Coalmining Women
“It's basically (a) locker room...” says one woman miner, but social conditions and economic pressures have forced many women to break into this male bastion to take on the nation's most hazardous occupation. Bolting mine roofs, shoveling belt lines, hauling rock dust, building ventilation barriers with 75-pound blocks, and fighting for mine safety right alongside their male co-workers, the coalmining women take pride in their accomplishments. But Elizabeth Barret has also captured a personal and candid portrait of these women, who talk about their fears and problems, and their continuing struggle for equal pay.