Everywhere. Anywhere There Are Blue Collar Jobs to Be Done. Buildings to Create

Home , We Fly High

Joy Lam, Oakland California Carpenter Apprentice, down under the streets of San Francisco working for SFMTA MUNI Central Subway Project.

www.prideandapaycheck.com

Where is a tradeswoman working? Everywhere. Anywhere there are blue collar jobs to be done. Buildings to create. Railroads to work on. Tunnels to dig. Mines to mine. Trucks to drive. Docks to work in. Streets to pave. Poles to climb. Steel to weld. Iron to grasp. Ships to sail. Planes to fly. You can think it. We do it! We are there!

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Page 3: LA Conference & Writers Workshop Page 3A: Workplace Equality Awareness Ribbon Page 4: International Women’s Day Page 5: Adobe For Women Page 6: Steel Mill Woman Page 7: Sisters in the Building Trades Page 8: Welding Woman Page 9: Women in Trucking Page 10: Shovel Life Page 11: Where Are the Women? Page 12: It Doesn’t Scare Me Page 13: Celebrate Page 14: My Railroad Story Page 15: Women’s Herstory Month Page 17: Chicago Women in the Trades Page 18: Worker Writer Poetry

Page 20: Tradeswomen Archives Page 23: Classic Pride and a Paycheck Page 24: Women Building Conferences Page 27: Ad: Cuisine Noir Page 28: Pride Table at Conference Page 29: About Pride and a Paycheck Page 30: Support our Advertisers Page 31: Ad: Construction Jewelry Page 32: Ad: Rosies Workwear & Pink Tool Belts

www.sbctc.org

For many years the California tradeswomen conferences have scheduled a block of time for attendees to tell our work stories. No one else can tell them like we can. No one else has lived these work lives as we have.

The importance of our own story telling registers with us over and over again. We find ourselves agreeing with sisters who have felt the sting of discrimination. We cheered for sisters who have been able to overcome obstacles that are seemingly overwhelming.

We fly high with them as they read their own compositions at the end of the workshop. We celebrate each word and sentence and proud glance up at their audience off the page they’re reading.

We cheer. We laugh. We cry. Yes it’s ok to cry or tear-up with joy or sadness. We’re not at our work site. There’s nothing to hide. We don’t have to be acting “macho” to prove something. We know that the other people who fill this room area completely understanding and on our side. We can be ourselves. Proud, strong tradeswomen!

And when we copy our work pieces on the giant wall post-its we honor each and every woman who has worked or is working in a blue-collar-labor-intensive-formerly-all-male job because she is one of us and we are each other. The same yet unique in her own way.

Come and bring your stories and your poems. Come and bring yourselves. If you can “Facebook” you can tell your story. Join Blue Jean Pocket Writers and share your work life with all of us!

The Blue Jean Pocket Writers workshop is facilitated by Sue Doro retired machinist Oakland CA and Jeanne Park, Ironworker, San Francisco CA. See you there! 3

These days it seems there is a whole lot of talk but not a lot of action when it comes to dealing with some of the important issues surrounding recruitment and retention in the construction industry.

When Pat Williams (Operating Engineer) and Jamie McMillan (Ironworker/Welder) began brainstorming ideas for a fundraiser for the Pride and a Paycheck Magazine at the upcoming Women in Trades Conference in California they had no idea what they were about to embark on.

They came up with an idea to create red and white polka-dot awareness ribbons to support equality in the workplace. They were inspired by the “We Can Do It” cultural icon Rosie the Riveter who represents the women who worked in factories to replace the male workers in WWII. The poster portrays a female war worker wearing blue overalls and a bright red and white polka- dot bandana.

Realising the potential of the ribbon and the global need for workplace equality, Pat and Jamie considered other ways the ribbon could continue to be used “post conference” to maximize recruitment and retention needs.

With todays erratic work schedules there is a dire need for 24 -7 child care services. Most day care facilities are based on the traditional 9 a.m.– 5 p.m. work week. The hours are not practical for a large percentage of the population, particulary for those in the contract construction industry.

Pat and Jamie plan to continue raising funds though the W.E. Ribbon Awareness Movement, develop a website and create a profesional business proposal. Their hope is to work with industry and government to provide additional services and facilities that cater to those with irregular work schedules and child care needs. It’s a GO BIG or GO HOME Misson but they are prepared to go the extra mile.

This is only the beginning for Pat & Jamie. They need our support. Please help maximize the future of recruitment and retention in the workplace and support this valuable cause.

Together W.E. can change the world.

Follow the mission on facebook and like and share their page at: https://www.facebook.com/weribbon 3A

Women in mining. South Africa. www.womeninmining.net http://www.wimsa.org.za/

Adobe for Women is a non-profit association, founded in 2011, whose goal is the recovery and education of earth construction techniques. It is their contribution to a more human and sustainable use of space and the planet’s resources.

The goal of this Project is to build 20 sustainable houses in the indigenous village of San Juan Mixtepec, in the southern Mexican state of Oaxaca.

The houses are intended for 20 women in difficult circumstances who will participate in the building process. The houses are energy efficient and built with low cost local materials such as adobe and bamboo. www.openarchitecturenetwork.org/projects/adobe_for_women and http://eng-adobeforwomen.blogspot.com/

Donna De Graaf-Smith is a Gary Indiana steel mill woman. She works for ArcelorMittal, (formerly Inland Steel) a multi-international company in 37 countries. Her work herstory at the mill reads like a list of steel mill jobs…Labor/Utility worker, foundry ladle person, Oiler in Mechanical, Pipefitter Helper, and Millwright helper in Blast Furnaces, Power and Fuels Department, Assistant Operator in Pump Houses, then Operator, Water Treater in 4 AC power station, Assistant in Recycle Water treatment. At 80” Hot Strip Mill, worked as Labor, then bander/marker in Rolling sequence. Donna’s currently, in the Computer Room as a Console Operator. Her job is to oversee 15 monitors that screen mill production and interface with everyone, mostly Hardware and Software people on a regular basis. She is also hard at work on a manuscript about her work experience entitled “We Can Still Do It”. Here’s another work piece from her manuscript!

“I started out in the Field Force Dept. where my Uncle John worked. His pull as a Griever helped to get me hired. A Griever is a Union voted position, to work with management, and the workforce to resolve issues and represent the workers’ rights. The steel mill had a Union since 1942, my mill dates back to 1893. I was the third woman hired in this department. I had two months time in towards getting my probation period over with, one more to go. I missed a day of work, and the next day, I was the only one in the locker room, it was puzzling. I crossed the street and went to my job. My foreman did not want to meet my eye; he told me there was no more work for me here. I questioned this, as I was the janitor, and I knew there was always something to be done. A co- worker, JB gave me the real low-down. It seems some man in upper management did not want women working “in his department.”

Gathering up all my stockpiled winter clothing in garbage bags, I was loaded down with stuff, three bags full. I had to leave my painting I brought in to add some color to our locker room behind, as there was not enough room in the garbage bags to fit it. I wonder whatever happened to it, it was a colorful picture, my sister’s art project. JB gave me a ride to the personnel department, where I was terminated and then re-hired in the same day. I had to start probation all over again. I was given a new hire date, which is important, as it is used to determine your seniority. Bidding on jobs goes by seniority; a day, even minutes can make all the difference if you get the job. Having lost those two months of time I put in hurt my chances on getting a bid to get into a sequence more than one time, which affected my job security, this in turn affected me being employed, creating layoffs for me in my future.

I was sent to the Blast Furnace department. I heard the management man who didn’t want us thought that being in a primary department would make us all quit, as it was a dirty place. I figured this man must never have tried to live on a minimum wage job, or he would have known better. This was real money I was making for the first time in my life; I was not going to be brushed off so easily. This was a gift from heaven to have the chance to make an actual living wage. Getting dirty was not going to make me quit, they paid me enough money to buy plenty of soap. I was so sick of waitress work, the repetition, and what would you like to drink with that, and what salad dressing would you like? We have: name all of the dressings that are listed right there on the menu time and time again. All of this work for little money, just leg cramps from being on my feet all the time. Once I actually woke up, and found myself going to get my customer water in my dream. Now on my paycheck, they took more out in taxes than I used to make sometimes. Oh no, I was not going to quit, I was going forward into a new frontier, one where no woman had ever walked before.” © Donna De Graaf-Smith 6

It has been said that “if you can't pull the same load and lift the same and not be a weak link then you need to quit! It's not right for you to get paid journeyman pay and expect special treatment….”

Wow…ouch….. ok…..I expect women to be more brain than brawn. I am 5’6”. Barely. One of my favorite partners was 74 years old, about 2 inches taller than I, and with the same slight build.

This was our crew, and well,….. we understand that everyone needs to learn, and be able to earn a living, and eat, so we didn’t hold it against them that they were all late 20’s, early 30’s, in fair fit shape, and from a few inches to damn near a foot taller than I, and heftier.

I use this as an example, because a lot of folks in the Construction industry see things a bit skewed. Now, being smaller, my partner and I had long ago learned how to lift and move things carefully. Something that larger humans do not have to learn until they are older and have injured and weakened various body parts.

We also learned how to use straps, pulleys, levers, forklifts, Geni lifts, ropes, air, balance and a lot of physical science.

From a young age, smaller humans also learn how to move using more of their bodies. Kind of like martial arts: use your core and more of your muscles, spreading the load, and increasing the impact.

Larger humans, again, don’t have to learn that. So the fact that fate gave us a crew of what to many would look like construction workers, were to us, quietly nicknamed things like Lurch, Clod, and Bruiser. To say that they could alone or as a team move only half as much as the “little old man” and “the Chick” would not be realistic. They could not come Close to half of what we could move, when the truck came in and things had to be unloaded and moved to where they were going to be installed. And at that much, they were all red faced, holding sore spots like their lower backs, and dripping wet.

The moral of this story is we taught them how to move things, took the time, and did our jobs as Journeyworkers, passing on the knowledge. Some of them were a bit slow on the uptake, but trying hard, as getting their butts royally kicked by the grinning old fart and laughing chick, was a great motivation.

A good foreman will take the crew, learn its strengths, and short comings, talents and weaknesses and put everyone where they can complement each other and equal or exceed their perceived potential. Just because a worker is older, smaller, injured, lower on the IQ scale, uncoordinated, hard of hearing, loosing vision, etc., is Not a reason to toss them aside for new.

It’s reality and wisdom, to find where they fit; what they can do well; and encourage that.

Women make damn good foreman by the way. They are in general, much better at teamwork!

By Melina Harris, Sisters in the Building Trades www.sitbt.org

7 “This was written when I first started welding in the field before joining the union call.” (Brianna)

I'm a woman of few masks, But the most necessary is my favorite. For when I begin my enlightening task, It’s time for me to engage it.

When I put down my hood, I’m blinder than sin, The scratched screen will tell stories, Of places I've been.

When my senses are hindered, And I can’t move on, I know where to be, Combining brain and some brawn.

This flame that I foster, Shines brighter than fright, More intensely than pain, Or the fear in the night.

I guide it on toward, Places it’s never been. Pushing it forward, With a sweaty faced grin.

I am the student of art, And it bends and obeys. But for me to be ruler, I must learn its old ways.

Things aren’t uncertain, It is and must be, But to learn its function, Is my choice destiny.

As we travel into a new year, it’s time to look ahead to the positive and negative challenges we will be facing as an industry.

While many of these are beyond our control home? Maybe more of a Pony Express type (oil prices!), there are some that beg for operation would spread the distance between change in both attitude and current practices. two or more drivers who could be home nightly. Let’s look at some top issues for 2015 and how we can end the year in a better position What about job sharing? Could a summer for 2016. worker (golf courses, water parks, boat rentals) be cross-trained to drive only during The capacity crunch is a reality. Professional the winter months? Would carriers allow part drivers aren’t as easy to find as they were in time drivers? What about all those school bus the distant past. What can this industry do to drivers who have summers off? ease the pain? First, expand the driver pool by looking outside current demographics. Of Our attitudes have been a limiting factor for course we need to recruit more women, but entry-level drivers as well. As a society, we what about finding ways for immigrants to often devalue careers in the trades. Many of become professional drivers? Maybe this us want our children to go to college instead means accepting other language-speaking of technical school. When will we finally workers such as Spanish or French, to understand that welders, electricians, possibly even include sign language. (Just an plumbers, and skilled tradespeople have jobs idea!) that can’t be easily outsourced? This holds true for professional drivers (who ARE skilled Should we consider older workers and make workers!). You can’t operate a truck from the job less physically demanding and more overseas (at least not yet). about driving than loading, cranking, thumping, chaining, or other activities that When will we start teaching our teenagers the might create a physically limiting position? value of blue-collar jobs that might not mean While we’re on the subject of age, what about a desk job, but it will probably involve those ages 18 to 21 who are looking for computers in some capacity? Just look at the work? newer trucks and check out the technology! Maybe we should consider the European We usually think of a career as a professional model of education that directs teens into driver being one that often separates a driver technical or academic careers before high from his or her family for extended periods of school. Training is based on aptitude and skill time. Maybe we need to rethink that as well. and is better suited to the intended career Are there more ways to keep drivers closer to outcome.

Moving to equipment challenges, truck cab respecting them as individuals, we all benefit. designs will become more driver-focused and Watch for more positive interactions at the ergonomically adaptable. As more women loading dock in the future. enter the industry, the equipment will need to better accommodate a broader range of Perhaps the non-trucking public will finally sizes. Adaptability will be important, begin to understand the importance of that especially for husband-wife teams. However, eighteen-wheeler on the road beside them. creating a tractor-trailer that is safer, more Instead of pointing at trucks as smoke economical and more comfortable is the goal. spewing, pavement-wrecking behemoths Steps, seats, steering wheels, seat belts, and operated by overtired and over stimulated other parts of the cab will allow a wider range drivers, maybe they will start to understand of body sizes so no one is prohibited from how that gallon of milk actually gets to the driving a truck due to his or her size. store shelves.

One very positive effect of the capacity issue Once the drivers, carriers, and the entire is the attention shippers are giving carriers in industry gain the respect of those outside of order to get their products delivered. Trucking the industry (including regulators), many of companies are starting to rate their customers our driver capacity issues will lessen. These on dock time and driver friendliness and the changes won’t all occur in the coming year, “bad” ones are suffering from either higher but we can move toward addressing these rates or fewer carrier options. When shippers challenges in 2015 and end the year better and receivers start valuing a driver’s time and positioned for 2016.

http://www.shovel.life/

”I am a tradeswoman. I show up, work hard and stay safe. Becoming a tradesperson was one of the best decisions I ever made. But I’m tired of being dismissed, diminished and disrespected on the job because I have a pair of breasts rather than a set of balls. I want to make things change. I want to encourage women and minorities to quit living in fear and speak out. I want to make people uncomfortable and get them re-thinking and re-evaluating about their role in the construction culture. One last thing…..You’re a part of the problem if you’re not part of the solution. What can you do today to make it better?” Shovel Life

We rightly like to call apprenticeship the OTHER 4-Year Degree, and point out its advantages. But we can also use the lens of college to identify what falls short.

The day after the AP story about tradeswomen came out I gave my daughter a ride to work. She’s been commenting on tradeswomen issues since she kicked me in-utero building the Westin Hotel at Copley Place in 1983. Or when, a few years later, she came with me to referral, looked up from her coloring book at the room of men and asked in a loud kindergarten voice, Where are the women? Her take-away from the AP story was that how the construction industry deals with sexual harassment and assault wouldn’t pass muster on today’s college campus. I hadn’t thought about it that way.

Anyone who’s taken their high schooler on a campus tour knows that emergency phones with blue lights are everywhere. But the issue of assault is more complex and the U.S. Dept. of Education has placed dozens of colleges under investigation for possible violation of Title IX for inadequate “handling of sexual violence and harassment complaints.” Campuses nationwide have organized around this issue. In the best scenarios, universities have involved activists and victims to develop better procedures.

What’s clear is that without procedures that are workable, publicized and funded, policies on a poster are just a piece of paper. People need to not only know what to do, but be prepared and responsible to act. Like we learn CPR. One issue under particular scrutiny is reporting, including the responsibility of any college employee to report any harassment or assault they’re aware of, and procedures for when the administration’s response is inadequate.

Apprenticeship programs are a wonderful hybrid of school and work, but that also makes victims of sexual violence doubly vulnerable — both their training and employment come into jeopardy. And the perpetrator is more likely to be the equivalent (at a college) of teacher or administrator, and the person to whom they can report, more likely to be that person’s friend, colleague or relative. There are a lot of challenging issues: when assault should be reported to police, how to investigate sensitively and efficiently, how to train frontline responders to intervene effectively.

This seems like an important issue for Joint Apprenticeship Committees to join with their women members to evaluate, implement, and re-evaluate. Practices under discussion at colleges can offer a useful starting point. Advice like, Just ignore that nitwit, ignores the real damage of sexual assault on a person’s training, employment, and well-being. In an industry like construction, what does zero tolerance mean in practice? The campus demonstration slogan, Carry the Weight Together — inspired by Emma Sulkowicz and students at Columbia — sounds a lot like Solidarity. © 2015 Susan Eisenberg http://onequalterms.wordpress.com/2014/12/10/a-blue-light-on-construction-sites/

We’ll Call You If We Need You: Experiences of Women Working Construction (1998) A New York Times Notable Book of the Year ILR/Cornell ISBN 0-8014-8605-X 11

(This was written about a lot of different jobs. Some before joining the union where nothing was really enforced.)

I've worked with men who have prison tattoos on their faces. Ex-convicts and former drug dealers that everyone else refuses to work with.

It doesn't scare me.

I can swing in the basket of a 125 foot lift. I can fall from a 16 foot ladder after some asshole shakes it a little too hard as a joke.

It doesn't scare me.

I can work around electricity that would knock an elephant on its ass. I can hang in the air with my life literally on the line. I can use equipment that will bend metal like a pretzel or melt it like hot fudge.

It doesn't scare me.

What's really scary is Someone rummaging through my lunch pail to unwrap my feminine products and stain them red with hot sauce. And that same someone acting like it's totally different than defacing items in my purse, car, or home.

What's really scary is They avoid using the bulletin board now and just wait until I leave the room to invite each other to their dinners, bbq's, and baby showers. It doesn't matter that I raise funds for personal setbacks, cook and package food in times of need or grief, or hand craft special welcome items for their newly arriving babies.

What's really scary is That when I have to go to battle against someone acting inappropriately, people just look away, say they were reading the paper and not paying attention, or just deny being there. Leaving me totally alone with a knife in the middle of a gun fight.

That is what's really scary about my job.

Joanna co-facilitating the Blue Jean Pocket writer’s workshop at the 2014 Women Building CA and the Nation conference.

POEM AND GRAPHIC TO CELEBRATE INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY MARCH 8TH AND THE MONTH OF MARCH AS WOMEN’S MONTH

SISTERS

Today a perfectly dressed office lady walked past my work site. She looked at me in my hard hat and dirty overalls and she smiled. Put her thumb up in the air and smiled again! I smiled back. Dressed so differently yet, spirits so aligned for a minute of sisterhood!

I chose to put myself first. As a woman this challenged me to my core, I was supposed to be submissive, a “good girl.” The fact was I was dirt poor and the man I’d chosen wasn’t about to support us. I was 21 years old, my rent was $400, and I had no idea how I was going to keep a roof over our heads each month. An email, intended for my boyfriend, landed in my inbox for a railroad job. I applied out of poverty driven desperation and changed my life.

I struggled, earning the moniker “Olive Oyle” for my reed thin frame, goofy manner, and messy bun atop my head. I did not belong in creosote stained overalls, but I persevered. I was asked, “Don’t you feel guilty taking a job away from a man?” I was called stupid, a danger, a bitch, a cunt. I toughed it out, sobbing daily into the sunrise as I drove home. I hated my job, but I hated being poor even more. I was determined to succeed. Through the kindness and resolve of others, I eventually got better at my job.

My union brothers and sisters, former adversaries, rallied around me when my relationship took a violent turn. They sheltered me, protected me, carried me, and helped me rise beyond the burdens of domestic abuse. I am eternally grateful to them, even the ones who had previously been cruel, and will remain ever in awe of their generosity and kindness.

I promoted a couple of times, becoming a manager. It was a struggle; it’s never easy becoming the “heavy,” pushing the company line, especially when I knew it was wrong. Compromising my values was part of the deal, and in doing so I started to crumble.

It wasn’t long that the toll of too many hours at work and too few at home became a life that I was no longer willing to lead. I had a pair of bosses who were incompetent and sociopathic, who stared at my female coworkers’ asses then called these women “manipulative” if they had strength in character. At meetings where information was divulged it was because it was, “Just us girls…” even though I was the sole female.

There were homophobic attempts at diversity conversations and I received counseling about company dress code because mascara and designer jeans look “slutty.” We had a women’s leadership group where we were taught that leopard print and lipstick were career no-no’s, and that if we wanted to advance our careers we needed to mind our (body) image and disguise our gender. Our strategy to counteract systemic misogyny was to alter our appearance to look more masculine. I was able to see with absolute clarity how women were perceived by this company, and it was archaic.

For my 35th birthday, I quit. The skills I’d acquired in 13 years of railroading are extremely valuable and I do not regret my time there. I have a great professional portfolio, extensive real-world experience, and knowledge that I can handle any tough situation thrown my way. However, the most important skill we, as women, need to develop is a solid sense of self-worth. I left because I had discovered a fundamental sense of self, and I was aware that every minute I was with the railroad I was compromising the woman I’d become. I closed the door to my office, stepped into The Real World, and I chose to put myself first. © Marie Edwards 14 In the United States, Women's History Month traces its beginnings back to the first International Women's Day in 1911. In 1978, the school district of Sonoma, California participated in Women's History Week, an event designed around the week of March 8 (International Women's Day). In 1979 a fifteen-day conference about women's history was held at Sarah Lawrence College from July 13th until July 29th, chaired by historian Gerda Lerner.[2][3] It was co-sponsored by Sarah Lawrence College, the Women's Action Alliance, and the Smithsonian Institution.[2] When its participants learned about the success of the Sonoma County's Women's History Week celebration, they decided to initiate similar celebrations within their own organizations, communities, and school districts.[3] They also agreed to support an effort to secure a National Women's History Week.[3] In February of 1980 President Jimmy Carter issued a presidential proclamation declaring the week of March 8th, 1980, as National Women's History Week.[3] The proclamation stated, "From the first settlers who came to our shores, from the first American Indian families who befriended them, men and women have worked together to build this nation. Too often the women were unsung and sometimes their contributions went unnoticed. But the achievements, leadership, courage, strength and love of the women who built America was as vital as that of the men whose names we know so well.

As Dr. Gerda Lerner has noted, 'Women’s History is Women’s Right.' It is an essential and indispensable heritage from which we can draw pride, comfort, courage, and long-range vision. I ask my fellow Americans to recognize this heritage with appropriate activities during National Women’s History Week, March 2-8, 1980. I urge libraries, schools, and community organizations to focus their observances on the leaders who struggled for equality - Susan B. Anthony, Sojourner Truth, Lucy Stone, Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Harriet Tubman, and Alice Paul. Understanding the true history of our country will help us to comprehend the need for full equality under the law for all our people. This goal can be achieved by ratifying the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution, which states that 'Equality of Rights under the Law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex.'"[3] Carter was referring to the Equal Rights Amendment, which was never ratified, not to the amendment which did become the 27th Amendment to the United States Constitution after his presidency. In 1981, responding to the growing popularity of Women's History Week, Sen. Orrin Hatch (R- Utah) and Rep Barbara Mikulski (D-Maryland) co-sponsored the first Joint Congressional Resolution proclaiming a Women's History Week. Congress passed their resolution as Pub. L. 97- 28, which authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week."[4] Throughout the next several years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as Women’s History Week.[4] Schools across the country also began to have their own local celebrations of Women's History Week and even Women's History Month. By 1986, fourteen states had declared March as Women's History Month.[3] In 1987, after being petitioned by the National Women's History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9 which designated the month of March 198715 as Women’s History Month.[4] Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month.[4] Since 1995, U.S. presidents have issued annual proclamations designating the month of March as Women’s History Month.[4] State departments of education also began to encourage celebrations of Women's History Month as a way to promote equality among the sexes in the classroom.[4] Maryland, Pennsylvania, Alaska, New York, Oregon, and other states developed and distributed curriculum materials in all of their public schools, which prompted educational events such as essay contests. Within a few years, thousands of schools and communities began to celebrate of Women's History Month. They planned engaging and stimulating programs about women's roles in history and society, with support and encouragement from governors, city councils, school boards, and the U.S. Congress. In March 2011, the Barack Obama administration released a report, Women in America: Indicators of Social and Economic Well-Being,[5] showing women's status in the U.S. in 2011 and how it had changed over time.[6] This report was the first comprehensive federal report on women since the report produced by the Commission on the Status of Women in 1963.[6] wikipedia.org

16 Chicago Women in the Trades Forges New Nontraditional Lives by Gretchen Rachel Hammond 2015-01-28 Photo by Gretchen too (Partial article re-printed with permission from Windy City News. Chicago IL)

‘One of the legacies left when feminist leader Christine Johnson passed away Jan. 23 was an indelible advancement in the attitudes, growth and opportunities for women wishing to follow in her steps and forge a career as a construction machinist or as a plumber, electrician, welder or in any number of trades that had once been viewed as remaining solely within the purview and capabilities of men despite the indisputable and highly skilled success women made of those industries in the United States and Great Britain during both world wars.

"I always was the first woman at any job I went to," Johnson recalled during a 2007 interview for the Chicago Gay History Project. "The more I got pushed, the more I would say 'you're not getting me to leave. I'm not leaving. This is a good job, it pays well and someday I may even be your boss'."

Johnson's steadfast battle against discrimination manifested itself in innumerable actions and associations. One was as a board member for Chicago Women in Trades ( CWIT ).

Founded in 1981, CWIT has been dedicated to the training, support and encouragement of women wishing to enter into and succeed in "nontraditional" or "male-dominated" industries. According to co-founder Lauren Sugerman the organization was formed by a small group of tradeswomen who were forced to deal with an unrelenting denigration and persecution by their co-workers and bosses simply for wishing, as most people do, to excel in their chosen careers.’

For the rest of this important article please go to Windy City link: http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/lgbt/Chicago-Women-in-Trades-forges-new-nontraditional-lives/50340.html CELEBRATING 29+ YEARS OF Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender NEWS http://www.windycitymediagroup.com/

www.chicagowomenintrades.org

I LOVE MY JOB

I love the feel of rebar on my shoulder I love the grimy dirt left on my ungloved hand when I tie it I love the view below me when I’m walking the iron I love the sound of an 8 LB beater hitting a bull pin I love the sound of a welder when the bead is laying in just right Through gritted teeth, I love my job when that one guy test me I fell in love with my job on the iron of a high school bolting-up I fell in love with my job when my pliers picked up speed I fell in love with my job when more than one guy made sure I learned and grew I fell in love with my job when I realized I HAD BECOME AN IRONWORKER

Says Stella: Here’s a tip from my dear friend Vicky Lew, terribly helpful when we sprain a part of our body and are in excessive pain. Vicky also uses a tub of tofu for the same effect on our smaller parts like fingers and toes.

2 BAGS OF FROZEN PEAS!

Not to be eaten. Perfect for marrying The parts of our bodies That hurt. Alternate one after another. One in the freezer, One Placed around the Swollen wrist, ankle, knee. = R E L I E F: Just where it counts.

All of These Beautiful, Sensitive Women By Maddie Ettlin, Portland OR

Multifaceted. Skilled. Powerful. Do they feel the discrepancies between outside and in? The rough tough hands, arms, backs. Not letting the words touch you. Keep on keeping on and knowing that this world of men is not right. (Feeling) Alone. And the creativity within. The understanding of change and balance and other humans And the desire to create (buildings). Words to get it out, keep it safe. I don’t want a calloused inside. I don’t need to be apart.

Someone That Helped Me By Maggie Weyland, Erda Utah

I was an unemployed single mother with four children. I had time to do a lot of yard work. One day I was talking to a guy, saying I needed to find some work that paid well. He said I’ve watched you outside doing yard work and your yard always look great. He said Go down to the Union Hall and sign up with the Laborer’s local.

I did and the rest is history. I make a good living and I do a lot of work like I enjoy …like yard work! Go figure.

The first comprehensive digital archives on women in non-traditional trades. www.tradeswomenarchives.com

The Tradeswomen Archives Project aims to create a living document of the history we create every day as tradeswomen. California State University, Dominguez Hills needs your help to make this project a reality.

The Tradeswomen Archives Project California State University Dominguez Hills is pleased to invite you to contribute virtual and material artifacts of your experiences to help us build as comprehensive a record of primary materials on women in non-traditional jobs as possible. By nontraditional, we refer to the experiences of women in blue-collar jobs such as construction trades, factory, building, and refinery maintenance, transportation, longshore workers, fisherwomen, women in military trades and related fields.

Our Online Tradeswomen Archives We invite you to help us build an online site by uploading visual images and documents to preserve a history of local, national, and international involvement in breaking barriers into blue-collar nontraditional fields. These include photos of yourself, your organizations, your unions, your workplaces, your certificates and diplomas, newsletters, fliers, conference programs, your diaries and journals, films, etc that provide a record of your individual and collective efforts in this field.

Women have been working in “non-traditional” blue- collar work in the US for at least a hundred years, during times of crisis and wars. Since the 1970’s, more opportunities have opened up and we are creating a central place for documenting these experiences and linking to other collections. We also want to feature the experiences of women outside of the US, as broadly as possible.

We invite you to upload your materials in as high a resolution as possible, and to respond to the online forms to help users identify and analyze the sources you provide. We are hoping to use the most advanced and accessible web technology to make this a deeply informative and enjoyable collection.

Physical and Online Archives We have already begun a central archive to house physical materials at the University Library, but we decided to launch this effort to preserve and showcase the collection online. This archive will be a place for scholars and activists to conduct research, as well as an online site that can be used by training programs and educational institutions.

Jobs in the US and around the world tend to be stratified by race, gender, and nationality, not so much because of ability, but because of historical and cultural practices. The efforts made by courageous women and supportive men to cross over barriers and take up nontraditional careers are valuable histories that deserve documentation of many sorts.

The digital form of the Tradeswomen Archives Project is presently in its experimental stage, funded in part by a grant by the National Endowment of the Humanities Digital Start-up Fund, to support our efforts at creating an innovative and useful collection. We are testing ways of communicating across social networking sites and using our Facebook Page as a portal to our own online site that we can have fuller control of. Please join us and invite your friends!

Instructions for uploading materials to the site can be found on www.tradeswomenarchives.com We also accept boxes of actual materials and can make arrangements for collection or shipment.

To send us an email, contact Vivian Price at [email protected] Or email Pat Williams at [email protected]

 June Mazer Lesbian Archives in Los Angeles CA www.mazerlesbianarchives.org/ in Los Angeles CA. The June Mazer Lesbian Archives of Los Angeles and Southern California houses almost a century of lesbian and feminist artwork, manuscripts, books and records.

“The process isn’t really discussed because we all focus on the product and mission. And really, no one much asks how it all came to be.” Pat Williams retired Operating Engineer & Tradeswomen Activist. Los Angeles.

“Sunday November 4, 2007 I went to a Mazer Lesbian Archives open house. I had gone to events there before but never got to see the actual archive - nor any other archive for that matter. I was instantly fascinated and fell in love with the place - all the memorabilia, women's histories, posters, all kinds of stuff. They had 'sections' for artists, dancers & the like but I didn't find us so I inquired about it. The person I asked was fairly new at the archive & wasn't sure, but she didn't know all the contents of the archive and said so. It seemed that it was a 'probably not' thing, not because of the Archive, but because of us.

The Archive had done a wonderful job of preserving Lesbian's histories that had been given to them, but we hadn't done that for ourselves. Certainly I hadn't. We were all too busy working, dealing with often hostile situations and trying to break barriers.

I went home and called Jane (Jane Templin) immediately and told her I thought we needed to get a tradeswomen’s archive going and sent an e-mail to Vivian (Vivian Price) the next day because she wasn't home. I really would have liked it to be at the Mazer, Mostly because it is so non- institutional feeling and so accessible instead of going to a university. But, when I started asking other women if they would be supportive of the concept I got feedback that there might be lots of women who would hesitate or just plain not get involved due to it being a "Lesbian" archive even tho it has collections of heterosexual feminists there. I am sure you remember the ‘Lesbian baiting’ of the early days. Much of that sensitivity still remains as well as general homophobia.

I began asking around about archives & getting feedback, including from Vicky Hamlin, UCLA and a few other places and kept talking with Jane and Vivian about it.

My real thought behind all this was of leaving a history of what we had been doing for the next generation. It is really important for kids to see visions of who and what they want to be, to read information and get encouragement from the past. Just like we draw on the Rosies. But most of the Rosie visions we have are from the WWII propaganda machine. I am grateful for them, but it is not the same for us. And they were invited to those jobs because they were needed and only did it for a few years – plenty of time to prove that women can do the tasks. WE weren’t invited and many of us stayed for decades, proving we can make careers out of the tasks.

Vivian approached her school, California State University at Dominquez Hills, and that worked for lots of reasons. She had met Greg (Greg Williams) , the Archivist who gave you the tour. Jane, Vivian, Lupe Perez from UA and I went on an Archive tour in April 2008 and were really happy about what we saw. We knew that with Vivian being a professor there she would be involved at least til she retired and the hope was that it would be self-sustaining by then and/or we would find some young tradeswoman to watch over it. That meeting with those present cemented the founding of The Tradeswomen’s archive at California State University, Dominquez Hills.

22 After the decision was made all around to start an archive at Dominquez, Vivian and I set a kick off date to begin taking items – June 1, 2008.

I am not sure who did the first e-mail to announce it and request donations. I think maybe I did, but I don’t have it any more. Prior to the official announcement, the first women to commit to donations were me, Jane I.B.E.W. 11, Vivian I.B.E.W. 11, Suzanne Acone I.B.E.W. 441, Diana Limon I.B.E.W. 11, Angela Diaz UA 76. When the e-mails went out Lynn Shaw called to congratulate me on the project and committed to donate her papers. (At first Lynn said she had planned to donate her papers to another place, I think where she got her PHD, then changed her mind to our archive). So that was our kick off and initial donations date, June 1, 2008. Vivian continues to do her part of collection gathering, has applied for and received grants, workshops and now the camcorder interviews, I do my part to get things collected, spend time organizing collections and constantly put the archive out there in Sisters’ minds. So, that is how it all got started. Thanks to the Mazer inspiring me and the backing of Jane and Vivian.”

http://tradeswomenarchives.com/

THE BODY BUILDING SIDE OF BEING A TRADESWOMAN Many people, men and women, would like to be stronger. B eing a tradeswoman will increase your body strength and stamina. Some women look forward to building up their muscles as much as possible. Other women are worried that they will become too muscle bound if they do this kind of work.

All blue collar trades require good physical strength. Some require strength and stamina way above the average levels of most people. Firefighters, for example, go through extensive physical training in the process of becoming job ready.

In some trades, like Laborer Lynette Knight on the left, people do exercises to reach the levels they need for this kind of work. However, there are many other trades like surveying and inspection that don't require as much additional physical development.

Many women who did not think they could do work requiring exceptional strength are surprised when they use a workout program as part of their training. The amount of muscle development that you want can be a consideration in choosing a specific trade. Photo  by Sandy Thacker 1999 23

Remember blue collar jobs are very different in what they do positively and negatively to your body. As you learn more about the trade Women Building Conferences! By Molly Martin, San Francisco. Retired Electrician/Tradeswomen Activist and One of the Founders of Tradeswomen, Inc.

Tradeswomen love a conference, an opportunity to get together and talk shop, share stories and revel in our community: a definite antidote to our typical working lives of isolation and otherness. We started convening even before we had jobs as we tried to figure out how to break into the world of “men’s work.” In the 1970s, tradeswomen organizations took root in communities all over the country, gathering women who wanted in the trades, women who had already muscled their way in, equal rights advocates, and a myriad of supporters. In the San Francisco Bay Area we had met regionally several times before Tradeswomen Inc. (TWI) sponsored the first national conference for tradeswomen in 1983. That first national gathering in Oakland rocked our worlds. Tradeswomen activists and advocates across the country met and formed life-long bonds at that conference, coming together in the next decades to promote our cause. Finally, we were not isolated. We were surrounded by hundreds of women just like us whose main issues were getting work in nontraditional jobs, and countering harassment once we got there. Representatives from tradeswomen groups all over the country organized the second national conference, held in Chicago in 1989, funded by the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Labor (WBDOL). As part of this effort a national organization was born. Cut to 1998. TWI was struggling to figure out how to partner with construction trade unions because union construction jobs offer the best pay, working conditions and training. Tradeswomen members, organized by TWI Director Beth Youhn and Amy Reynolds, traveled up to Sacramento to the Cal Labor Fed conference. Amy, a long-time member of Plumbers Local 38, had perfected a one-woman outreach strategy, showing up at all manner of feminist and union gatherings in a hard hat and overalls, looking like Rosie the Riveter. She never failed to attract attention among the suit and tie set. The idea was to get these folks to take note of tradeswomen and the fact that our numbers in the construction trades were so low. Once we got their attention we could propose collaboration. The California Labor Federation includes unions in all industries, and works mostly on legislative and political campaigns. Their annual state legislative conference takes place in the state capital, in conjunction with the State Building and Construction Trades Council (SBCTC). The Labor Fed sponsored a one-day women’s conference in an effort to outreach to female union activists. The tradeswomen came prepared with leaflets and materials to make their case and they did get the attention of one woman who, it turned out, was the best contact they could have made there. Debra Chaplan had just started working for the SBCTC as director of special programs, and she provided the connection to the building trades unions that TWI had been seeking since its inception. Debra joined with TWI to organize the November 1999 Northern California Regional Tradeswomen Conference, supported by the WBDOL. One hundred fifty tradeswomen and

24 supporters gathered in Oakland to schmooze and strategize for the future. Electrician Marta Schultz performed “595 The Musical.” Our foremothers, Rosie the Riveters who had worked at the Kaiser shipyard in WWII attended and were honored. Herstory was made when organizers, sitting at dinner post-conference, simultaneously removed their bras while leaving shirts and blouses in place. A resolution developed by that 1999 conference was unanimously adopted at the SBCTC’s 2000 convention, pledging the Council to intensify its efforts to recruit and retain women in all affiliate unions. With the support of its president, Bob Balganorth, the SBCTC agreed to sponsor a conference for California tradeswomen, Women Building California. The first one would be held in Sacramento in 2002 just ahead of the legislative conference that year. For that first conference and for the next 13 years, Debra Chaplan has taken care of the logistics as conference organizer. She produces the invitations, programs, pamphlets, post-conference newsletters and videos. But the program content is planned entirely by tradeswomen, to reflect our needs. TWI staff fundraises all year to raise scholarships for women in pre-apprenticeship programs, and a workshop track at the conference is devoted to them. The first conference was only one day, but it was immediately clear that more time was needed to address all of our pressing issues. Since 2002, we’ve been spreading out a little more every year, adding workshops and plenary on Sunday and a Friday night cocktail hour, then a day for pre-apprenticeship program operators and the Tradeswomen Policy Forum. If you’ve ever been to a Women Building conference, you know that the vibe there is awesome! All sorts of women from all over the country getting together and learning and teaching, singing and dancing and talking, all over their common bond of working in the trades. It’s a weekend camp for tradeswomen. There’s just nothing like meeting other activists from all over the world face to face. Tradeswomen can put on a show, and we’ve been entertained by many talented vocalists and spoken word artists over the years. Most hilarious were the Sparkettes, a group of IBEW Local 595 sisters, acting out on-the-job encounters with our brothers. One year, circular saws and hammers punctuated a symphony written and performed by tradeswomen and the Women’s Community Orchestra. All building trades are represented at the conference, and ours is the largest all-craft gathering of tradeswomen in the universe! Electricians have always dominated in number, some years making up as many as a third of attendees. But lately they have been given a run for their money by ironworkers. I must admit to feeling a bit intimidated when I walk into that mob of tough- looking ironworkers on Friday night. But I feel ok as long as I don’t have to arm-wrestle any of them. Conferences have taken place in Sacramento, Oakland and Los Angeles. They grew bigger every year, starting with 210 participants and building to nearly 900 in 2014. The advent of social media and the involvement of international unions and their presidents have been factors in the increase in numbers in the last couple of years. At first we were Women Building California, focused on women in the union building trades. For a couple of years we partnered with the California Professional Firefighters Union to become 25 Women Building and Protecting California. While tradeswomen from all over the U.S. were always welcome, and many came from other states, the conference achieved national billing when the North America’s Building Trades Unions (BCTD) agreed to co-sponsor in 2010. Buy-in was secured by the BCTD Women in the Trades Committee, thanks again to Debra Chaplan, as well as Committee Chairs Patti Devlin and Carolyn Williams. The conference then became Women Building California and the Nation. The 2015 conference in L.A. may be the last one in California. In 2016, the BCTD plans to take over from the Cal State Building Trades and move Women Building the Nation to another city, yet to be named. A new chapter in the life of our conference is about to begin. See you at Women Building the Nation in Los Angeles May 1-3.

26 TRADESWOMEN “FOODIES” CHECK THIS OUT!!!

From food and wine to travel, Cuisine Noir magazine delivers what readers are looking for which is more than where to find the next great meal. And most importantly, it is a culinary publication that compliments readers’ lifestyles and desire for a diverse epicurean experience.

Cuisine Noir made its debut online in October of 2007 and in 2011 introduced its print publication making it the first and currently only publication that showcases the talents of Blacks in food, wine and travel around the world.

Go online each month for exclusive stories about industry experts and professionals to vineyards and world class destinations around the world. Celebrity chefs featured include The Neelys, Tre Wilcox, Nikki Shaw, Aaron McCargo, Jr., Sunny Anderson and Andrew Zimmern. In addition, the magazine is also the first to showcase the “foodie” side of other celebrities such as Mo’Nique, Wendy Williams, Chris Bridges (aka Ludacris), Dee Dee Bridgewater, Dhani Jones, Terence Blanchard, Bootsy Collins and Gerald Albright.

Get the industry scoop each day with the column, The Latest Scoop, as well as enjoy product and book reviews and recipes from chefs and partners in The Chef’s Corner. Readers can also brush up on their etiquette skills with expert Tina Hayes and learn great entertaining tips in our Design & Dine column.

In print quarterly, look for Cuisine Noir at partner locations as well as order your complimentary copy online and just pay for shipping and handling.

Become a member for free to be the first to know about upcoming issues, promotions and to be automatically entered into yearly sweepstakes.

This summer, enjoy Cuisine Noir live as the magazine will premier its pilot lifestyle show in the San Francisco Bay Area. The show will travel around to visit restaurants, wineries and interviews with industry trendsetters and influencers.

To be a part of this cultural culinary movement, visit www.cuisinenoirmag.com. You can also follow the magazine on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest.

WATCH FOR THE PRIDE TABLE AT

THE WOMEN BUILDING THE NATION CONFERENCE IN LOS ANGELES MAY 1-3! Stop by to give a hello and a hug! While there drop some cash in a bucket and receive a Pride button (thanks to Pat Williams, Jamie McMillan and Finn Pette.

There will also be hand bags for sale again created by Sue Doro’s daughter Linda Longo (Brooklyn NY). (Thank you Linda!) She designed and produced the bags using none other than San Francisco Ironworker Jeanne Park’s work-worn jeans. Linda made some for last year’s conference table and they went so fast our heads spun around!

This year in addition to the hand bags there will be gift certificates from Red Ants Pants www.redantspants.com and Rosies Workwear www.rosiesworkwear.com

There will also be beautiful tool-themed jewelry available from New York tradeswoman designer Rochelle Behar. (See page 31.) www.constructionjewelry.com

Plus more stuff we don’t even know about yet! In the works are bran new women at work T-shirts that you will want to have for sure! And those folks who wanted Ironworker Women Calendars and missed out, come to our table and get one in exchange for a donation! (As always…FREE to ironworker women!)The Pride table is where you want to be!!!

28 Sue Doro, the editor and owner of Pride and a Paycheck Magazine is a retired Railroad Machinist, author, writers workshop facilitator and member of the National Writers Union, Local 1981 (UAW Affiliate) as well as the United Association of Labor Education, Local 189 (Affiliate of CWA), & Working Class Studies Assoc., and www.railroadworkersunited.org , Tradeswomen, Inc. Oakland CA, Oregon Tradeswomen and NAWIC (National Assoc. of Women in Construction), the Coalition of Labor Union Women (CLUW), retired member of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) and International Association of Machinists (IAM). Pride and a Paycheck is edited and produced with union labor!

Thanks to the ongoing support of Carpenters Training Committee for Northern California. Special thanks to Madeline Mixer, Larry Robbin, Joycelyn Robbinson-Hughes, Ironworker Jeanne Park, Electrician Joanna Perry-Kujala, Melina Harris and Sisters in the Building Trades. (Visit this website for the tradeswomen photo gallery. www.sitbt.org ). Thanks also to Leslie Gill, Carpenter, Monterey Bay Area, Women in Trucking and its President Ellen Voie, Sheet Metal Local 104 Union Vice President Rita Magner, retired Operating Engineer and photographer Pat Williams and Vivian Price of Southern CA Tradeswomen Archives, Sister Rails women, the WATT Electricians of Houston Texas and their President Pat Burnham, Indiana Steel Mill Worker Donna De Graaf-Smith, author and Carpenter Kate Braid in Vancouver BC, Canada, Mason Stella Cheng in France, Fi Shewring and the Australian Tradies from Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen www.saltaustralia.org as well as all the other US and international tradeswomen writers and poets who share their work lives with us and in turn inspire other sisters to write work pieces from their hearts and hard hats! Working Class literature is alive and thriving! The articles and poetry in Pride and a Paycheck magazine are written entirely by tradeswomen, both actively employed as well as retired.

Disclaimer - Ads or resource listings in this publication and on www.prideandapaycheck.com do not represent an endorsement of the organization or service by Pride and a Paycheck or its editor/owner Sue Doro.

Above is the logo of www.prideandapaycheck.com

Click the link and you will find Pride and a Paycheck…the magazine… as well as tradeswomen resources, announcements, other website links, poetry, art, news & advertisements for stuff YOU WANT, not to mention… back issues of Pride and a Paycheck. Inside the pages of the magazine are the words, actions and photos of real Tradeswomen. Now international. Still FREE. Now more than 50,000! Tradeswomen. Advocates. Supporters. Enjoy. Share. Donate. Advertise. Send photos, poetry and articles to Sue Doro at [email protected]

Pride and a Paycheck magazine is so fortunate to have a team of supporters that are ready to jump in and help with distribution and fund raising ideas. Thank you Pat Williams and Ruthanna Carr for helping with the Facebook distribution! Thank you Pat (again), Jamie McMillan, Rita Magner, Pat Burnham, Joycelyn Robinson-Hughes, Donna De Graaf-Smith, Larry Robbin, Linda Longo, Jeanne Park, Joanna Perry-Kujala and Ellen Voie for ongoing support. If YOU want to be part of the Pride Team email Sue Doro at [email protected] to learn how you can help Pride keep on going; better than ever! 30

www.constructionjewelry.com

www.rosiesworkwear.com www.pinktoolbelts.com

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