[Chicago Slices raw: Women Of The Kennedy #1]

This video contains raw footage for the television show "Chicago Slices." On this tape, Skip Blumberg and Tom Weinberg interview a number of women working on the reconstruction of the Kennedy Expressway in Chicago, IL.

00:00Copy video clip URL Open on a shot of the Metra train line near Northbrook Court Mall.

00:15Copy video clip URL Cut to footage of the Northbrook Court Mall parking lot. Skip Blumberg and Ahdee Goldberg drive around the lot looking to park at a specific entrance. Once inside, the two make their way around the mall eventually getting footage of a meeting in the managerial office. This lasts for several minutes.

07:21Copy video clip URL Tom Weinberg and Skip Blumberg make their way down Lincoln Avenue in Lincoln Park on their way to the Kennedy Expressway.

08:07Copy video clip URL Cut to a shot of one of the many Kennedy Expressway entrance signs.

08:48Copy video clip URL Cut to an interview with Marketing Coordinator Lisa Maddis. Blumberg and Weinberg speak with Maddis about who they are going to be interviewing today. They also talk with Maddis abut her work as marketing coordinator.

11:04Copy video clip URL As the two videomakers make their way to the construction site, Blumberg gets a shot of the Magnikist sign that once resided along the Kennedy Expressway.

11:09Copy video clip URL The two speak with flagger Bernice Northern about her work. “The message that I have for the motorists: When flag persons go like this [waves flag up and down], it does not mean charge! It means give us a break! Brake!” Northern talks about her interactions with passing motorists, her reasons for becoming a flagger, her family, the possible discrimination she may experience in a mainly male dominated work world, and her hopes for the future. Northern is working as a flagger because of the current state of the economy. She also talks about being a Jehovah’s Witness. When asked if she is a women’s rights activist, Northern states that she thinks everyone should be treated fairly, but that there are still improvements that need to be made in the field of women’s rights. Blumberg also gathers footage of Northern at work with the flag. This lasts for several minutes.

19:05Copy video clip URL Blumberg interviews flagger Tammi Smith about her work. Smith has been working as a flagger for two years. She states that there are a lot of ups and downs with the job. She talks about a variety of subjects, including her interactions with passing motorists, how she became involved in construction, the possible discrimination she may experience in a mainly male dominated work world, and her hopes for the future. Smith has a technique of actually mouthing the words “stop” and “slow” to drivers as they pass by. She also states that she used to get riled up by a lot of her male colleagues, but that it decreased after her first year. Smith goes on to say that she is unsure of what she wants to do with her life. Blumberg gathers footage of Smith at work. This lasts for several minutes.

33:42Copy video clip URL Blumberg speaks with construction worker Doreen Flanagan. The two talk about a variety of issues, including her work as a machine operator, her years spent in the construction industry, whether she’s experienced any discrimination based on her gender, the dangers of the job, the economy, and her hopes for the future. Flanagan states about women on the job, “You don’t want to put down women, but a lot of times they do things that are kind of dumb.” She goes on to talk about the positives of women on the job, saying that they have a “lighter touch” when operating machinery. When asked to give motorists a piece of advice, Flanagan states, “Please slow down! It’s rough enough out here–just one thing and you can kill us all. So just forty-five miles an hour. That’s all we ask.” We then watch Flanagan at work on one of the many machines out in the field. Blumberg then gathers more footage from the surrounding area. This lasts for several minutes.

46:54Copy video clip URL Blumberg speaks with Lisa Maddis about the percentage of women working on the reconstruction of the Kennedy Expressway. She states that the workforce is made up of roughly ten percent women.

47:42Copy video clip URL Blumberg speaks with carpenter’s apprentice Cheryl Pomeroy about her work in the construction industry. Pomeroy once worked as an instructor at Loyola University but decided to get into the construction industry because of her interest in carpentry. She comes from an academic background and received a Ph.D in Cultural Anthropology. Pomeroy talks about the positive and negative aspects of the job, her reasons for becoming a construction worker, the culture within the construction industry, whether she’s experienced any discrimination while on the job, her family, and her hopes for the future. “As a fluke, I’ve come into my own in construction. Yeah, I’ve found my niche.” Pomeroy briefly talks about apolitical stance because of her time spent in the academic world. Blumberg gathers footage of Pomeroy making some decking. This lasts for the remainder of the tape.

01:02:47Copy video clip URL Tape ends.