Caught in the web of survival vs: harrasement

[Anonymous <no_email@fake.address>]

Upon relocating to Florida 7 yrs. ago, the economy took it's big 'dive'.
Florida was already 10 yrs behind the times in most social areas, and this included pay scales.
 I fought for 4 yrs. to find a job that would make at least 1/3 of what I made in S.Calif..
 After using up all of our savings and being forced to look at the realities of government 'assistance', I located a startup company in telecommunications, in Sarasota.
Telecommunications is my industry, and, women have fought hard to become members of this 'elite' group. 
It involves ALOT of golfing!
This company was no different.
All men, except for a couple of women in admin..
I was the only female in sales, with 10 yrs. of experience in the telecom. industry and 12 yrs. of experience in sales, including management.
I was to find out later, I was brought into the company, making the least money.
I had to survive, because my family depended on it.
This employer, although a chauvinist in most other ways, had two daughters, and supported the occassional day off for illness, doctors, etc..
As a salesperson, I was almost never succeeded in doing as 'well' as the other salespeople.
 About half of the inside people I worked with were eventually given outside co-workers.
 Life in this company was a constant stream of sexual jokes and harrasements.
 I am a feminist, and yet, to survive I used my 'witty repartee' and tossed everything back at them.
I treated it as a 'verbal game' and did not allow my feminist side to be shown.
Why, you ask?
To have food on the table, to pay the mortgage and to buy basics for our household.
My knowledge and performance eventually gained respect from all who were at the company, but, even the extra efforts I put in- in developing internal marketing information, went un-noticed.
The 'guys'  went out and took half day lunch hours playing golf.
A 'sales contest' was started, with the award being a 'tarpin fishing trip'.
Of course, I didn't win (nor did I want to), but the 'contest' turned into an invitation to all of the 'men only' for what turned out to be 3 different fishing trips.
No woman in the company ever participated in any of the seminars or 'shows'...only the men.
We stayed behind to  keep things going. 
The company continued to grow, and, alst year was purchased by a major corporation.
Once their people saw that I was making far less than anyone else in sales, I was immediately given a raise.
When the corporation didn't interfere with any other practices, I began to wonder about it.
It turns out, this corp. proclaims it's products to be 'Made in America', and yet of the 900+ employees, only 4-5 women are in upper management positions.
All 'women and people of color' are on the assembly lines.
As my sales began to climb, the former owner brought in someone we both had previously worked with as 'manager'.
As always, not only did this guy not know as much as all of us, he continued to be ignorant.
The commissions were cut to 1/3, while the projected sales was doubled.
Needless to say, all of the men quit.
They hired in two additional women, paying them less, because they had less experience.
They did try to hire a few men, offering them an attractive salary, only to have the manager deny he had ever offered that much to them.
Of the candidates, 2 of those quit before they ever really started.
We are now down to 3 women and 2 men in the sales department.
Everyone coming to me for information, as I am the 'keeper' of such things, without ever getting the credit.
I have paid all of my bills, managed to buy a new/used car and am looking for a new job.
Harrassement does continue, but now the owner has selected 'gays' and 'people of color' to make his jokes about.
As always, I frown and walk away from him.
He even takes pride in putting an obviously 'sexist' ad in the Telephony magazine.
I know I am in charge of my own destiny, I know that I cannot complain if I do not do anything about it.
I also know that one can put up with alot when they are faced with no real 'job pool' and the alternate aspect of bankruptcy.
I am writing this - not to complain about my woes- but to let you know that this type of thing happens.
Companies have practices that they feel are perfectly justified.
Confronting these companies usually ends up in job loss, and in Florida, a 'right to work' state, there is very little one can do.
Yes, we chose to live here.
It is clean and beautiful.
I am writing this to let you know - there is a price to pay for 'paradise' - and everyone has a concept of what their own 'paradise' is.