Newspaper Page Text
LIVING LOCAL
Vol. 141, No. 4
Section B
Wednesday, March 17, 2021
Burke County woman
trashes gender roles
SHELLIE SMITLEY
thetruecitizen.shellie@gmail.com
Logo credit: By J.
Howard Miller - U.S.
National Archives
and Records Ad
ministration, Public
Domain, commons,
wikimedia.
Editor's note: In 1987, the
United States Congress des
ignated March as Women’s
History Month after the Na
tional Women’s History Project
petitioned for the expansion
of the week-long observance.
Women 's History Month is a
time to reflect on the historical
contributions of women and
to highlight achievements in
the modern age. The women of
Burke County continue to over
come stereotypical barriers as
they step into roles traditionally
associated with men.
A Burke County High School
graduate is driven to succeed in
the male-dominated workforce
of infrastructure maintenance.
Krystal Kittles grew up know
ing three things. She wanted
to work in the construction
industry, possess a commercial
driver’s license and own her
own business.
She entered the construction
world with her cousin, Betty
Attaway, without much fore
thought. They needed jobs so
they joined the labor union. It
never occurred to Kittles she
could not handle the demand
that physical labor requires.
Later, she worked for the Iron
Workers Union, as a beam and
column apprentice.
In 2018, Kittles followed her
heart to the Waynesboro Pub
lic Works Department. There,
she utilizes her Class-B CDL
working in a construction-type
business in which she carries out
her daily responsibilities with
little-to-no supervision.
“I am a truck driver, I drive
a knuckle boom truck,” she
said. “It’s under the Sanitation
Department. We pick up leaves
and limbs and sometimes like on
a Friday, we pick up household
furniture.”
She is passionate about her
CDL. The license offers her
expanded job opportunities and
room for growth.
Kittles values the good ben
efits and paid vacation the city
offers its employees. Occasion
ally, she earns overtime for
half-a-day’s work on Saturdays.
She described the working
environment at the public works
office as friendly and easy
going. The pressure associated
with the job is low, she said.
The department’s other driv
ers are all male. Willie Nair is
Kittles’ helper. He rides along
with her on a daily basis, assist
ing in picking up debris.
“Mostly all of it is picked up
with the boom and whatever is
left (Nair) picks it up or sweeps
it up and I get the rest of it.”
Kittles said her co-workers in
the male-dominated department
treat her no differently. They are
accepting and supportive.
“We are just co-workers,”
she said.
Kittles is comfortable where
she works. There are no advan
tages and no challenges associ
ated with her female status. Flat
across the board, there are no
differences, she said.
Nair also mentioned that em
ployment with the city is a de
sired place to work. He said it is
peaceful working with Kittles.
“She does a good job,” he
said. “She drives good and she
is safe.”
Kittles advice to younger
girls, who may want to work in
the construction industry, is to
follow their hearts.
“Don’t doubt yourself, don’t
listen to others,” she said. “Just
do what you think you can do.”
v ■ -
Camera-shy Krystal Kittles drives a knuckle
boom truck for the Waynesboro Public Works
department.
At right: Willie Nair said
he has a great working
relationship with Krystal
Kittles.
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SHELLIE SMITLEY