Pamela Quillin, P.E.
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You've Got Three Problems

4/11/2012

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In one plant, I had a few problem maintenance men not working with me.  For some reason, they thought I had trouble understanding how switches work as well as other things.  Their maintenance foreman finally learned differently and his attitude changed.

As I discussed these men with my supervisor one time, he told me I had three problems:
  • You are female
  • You are smart
  • You are educated


"Those things make people not like you," he explained.  "And, you're getting more education, which people don't like about you!"

There were really four things the men didn't like about me.  Those are supposed to be positive attributes in humanity.

That was hard to hear and digest but I handled it.  There isn't anything I can do to change any of those things.  I could have stopped the master's program.  That wasn't even a consideration in my mind.  It was a goal and I was going to achieve it.

There were male engineers in that plant who were working on MBAs.  Why would I be viewed any differently than them?

Whoever those men were, they weren't worth worrying about.  They would either figure it out or die jealous, bitter, and resentful.  It was their choice.  I continued to be nice and professional.

During my exit interview, the same manager blurted, "I'll never hire another good looking, female engineer!  It causes too much disruption on the factory floor!"

I was stunned by those statements.  I had replaced a good looking, female engineer!  Never had I detected any disruptions because of my looks.  I don't consider myself that good looking either.  We had a contractor in often who caused some minor delays with work because she was beautiful.  Me, not so much.

Why are looks a reason to negatively bias a qualified candidate?

There is a lot more to this plant than met the naked eye.  I think a number of the men were struggling with women period.
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You're Not a Member

4/9/2012

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One young, male engineer I worked with was creepy.  Deliberately creepy, I think.  He was about ten years younger than me but a male chauvinist.

He would routinely walk up to me on the factory floor and say, "The Good Ol' Boys Network is alive and well.  And, you'll never be a member because, well, look at you, (long pause) you're a woman."  During that pause his eyes would slowly travel down my body then back up.  He would stare into my eyes a few more seconds then walk off.

Other times he would tell me, "You think you're part of the Good Ol' Boys Club but you're not and never will be.  You're a woman."  Sometimes he would hurriedly walk by stating, "You'll never be part of the Club."  Those statements were not accompanied by the full body scan.  He would make his statements and walk off.  Occasionally he would ask my thoughts.  Generally I'd just look at him in silence.

I couldn't imagine why he would ever say those things to a fellow engineer regardless of gender.  I haven't made those statements to anyone.  Besides, I'll never have to worry about the boardroom and I've known that all of my life.

At lunch, this guy routinely discussed going to men's clubs because he felt a certain power being surrounded by naked women.  I thought it revealed an insecurity in him but I'm no expert on men and certainly no psychologist.

I heard these things so often it was sad.  I thought he was trying to intimidate me, make me feel ostracized, produce insecurities about my job, belittle me for being female, make me feel condescended, demean me, etc.

Naively I had no idea what I was up against.  He didn't succeed because he was not sufficiently important enough at the time to make a difference in my mind.  However, he does illustrate that negative discrimination against women in the workplace is not limited to my father's and grandfather's generations.

Negative discrimination against women doesn't know boundaries.  It just knows discrimination to disadvantage women for various reasons.
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Ya' Can't Hit on the Female Operators

4/9/2012

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"Ya' can't hit on the female operators."  I said this often to one foreman.  Boy howdy, he was persistent.  He hit on me so many times I lost count.

I warned him often of his flirtatious ways and their dangers.  He never thought he'd get in trouble.  Besides, men will be men and women will be women and everyone understands.

He was so relentless, I asked the female operators about him quickly and they understood him and left him to his ways.  They believed he was a good man in spite of his flirtations.  He never forced the situation.

He was in a bad marriage and didn't want to divorce because of the children.  That was admirable, since so many dads don't fulfill their responsibilities.

He was a good performer and had drive to do a good job.  Production ran better under his supervision.  He didn't mind telling people how to do their jobs and expectations of them in a non-threatening, 'matter of fact' way.

I liked him in spite of his problem.  He had hobbies, seemed happy overall, was good to work with, knew his job, and was willing to help others at work.  He never showed up late, left early, called in sick to get a day off, or slouched on the job.

Ultimately, he hit on the wrong female hourly worker in the last plant and she turned him in to management.  He was fired.  I don't know the details of this situation but I do know mine.

I transferred to another plant and was free from his advances.  What a relief to leave those behind!  Some months later, he transferred to the same plant and began his pursuit anew.

We had a civil discussion about his ways.  He was going to persist.  Consequently, I emphatically told him to stop and he stopped.  He slipped occasionally but it was infrequent enough to handle.  At times, it was a laughing matter and other times it felt awkward.

It was a relief to not be pestered further in that way.  It wears on your nerves and you tire of addressing the same issue.  It distracts you from your job.

I warned him that one day he was going to hit on the wrong woman in this new plant, who would not be forgiving or understanding.  The union was much stronger in that plant and the people were different.  She wouldn't give two cents about his home life or that he was the only breadwinner.  He believed he would be OK because women understand how men are.

Women do understand men.  Unfortunately, he didn't understand women.  Unlike the dictionary men have to understand women, 'no' does mean 'no' and not maybe or perhaps for quite a few us.  Some of us don't tolerate games at all.
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Women In Engineering

4/2/2012

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Much has been made of why women leave engineering.  I've read articles about it over the years.  I've listened to other women in engineering.  I've listened to older women in engineering.  I've listened to men in engineering.  I've done a lot of listening.  I have my own stories.

A lot of emphasis has been placed on attracting young girls to STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) to boost university enrollments with women.  It seems "they" want women in STEM, whoever "they" are.  I suppose that effort has its place and will succeed to some degree.

I don't think it will be a problem to attract young women to STEM.  The careers are interesting and can be made to sound so exciting the possibilities will be irresistible.

I do think it will be a problem to retain women in engineering.  It seems women leave E more than STM.

Some women will say it's because the men are jerks.  While men can be jerks, I think the problem is rooted in something much deeper and more disturbing to men than just being a jerk.

The slang meaning of jerk applied to humanity is:  ignorant, stupid, and worthless.  I believe those are mutually exclusive to anyone holding an engineering degree.

No, I think  the problem is rooted in something much more disturbing and difficult to change than being a jerk.

You'll have to decide for yourself.
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Today's Dessert

4/1/2012

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Picture
Whole Fat Yogurt and Mango
Yesterday a friend, Mike Busch, and I rode bicycles to Jamestown from Boulder.  It was hotter than anticipated and longer, too.  It was my longest ride of the year and possibly the last couple of years, at 34 miles.

My legs need a lot more conditioning to be worthy of that ride.  Climbing makes for a much stronger rider so it was good to get started on hills right away.  Thanks, Mike!

After a ride like yesterday, calorie replacement is important.  But when the weather gets hot, food becomes rather unappealing especially heavy foods.  It's been warm for several days so I've been eating more foods raw or foods that don't need much cooking.

I like to eat whole fat yogurt often because of the live cultures.   Today the yogurt is served over mango as a treat, after riding to Jamestown.  One mango is about $1 so it's a treat I'll spread over a few days with yogurt.

Yes, that is a Tabasco place mat because it's a Louisiana product and I'm from Louisiana.  I love Tabasco!  It sits atop an antique table my aunt gave me years ago.  They're all a little bit of home.
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    I have spent years in the bowels of manufacturing plants helping to bring numerous products to market that touch virtually every aspect of life.

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