 By Deborah Levinson-Estrada

 Trade unionism was rebuilt in the late 1950s and 60s when there was a substantial industrial growth in Guatemala.  By the 1970s the growth was concentrated in Guatemala City, and had become the site of labor movement that called for revolutionary change.  This caused a increase in violence and a decline industry as working class leaders were either dead or in exile.

 Worked in a Japanese owned company called ACRICASA- a thread factory in Guatemala City.  Unconventional childhood o Left by her mother and lived with her father. o She was the only women in the house, so she had to take over the women’s duties in the house. o Finished elementary school o Went to live with her aunt so she could go to high school, but her aunt refused and made her work. o Eventually went to live on her own.

 Her father was supportive of her desire to have an education, which led her to have a different reality of gender roles.  Her awareness of this oppression enabled her to become her own feminist historian.  Her leadership in the union enabled her to became the activist that the women need during this time. o Scaled a fence while six months pregnant when they demanded that they get paid overtime o Would bring her day old son to meetings instead of leaving it to the care of another family member, so that they could implement a day care in the factory. o Even left him their over night so that they could have the day care open during night shifts. ( to make a point)

 When the union leader was assassinated, Sonia and her son Pavel were kidnapped  Sonia was beaten, but they were ultimately only held for fifteen hours before they were released. o On the condition that Sonia leave the country o Which she did

 The central drama to their lives where that the fathers were failures in maintaining their family, it was the mothers who were successful.  The women were not only domestic servants, schoolteachers, but also had modern employment with capitalistic factories.

 Machines received more care and benefits than the workers of the factories.  Because there was no transportation to the factories, women were vulnerable walking at night to get to work. o A drive was organized, but was risky because they were at risk for being fired. o Sonia became one of the leaders of this drive which led her to become one of the executives on the union committee o Mainly because no one else would step up and do the job.

 Working class was seen as prideful, but dumb.  Intertwined with “tough, male worker”  Physical labor meant that they were short on mental labor, meaning they were short of brains or “stupid”.

 It took nine months to gain legal recognition, then fifteen months to win a contract.  Even with the contract they still had to use pressure to get the company do abide by it.  Used tactics like putting up signs with the plant of services that they believed they deserved o Like a bus service or a wage increase. o Also put them on the manager’s cars o Their fame as persistent unionists spread.

 Sonia Oliva’s story changes the way we see motherhood and womanhood when it comes to the working women.  Even with the implementing of the unions, the companies still treated and oppressed their workers.  The working class labor isn’t seen as anything but a necessity, they are the low ones on the totem pole.