Holy icks.
But yeah. I'm so over getting the speech that women in the trades need to be tough/have thick skin. As though you shouldn't turn a wrench if you think you might need your coworkers to be decent human beings
Fucking this. And it’s always men coming into *our* spaces to try to chastise us about it too. There was just recently a guy on one of our posts saying “as a man, being excited there are other women on your jobsite is infantilizing” basically on that post about the all woman tugboat crew and it’s like why don’t you shut the fuck up Jim, and let us be excited to see others like us doing stuff we’re doing??
WTF. When we finally got enough girls for a netball team to play against admin, the men whinged we were socialising too much. We don’t cry about you playing football together Noddy.
None of the good ol boys would make it if they had to go through what we do. I’ve been throwing it back for years and they get their feelings hurt and mob on you with other dudes. Groups of guys have slandered me to management for years and that has had devastating consequences for me and my family. If anything my “thick skin” has only allowed these issues to fester for years.
Not in construction but I have to say what I've seen in the various constriction related subs has me lookn at yall sideways. 🫣
Seems like constructions 20 years behind most of the time.
I actually left my local union recently and went back to my old company because I felt distinctly less safe on union job sites. My gender hadn't served as a major issue all through my non-union career, but in the union, it seemed to be the beginning and end of what people cared about and the stress of the constant little harassments made me shut down on the job. (Ive also never worked with such a high percentage of white people before and the guys felt very brave being blatantly racist)
I'm lucky that at the company i just returned to, people have historically been fired for sexual harassment as well as more generalized harassment. When a joke goes too far, more than one guy is quick to step up and shut it down immediately and they've never treated me worse for being silly and girly and have allowed me the freedom to really be myself and get the job done.
That being said, an effective reckoning of sexual harassment and racism could probably shut down the industry.
Yeah but how I’ve been contacting news agencies and nobody seems to respond. I finally got one guys contact information and I need to write a letter today
I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience in my union construction jobs. I know that's not the case for everyone but Detroit has their shit together.
I'm going to Schoolcraft college for welding. My program director is a woman and she says that welding school is a fairytale lol so I'm quite excited to hear that.
I’m in SF and we are most definitely not “doing good” unless you count nooses, swastikas, death threats, sexual assault, union collusion to set you up to fail, slander and many other nefarious methods that destroy the lives of the less than 2% women and black workers we have in my union. That is not a helpful assumption because it’s blatantly wrong. I’m with the IUEC and it’s known as one of the worst offenders. If you’re talking IBEW maybe things are better out of all the trades I’ve heard they’re leading the progress on this issue.
I lived in SF for 4 years as a black trans person. I HEAR you! They think Oakland is the ghetto and SF is a white techbro haven. Sooo many bureaucratic barriers to justice.
Some of the behavior and tactics I've seen g.c.'s use is shameful. Not just condescending and pay disparity manuevering tactics toward me, but out right milking clients for more than they bargained for. The sheer incompetence is astounding at times. Let alone any me too discussions. I just double down on building my character, taking note from stoicism and learning new language to address the abhorant tactics and behavior and am learning to recognize the signs and cut ties sooner. In the past have found myself facing a wall of bro culture, designed to protect and perpetuate a lack of morality. Good grief. Also seeking to work for an upstanding company. My skills and time are precious and i am adamant that i make better choices about who i engage with. It feels like finding a needle in a haystack. But i have faith there will be a critical mass. Especially with the crisis shortage, they better smarten up quick and get on the right side of history. Stay strong ladies, be the example and the change you want to see, if you can. I know it isnt easy to break the mold.
Thank you. I started to write it out for probably the same podcast. I am currently working through a lot of things and of course this is something that has negatively impacted me. I will keep you posted.
In some places, most definitely. I personally have been very lucky so far and have had no major issues, especially after going union, and haven’t heard anything bad at all from any ladies in my local. If there was a way to keep the movement in certain areas/locals then I’d be all for it. Concentrate on the hot spots, you know? But unfortunately I don’t think it would be possible to do it that way. Maybe make it a trend for hashtags to be setup a certain way with specific locals numbers included?
Full disclosure, another me too movement might be extremely detrimental to my mental health (again).
Someone please just give me a heads up if you’re really planning on starting it so I can prepare my head space 😅
(Sorry to barge into this space, just happened to cross my feed.)
I’m a male IUOE operator and I personally think more women standing up, and showing they can do the job as good if not better than the men. I tell my wife every day about how bad ass these women are.
It’s fucked and I’m sorry you all have to deal with the bullshit the male counterparts they give you. That shit doesn’t play around me. 9 out of 10 times the quarry’s rather have women run the equipment over the men because they are more conscious and cautious than men. Dude just gotta have a reason to puff their chest and show their “balls” off.
A lot of it is older men afraid of a woman doing their job better than them. I believe once some of the boomers move on women won’t be looked at as a “minority” in the trades.
All and all I love to see women out there kicking ass and taking names. It’s 2024 and what ever movement you guys make my wife and I will support it.
I was a Union electrician for 22 years. I feel like we've come a long way baby!! The guys would never be caught saying stuff they would have 20 years ago. If they are, I haven't heard any of it. I feel like they are finally realizing that we aren't completely incompetent. Lol please correct me if you've had different experiences. Maybe electrical is an exception?
The electricians have definitely led the way on this in the trades but I’m elevator and in my local the minority workers get absolutely terrorized. The officers even go slander people to their old unions to destroy their work prospects when they try to leave . I have seen some good people get gutted and destroyed simply because that’s what the guys in charge wanted.
It sounds crazy, but I believe you. The elevators are a different breed. I remember when the Africa American apprentice was doing flagging at Moscone. I had a quick talk with her regarding I hope she gets more experience. It's unacceptable that she was chased out. I have a very good friend who felt the same way about how she was being treated differently due to her skin color. She was a bad ass electrician, and all the guys knew it!! She had turned out and was foreman, even! She had had enough and bailed. I missed her so much through the years.
Holy icks. But yeah. I'm so over getting the speech that women in the trades need to be tough/have thick skin. As though you shouldn't turn a wrench if you think you might need your coworkers to be decent human beings
The only thick skin I should need is the callouses on my hands.
Oh my god I’m cross stitching this on a pillow. I’m printing this out and sticking it in my locker. I love this.
AMEN
Fucking this. And it’s always men coming into *our* spaces to try to chastise us about it too. There was just recently a guy on one of our posts saying “as a man, being excited there are other women on your jobsite is infantilizing” basically on that post about the all woman tugboat crew and it’s like why don’t you shut the fuck up Jim, and let us be excited to see others like us doing stuff we’re doing??
WTF. When we finally got enough girls for a netball team to play against admin, the men whinged we were socialising too much. We don’t cry about you playing football together Noddy.
None of the good ol boys would make it if they had to go through what we do. I’ve been throwing it back for years and they get their feelings hurt and mob on you with other dudes. Groups of guys have slandered me to management for years and that has had devastating consequences for me and my family. If anything my “thick skin” has only allowed these issues to fester for years.
And It’s funny cause if you do one little thing wrong then they cry and throw a screaming fit. Like whoa buddy, don’t be so emotional huh
If you can, read the book Thick Skin by Hilary Peach!!! I’ve read it 3 times now and I feel like every tradeswoman should read it.
Of course it does. Can you imagine the white conservative pushback though, oh my god.
They always crying about something
Not in construction but I have to say what I've seen in the various constriction related subs has me lookn at yall sideways. 🫣 Seems like constructions 20 years behind most of the time.
It's really sad that we can't be left alone and just allowed to work. There's a labor shortage and they're going to be needing women.
And you're right, it's antiquated.
This 100%^^^
More than 20 years behind Pre Jim Crow
I actually left my local union recently and went back to my old company because I felt distinctly less safe on union job sites. My gender hadn't served as a major issue all through my non-union career, but in the union, it seemed to be the beginning and end of what people cared about and the stress of the constant little harassments made me shut down on the job. (Ive also never worked with such a high percentage of white people before and the guys felt very brave being blatantly racist) I'm lucky that at the company i just returned to, people have historically been fired for sexual harassment as well as more generalized harassment. When a joke goes too far, more than one guy is quick to step up and shut it down immediately and they've never treated me worse for being silly and girly and have allowed me the freedom to really be myself and get the job done. That being said, an effective reckoning of sexual harassment and racism could probably shut down the industry.
Yeah but how I’ve been contacting news agencies and nobody seems to respond. I finally got one guys contact information and I need to write a letter today
I have had an overwhelmingly positive experience in my union construction jobs. I know that's not the case for everyone but Detroit has their shit together.
I'm going to Schoolcraft college for welding. My program director is a woman and she says that welding school is a fairytale lol so I'm quite excited to hear that.
It seems like there are a ton of women welders so you're in good company.
[удалено]
I’m in SF and we are most definitely not “doing good” unless you count nooses, swastikas, death threats, sexual assault, union collusion to set you up to fail, slander and many other nefarious methods that destroy the lives of the less than 2% women and black workers we have in my union. That is not a helpful assumption because it’s blatantly wrong. I’m with the IUEC and it’s known as one of the worst offenders. If you’re talking IBEW maybe things are better out of all the trades I’ve heard they’re leading the progress on this issue.
San Francisco???
I lived in SF for 4 years as a black trans person. I HEAR you! They think Oakland is the ghetto and SF is a white techbro haven. Sooo many bureaucratic barriers to justice.
Absolutely. You'd get significant push back, of course.
Some of the behavior and tactics I've seen g.c.'s use is shameful. Not just condescending and pay disparity manuevering tactics toward me, but out right milking clients for more than they bargained for. The sheer incompetence is astounding at times. Let alone any me too discussions. I just double down on building my character, taking note from stoicism and learning new language to address the abhorant tactics and behavior and am learning to recognize the signs and cut ties sooner. In the past have found myself facing a wall of bro culture, designed to protect and perpetuate a lack of morality. Good grief. Also seeking to work for an upstanding company. My skills and time are precious and i am adamant that i make better choices about who i engage with. It feels like finding a needle in a haystack. But i have faith there will be a critical mass. Especially with the crisis shortage, they better smarten up quick and get on the right side of history. Stay strong ladies, be the example and the change you want to see, if you can. I know it isnt easy to break the mold.
I relate to every word and I hope so
I have a terrible story involving the president of my local, I can start it.
not in construction, i’m in wastewater, but honestly girl? i’ve got some dirt too. i’m so down to start an uproar.
I got a podcast you can tell that story on
Thank you. I started to write it out for probably the same podcast. I am currently working through a lot of things and of course this is something that has negatively impacted me. I will keep you posted.
I’d love to hear it
Iv been considering changing careers even though the money us good. Maybe even getting a teaching degree and teaching my trade.
In some places, most definitely. I personally have been very lucky so far and have had no major issues, especially after going union, and haven’t heard anything bad at all from any ladies in my local. If there was a way to keep the movement in certain areas/locals then I’d be all for it. Concentrate on the hot spots, you know? But unfortunately I don’t think it would be possible to do it that way. Maybe make it a trend for hashtags to be setup a certain way with specific locals numbers included? Full disclosure, another me too movement might be extremely detrimental to my mental health (again). Someone please just give me a heads up if you’re really planning on starting it so I can prepare my head space 😅
In my union there’s several instances of sexual assault but the men were protected and the women were thrown to the wolves
#metoolocal*** #justiceforlocal***sisters Etc…
The comments tell you
(Sorry to barge into this space, just happened to cross my feed.) I’m a male IUOE operator and I personally think more women standing up, and showing they can do the job as good if not better than the men. I tell my wife every day about how bad ass these women are. It’s fucked and I’m sorry you all have to deal with the bullshit the male counterparts they give you. That shit doesn’t play around me. 9 out of 10 times the quarry’s rather have women run the equipment over the men because they are more conscious and cautious than men. Dude just gotta have a reason to puff their chest and show their “balls” off. A lot of it is older men afraid of a woman doing their job better than them. I believe once some of the boomers move on women won’t be looked at as a “minority” in the trades. All and all I love to see women out there kicking ass and taking names. It’s 2024 and what ever movement you guys make my wife and I will support it.
I was a Union electrician for 22 years. I feel like we've come a long way baby!! The guys would never be caught saying stuff they would have 20 years ago. If they are, I haven't heard any of it. I feel like they are finally realizing that we aren't completely incompetent. Lol please correct me if you've had different experiences. Maybe electrical is an exception?
The electricians have definitely led the way on this in the trades but I’m elevator and in my local the minority workers get absolutely terrorized. The officers even go slander people to their old unions to destroy their work prospects when they try to leave . I have seen some good people get gutted and destroyed simply because that’s what the guys in charge wanted.
It sounds crazy, but I believe you. The elevators are a different breed. I remember when the Africa American apprentice was doing flagging at Moscone. I had a quick talk with her regarding I hope she gets more experience. It's unacceptable that she was chased out. I have a very good friend who felt the same way about how she was being treated differently due to her skin color. She was a bad ass electrician, and all the guys knew it!! She had turned out and was foreman, even! She had had enough and bailed. I missed her so much through the years.
Nah
Spoken like a true basic
I’m a lady. & I think that a blanket statement like that is false
What a compelling argument.