Mission Statement
The mission of the Sisters in the Building Trades is to expand a network of active women that will affirm building trades sisters as a positive and growing part of the construction workforce. To increase the number of trades women through cooperative recruitment efforts and mentoring support for enhanced retention. Hold regular meetings allowing women to network and share their experiences; match mentors to new trades’ women; enter into partnership with disadvantaged women to provide encouragement and hope; and reinforce appropriate workplace conduct. Increase public awareness of construction careers; provide speakers to career fairs and other outreach opportunities; support recruiting efforts of apprenticeship programs; and use our skills in volunteer work.
Shattering the glass ceiling, one job at a time
Kitsap Peninsula Business Journal writes: "Women are succeeding in traditional male fields"! Take a look at the article.Sisters in Local #86 featured in Ironworkers Magazine
Check out the Ironworkers Magazine article here.Group Seeks to Get More Women Into Construction Trades March 8th, 2008
Take a look at the article.Reeves Journal Article about the Sisters, March 2008 Edition
Take a look here and here.Article on Women in the Trades in Columbia News Service
After she dropped out of college in 2002, Natilie Rojas started working three jobs and still wasn’t making enough to cover rent, insurance, gas, and student-loan payments.
A family friend pointed Rojas in a direction she never would have thought about: an electrician’s apprenticeship program that was recruiting women. Three years after she started, she earns nearly $24 an hour, along with a pension and benefits, wiring hospitals, schools and other buildings in the Los Angeles area. She says she is making more than many of her peers who stayed in school.
Continue....Sisters Featured in Concrete Construction Online
This is a informative article about organizations that help women in the trades, check out the Article here!Sisters in the News Again!
Tacoma News Tribune recently had a great article highlighting women in the trades, check it out! Here is the link to the full page Article.New York’s Construction Boom Puts More Women in Hard Hats
Here is the link to the full page Article.Joplin Business Journal, reprint of the Renton Reporter Article
Here is the link to the full page Article that was originally featured in the Renton Reporter and reprinted in the Joplin Business Journal.South Puget Sound Community College Poster
South Puget Sound Community College
Poster for Middle schools using the Sisters Gallery for
the photos. Here is the link to the full page Poster
Another WRITE-UP
Here is the link to the full page Article that was featured in the Renton Reporter.FULL PAGE WRITE-UP
Here is the link to the full page Article that was featured in the March 6th Edition of the "Our Peninsula" newspaper.
News and Articles of Interest
!! All documents linked below require Adobe Acrobat to view. Please click here to download it. !!Gov. Gregoire Announces Director of Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises
OMWBE helps women and minority-owned small businesses in WA expand and thriveOLYMPIA – Governor Chris Gregoire today announced the appointment of Cynthia Cooper of Columbus, Ohio as director of the Washington Office of Minority and Women Business Enterprises (OMWBE). The appointment is effective July 1, 2007.... click for more
The Equal Rights Amendment
"Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of sex."
The U.S. Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment in 1972, but it set a seven year time limit for ratification. During this time 38 states needed to ratify the amendment. Congress later added a three year extension, but by June 30, 1982 the amendment was three states short of full ratification. Then in 1992, Congress added the Madison Amendment to the Constitution. The Madison Amendment was passed by Congress in 1789. The ratification of this 27th amendment, 203 years after it was passed by Congress, set a precedent which, when applied to the Equal Rights Amendment, means that the ERA is still legally viable and before the states. According to this legal opinion, full ratification can be achieved once three more states ratify the ERA. 72% of Americans mistakenly think the Constitution already specifies that male and female citizens are entitled to equal rights.
To Sign The Petition to Ratify the ERA click here.Anti 9-to-5 profile
Tami St. Paul's click for more. March 12th, 2007 featured in The Anti 9-to-5 Guide!Women construction workers turn to their ‘Sisters'
Sisters in the Building Trades provides mentoring and encouragement for women working in the trades. Daily Journal of Commerce article on the Sisters .... click for more
Bates Technical College Construction Program Goes Green
TACOMA WA , Bates Technical College will introduce a new series on “green construction” through the college’s extended learning department, beginning mid-March at the college’s south campus location, 2201 South 78th Street, Tacoma.
Contractors and consumers alike are responding to the appeal of and the demand for healthier residential and commercial construction that takes environmental responsibility to heart, both in building practices and in the choice of materials .... click for more
Puget Sound Construction Growth
The Puget Sound area has an unusually large volume of construction work right now, Sayre said. Building permits filed with the City of Tacoma suggest it won't slow down any time soon .... click for more
Who Pays for Protection?
For almost eight years, unions have been waiting for the Labor Department to finish writing rules that would make it clear that employers are supposed to pick up the tab for safety equipment for millions of workers.
Many companies already foot the bill for goggles, hard hats, ear plugs, mesh gloves, safety harnesses and other gear that they have been required to provide since 1994. But some industry sectors, including home building, poultry processing and construction, say a mandate requiring them to pay would be too open-ended .... click for moreNAWM Tradeswomen to Return to Chile
Because of the phenomenal success of the three American tradeswomen showcasing their talents at last year's Expo Hormigon in Santiago Chile, they have been invited to attend again this year. Specifically requested were Laura Johnson, Mary Denning (both of Local #82) and Mary Lovette of BAC Local #1 of Washington.
The ladies are members of the National Association for Women in Masonry and will be representing not only their local, but all women in the USA as well. We are being observed by the world, and I can personally attest to the fact that these incredibly-talents tradeswomen are making their mark, not just on the stucco/masonry industry - they are spearheading the drive for women in all trades across the globe. You can see the promotional print media which advertises their skills from last year and talks about their participation again this year here. This is a 12-page brochure, featuring the talents and skills of Laura Johnson and her associates. Attached is a two-page brochure which also talks about these ladies returning to Expo Hormigon in 2007.
We would like to thank NAWM for their support and dedication to women in all walks of life, both professional and in the trades.
Sincerely,Barbara Headrick
Executive Director National Association for Women in Masonry
Phone: 206.724.4242
Project HELP
Project HELP is a cooperative effort between Labor & Industries and the Washington State Labor Council (AFL-CIO) that facilitates fair and speedy claim resolution. No one expects to be injured at work. The fact is, over 200,000 claims are filed every year as a result of work place accidents. When workers are injured and paychecks stop, their life is suddenly out of control.
Normally, claims are resolved without any problems. But when a combination of complex laws and claims issues come together, it may create a situation that is anything but normal .... click for moreBuilding the Foundation
Port Jobs produced this study through a contract with Apprenticeship and Nontraditional Employment for Women and Men (ANEW) with funding support from the Workforce Development Council of Seattle-King County.
Port Jobs would like to thank the tradeswomen who shared their stories and insights in the development of this study. We would also like to thank Nancy Mason, IBEW Local 46, for her patience, counsel, and wisdom .... click for moreOpt Out? or Pushed Out. How the Press Covers Work/Family Conflict
Coined in 2003 by New York Times journalist Lisa Belkin, the so-called “Opt Out Revolution” attempts to explain many women’s decisions to leave the paid workforce for full-time care of their children. This “Opt Out” storyline has created a fever of news stories in other media publications that reinforce the idea that women are increasingly choosing to leave their work .... click for moreRunning Fast to Stay in Place?
Women have made great gains in education, managerial and professional jobs, and business ownership, according to the Institute for Women’s Policy Research (IWPR), a Washington, DC, think tank that tracks women’s well-being. In its new report, The Best and Worst State Economies for Women, IWPR highlights that despite women’s quick-paced progress in some areas, fair compensation continues to elude them .... click for moreWhy Wal Mart is still one Down and Dirty Company
Yes, the world’s largest and meanest merchandiser--stung in the last few years by a grassroots rebellion of employees, small businesses, unions, neighborhood groups, environmentalists, and others that it has been so arrogantly stiffing--is now straining to project a kinder and gentler image: urbane, upscale, green, socially responsible… even sensitive, for goodness sake. The image spiff-up comes as Wal-Mart executives have made a marketing decision to move from their suburban/rural base into cities, reaching out to a clientele that wants finer goods… and a more refined company .... click for moreBooming Development Set to Change Seattle's Look
Forty-nine new buildings planned to be completed by 2010
The Seattle skyline could look a lot different by the end of the decade. Despite soaring construction costs and land prices, the downtown Seattle residential pipeline is booming with new condominium projects. Forty-nine new buildings -- 13 of which already are under construction -- are planned to be completed by 2010. And all those buildings mean room for thousands more residents, who will need places to get groceries and the other necessities of daily life, and perhaps send children to school. To some, it's an expansion that's long past due .... click for more
Women in Construction - Preliminary Findings
Port Jobs held eight focus groups with apprentices and journey-level tradeswomen. A total of 52 women participated, representing a variety of trades. Of these, 19 were apprentices and 33 were journey-level workers. The table at the end shows how many participants were in each trade. We scheduled a focus group with cancelled apprentices; however, we needed to cancel it due to low RSVPs. Our goal is to do some interviews with cancelled apprentices to get their perspectives as well .... click for more
Financial Tools for the Trades: A Survival Guide for Apprentices
NOW AVAILABLE!Port Jobs has developed a free guide to help apprentices meet the financial challenges of the first year of apprenticeship.
Topics Include:- Being Prepared for Possible Lay-Offs
- Creating an Emergency Fund
- Developing a Spending Plan
- Building and Repairing Credit
- Dealing with Debt
- Saving for the Future
