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Janet Bonnema (1938-2008)

Janet Bonnema (1938-2008). “A tunnel is no place for a woman.”. Who was Janet Bonnema ?. F ormer captain of the University of Colorado ski team A vid motorcyclist, rock climber, and pilot Received masters degree in engineering

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Janet Bonnema (1938-2008)

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  1. Janet Bonnema (1938-2008)

    “A tunnel is no place for a woman.”
  2. Who was Janet Bonnema? Former captain of the University of Colorado ski team Avid motorcyclist, rock climber, and pilot Received masters degree in engineering Took job at Boeing in Seattle, but left when less-qualified men got promotions before her Hitch-hiked twice around the world Returned to CO, passed Colorado Civil Service exam in 1970
  3. Typo on her exam led employment officer to believe Janet (Jamet) was a man She fought to keep the job and became an engineering technician at tunnel in 1972 Well-regarded by her bosses for her abilities but was not allowed in tunnel to perform job duties
  4. She was never issued a hard hat, protective clothing or an ID badge like her male counterparts She filed a sexual discrimination lawsuit in 1972 Claimed the Department’s refusal to allow her to conduct all of her job duties would affect her ability to be promoted in the future. Quote from un-named Straight Creek Tunnel official:A tunnel is no place for a woman. You know how men are. They might relieve themselves where they’re standing, and not wait to get to a toilet. You wouldn’t want a woman hearing the kind of language we use down there, either. Besides, a woman couldn’t take it physically. They don’t have the stamina.
  5. Thousands of women filed similar lawsuits in early 1970s, but hers was widely publicized, including a spread in LIFE magazine December 8, 1972
  6. The U.S. Dept of Transportation and the Civil Service Commission ruled that her suit was valid She filed a $100,00 class-action lawsuit against Department when bosses didn’t heed ruling Settled out of court for an award of $6,750 and the right to enter the tunnel to perform measurements, collect rock samples, and other job duties First dayshe entered tunnel (11/9/72), 60 miners walked off the job and one quit
  7. “When those guys buy the tunnel then I’ll say, ‘OK, it’s your tunnel’ and I’ll leave. . . . Some kids will use any excuse to get off work to play hooky.” —Janet Bonnema
  8. Charles Shumate remembered in 1989: She was a brilliant gal. She caused me a lot of misery. . . .The District Judge called me one night at home and said, ‘Why don’t you send her in there?’ And that’s what we did.
  9. How did Janet pave the way for other women? Her success allowed other women to enter the tunnel for legitimate reasons She helped redefine “women’s work” to take placeanywhere a woman was qualified After the tunnel project ended, Janet moved to Florida and continued to work as an engineer, never again in the public spotlight
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