Oil Field Co.s That Don't Hire Women Truckers

So they'd rather risk having a far more expensive Class Action suit against them.



That makes perfect sense.

 

The OP didn't get hired where she wanted so thats discrimination? She told her side of the story, yet we don't know the "rest of the story" There is a thread on this forum of a woman who went to work in the ND oilfields and other folks have posted that woman do indeed work in the oilfield. Pehaps there is a reason why she wasn't hired.

 

I don't believe that anyone should be forced to hire anyone. If you own a business and you're spending your money, don't you have the right to spend it on whomever you prefer?

If a company wants to require that every worker be African-American with a three-foot diameter (combed) afro and a complexion darker than a paper bag, let them do it. If they want their entire workforce to be Mexican nationals, let them do it...in Mexico, of course, where it's legal. If they want to hire only Asians, let them. If they want to hire only Irish, let them do that. If they want to hire only women, let them do that.

It's only when an employer insists on hiring white males that I have a problem; after all, they are smarter than everyone else, and we need laws to level the playing field. Without equal opportunity laws, why would any employer hire a black, Irish, female, Mexican, Asian?

If I'm wrong, then why do we have the laws?

Now 'scuse me while I go back to knitting this sweater and booties. My eldes' is 'bout ta pop.

 

As long as any company doesn't blatantly show discrimination, they aren't required to hire any particular individual AND NOT risk litigation. An company could have 1 female working in an office and NEVER hire a female driver and still show that they legally hire women. Their defense can be that the applicant doesn't fulfill the current need.

Corporations are wise and usually pay close attention to staying out of court. It is usually a foolish employee rather than company policy that creates a lawsuit.

 

I concur, Ms. Morella. I just get irritated when some knothead claims I wouldn't be able to take care of myself in a situation like that and claims rape is "common" when it's a bunch of guys and only a few women. That assertion is only a scare tactic in a lame attempt to keep women from applying in the first place. It is a thinly veiled threat, usually put forward by some guy who is afraid a woman might do a better job. If a man is secure in himself and knows he's doing a good job, doesn't give the boss a bad time, he shouldn't care whether a woman shows up on the job site to do the same job. I should think the variety would be welcomed....unless he enjoys seeing nothing but hairy, whiskery men all the time.

In the same note, though, if a woman wants to do the job, she better bloody well be able to do it without any more concessions than the men get. She should have to pass the same physical standards and testing as the men. I have no problem with that. But don't make up some impossible test for her just to keep her out of the job. Expecting her to actually perform the tasks necessary to the job she wants is not unreasonable.

 

There's another problem too. It's not always rape. Sometimes it's just plain old ordinary ####, but, one man is getting it and ten men aren't, and that could be a problem. That's why it's bad luck to have a woman on a fishing boat. It's not sexism, but plain old-fashioned jealousy and horniness. I've never lived in a man camp, but I can see the same problem popping up.

Another problem is that men like to make lewd comments and jokes and post pornography in the workplace, and sometimes when women move in, they immediately go to management and start whining about it. What sort of reaction do they expect? Regardless of whether or not we can do the work, which we usually can, will we "fit in" in the workplace? It's an important thing to consider when hiring an employee. There are, of course, restroom facilities that must be added, and a few other issues. It's not quite as simple as "can she do the job or not".

 

That was the Navy's excuse on subs. I guess we'll find out how it works for them.

Regarding bathroom facilities and being concerned with who's getting "some" and who isn't...what do they do with the nurses and cooks who also live in those camps? The only difference would be job duties. You have a few women back at camp and maybe a couple driving. I still fail to see an issue. Women drivers can use the same facilities as the cooks and nurses. How do the cooks and nurses get through the night without getting assaulted?

So far, I'm seeing lame excuses. But then, I've been almost exclusively in male dominated fields most of my adult life. I have not been threatened or treated like I don't belong, nor has using the bathroom been a problem. But, then again, I have no problem with guys just being guys. If I find comments to be obnoxious, I tell them so. They can either continue and I'll take care of it myself or they can pipe down and do their &#$%ing job. My "obnoxious level" is pretty high. Usually, they do things just to see how you react. If you give them a blank stare, a little shake of the head and turn around to walk away, they get tired of trying to get a rise out of you.

One of my firefighters said it best: "She's not a girl...she's one of the guys. But never forget, she's all woman." If a woman can garner that kind of respect from firefighters, she should have no trouble with a bunch of roughnecks.

For a company to simply look at a person and discount any benefit she may provide simply because of her gender and not even give her a chance ......well, it's their loss. I don't agree with affirmative action. But I also don't agree with slamming the door before even taking a look. You might as well hang a sign on the door to Human Resources saying, "No N*****s Need Apply."