Class Action
by Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler
Published by Anchor Books
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Reviewed by Debra Kiefat
Class Action is a compelling documentary on the court case, Jensen vs. Eveleth Mining, that underscores how ignorance, combined with the pack mentality, can be ruthless in its effort to silence a woman's right to work in a male-oriented work environment.
Clara Bingham and Laura Leedy Gansler wrote this book with such accuracy and simplicity, anyone reading this will clearly understand how this court case changed the landscape of employment rights, discrimination and harassment reporting by anyone wishing to be gainfully employed.
From the first paragraph to the last, I was held spellbound by this masterful recreation of one the most significant court cases to impact a woman's right to equality in the work place without the intrusion of sexual harassment or escalating hostilities.
This is a must read for anyone who has an interest in court cases that have shaped women's rights.
What one woman started--and these women suffered, has been equaled by women who early on in this equality path joined law enforcement as street cops, became firefighters and entered other male-dominated workplaces. Brave pioneers, every one of them. Women today should show them extreme gratitude for the risks they took then to give us opportunities today.
Armchair Interviews says: Imagine being a woman in a small mining town willing to put herself on the line, against neighbors, friends and family--to stand up for her rights. The movie, North Country tells the story well, but the book does "the truth" very, very well.