scope of the services offered. Included are a director, a director of community education, director of occupational adjustment, director of educational counseling and planning, 3 occupational and educational counselors, a testing supervisor, a psychometrist, 4 testing department workers, a personal service adviser, a librarian, and a contact representative. Also assigned to the staff are 18 employees of the Veterans' Administration, including contact representatives, training officers, and medical officers. Representatives of other agencies on the staff include persons employed by local banks and lending institutions, the American Red Cross, the State Food and Dairy Council (a nutritionist), the Bullard Havens Technical School, the State Bureau of Rehabilitation, Selective Service, and the Connecticut Veterans Reemployment and Advisory Commission.

The United Community Fund owns the building in which the Center is situated and supplies the operating budget.

An average of 300 to 350 persons use the Center each day. Some come for information only, but many may receive complete counseling service involving a series of interviews. Referrals are made to other agencies when the service can best be provided outside of the Center. The Center has made a conscious effort to coordinate the community's efforts to serve its needs, rather than to be just another agency. To this end it has built up wide coverage of community interests in 38 functional committees representing over 800 organizations. It bases its ability to aid individuals on its knowledge of the community and on its efforts through these committees to stimulate new approaches to filling gaps in community services.

EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Past, present, and future job opportunities for women in Bridgeport were studied by analyzing recent job openings and records of women applicants registered at the United States Employment Service and by visiting 45 industrial establishments in the city.