Sharon Arnold, President
SSACC, INC.
Certified WBE: General Highway Construction
1505 N. Division St., P.O. Box 357, Pontiac, IL 61764
(815) 842-3626, FAX (815) 842-2198
Joann Payne, President Payne, Shea & Associates
Dear Joann:
Before starting my business, I worked for fifteen years in a one-woman asphalt construction office with annual sales of $3,000,000. I controlled every aspect of the business, attending many roadlettings in my employer's stead. He confided and depended on me completely due to a visual problem. He could not read without a magnifying lens. I was installed in the corporation as assistant secretary/treasurer and signed off on all operating loans.
Affirmative action has helped me because I had all of this experience and I know I would have never gotten this opportunity were it not for affirmative action. I truly never even considered this industry until the District Engineer in my district said I should be working in his program if anyone should. Knowing the "good ole boy" system and working in it, I would literally never have had the opportunity.
When I left my employer, I was earning $23,000 annually. I knew a man in the same position making 45,000 anually. My employer's reason for not increasing my pay was that a woman could not make more money than her police officer husband.
In my opinion affirmative action has made this industry truly competitive. Since the late 1970's, there have been too many contractors in the industry. Now, since women were mandated in 1987, there are too many subcontractors. General contractors can no longer afford to carry their buddy subcontractors around with them. The general contractors are getting lower subcontractor and materials prices than ever before. The governments are getting more for their construction dollars than ever before. There really is very little pork in the industry which results in hard cash facts. The DBE program has finally made this industry extremely competitive. Competition is the name of the game and Uncle Sam has given underrepresented groups an opportunity to try, while cashing in at the same time.
Sincerely,
Sharon Arnold
Reprinted from Women Speak Out: Affirmative Action, A Resource Guide, National Council of Women's Organizations, 1126 16th St., NW, Suite 411, Washington DC, 20036, (202)331-7343, fax (202) 331-7406.
We chose to place this story on our webpage because it is a good example of how women are discriminated against in the workplace. It addresses the issue of the wage gap, indicating women earn less than men. It also sets an example to women to show them that they can succeed in a male dominated world. This story is also a good way to teach women about affirmative action and women's issues because it is easy to relate to. This personal story brings the issue to the heart.
Links
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