(excuse the plug, but ironworkergear.com is offers this picture on a poster...)

Aug 2006: The convention. I presented a paper to the grievance committee concerning women ironworkers. I had a chance to address the floor of the convention near the end of the last day of the convention--it was quite a long day--so I abbreviated my message. Here is what I would have liked to have said, and the copious notes to go with it.

Aug 2006: Since I'm on my way to the Ironworker's International Convention in Washington D.C., I thought I'd do some reading so that I would get my facts straight and know what I was talking about when it came to the low numbers of women in our trade. Here's a list of the books I've looked at.

Read the article sent to me about Women at Ground Zero and that means ironworkers, too...specificly union ironworker Rosemarie George!
articles are on line at http://www.newsday.com/business/local/newyork/ny-bzcov212425055oct21.story
and http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm/dyn/aid/694

an article on some women deckers in Colorado! http://www.hackettassociates.com/main/articles.htm

A speech by Randy Loomens, education and safety director of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO, Olympia, grandmother and former member of Iron Workers Local #86. (she now works with the Operating Engineers. One very active lady.) http://www.womensorganizations.org/issues/affaction/womenspeak/aff_speak2_11.htm

short interview with Felicia E. Battley, Ironworkers Local 7, South Boston. Battley is also president of the Boston Women's Trade Network. http://bostonworks.boston.com/globe/job_explainer/archives/040101_ironworker.html

KIM IN ANTARCTICA!
A woman ironworker Kimberly Durovec from Texas has been to the southernmost point on the earth and back. You think your job site is cold....

HEY--I've lost track of Kim! She's gotten married and moved, and I don't have a current email or anything for her. If anyone knows where she is, have her contact me, please!

Jan Jenson--Ironworker from 1976-2002--she even worked in the trade with her daughter Shelley....

WHY am I, a woman, in this trade?

A LISTING of items of clothing and other stuff that would be useful to women in this trade.

A QUIZ but not really of situations that men and women come across in the trade.

TO THE WOMEN OF LOCAL 377 and other ironworker women...

also--for those women in all construction trades in the San Francisco bay area--tradeswomen, inc. offers: "Tools for Survival: A Women's Workshop on How to Deal with Sexual Harassment" which is geared toward women coping with blue collar situations (as opposed to light brushing-up against or mild profanity at the water cooler). For information, contact Amy Reynolds (415) 337-8168.

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