Construction workers just want respect

The kinder, gentler construction worker is alive and well in University City. Tuna hoagie in one hand and a hard hat in the other, these laborers of the 1990s shed the "hey baby" stereotype in favor of a more genteel reputation. On any sunny day from noon until 12:30, a small army of workers converges on the wall bordering Williams Hall. While these workers, who wished to remain anonymous, do not deny the existence of such a stereotype, they blame it on a few individuals who, they say, cast all construction workers in an unfavorable light. "It only takes one apple to spoil the bunch," said one worker. "I'm very appalled by the stereotype." "There's only a few that are like that," said another. "The majority of us are gentleman-like." Rich, who did not give his last name, said he is working on the new addition to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at the corner of Spruce and 36th Streets. He believes that come-ons to females are not just crude, but plain dumb. "I'm just here doing my job," he said. "You get paid too much money to lose your job for doing something so stupid. "It's pretty rude to whistle anyway," he added. "It's time to change the stereotype." Workers agreed that a natural sensitivity toward equal treatment of the sexes plays a part in this effort at image alteration. "It's demeaning to women," said one worker. "I've got more class than to sit there and yell." The same worker also admitted to being mindful of current underwritten speech codes. "It's not politically correct," he added. Construction workers resent the animal nature implied by the stereotype, and are quick to deny it. Commented one worker, a member of the opposite sex strolling by does not elicit automatic catcalls. "Just because we're sitting here and enjoying a nice lunch doesn't mean we're whistling at pretty girls," he said. "It's like an unwritten rule, really," said one worker. "We're professional." In fact, most of the workers identified themselves as family-oriented men who pursue family-oriented ideals. Said Rich, "I know I wouldn't want my wife walking down the street and a bunch of animals saying 'hey hon... hey hon', so why should I do that myself?" Whistling is not only taboo due to personal values, said the workers, but it is formally outlawed. "There are union rules about it," said one worker. "We could get fired." In fact, said the workers, the primary concern during their thirty minutes away from the job is not the attractiveness of passersby, but food. Yet, for all the scenic beauty of West Philadelphia on a spring day, said the workers, a brick wall is not their first choice for lunch out. One worker said that he would prefer slightly more opulent surroundings, although he expressed concern about his attire. "I'd like to eat at the Four Seasons," he said. "I don't think they'd let me in with workboots on, but that would be the ideal place." Another would migrate to a more tropical eatery. "The Virgin Islands would be nice," he said. "I'd like to eat lunch wherever my kids and my wife are," said another.

Please note All comments are eligible for publication in The Daily Pennsylvanian.