Bold Thinking Corner

Boston, IBEW 103 Women’s Group VINTAGE

1978-1985. When women first entered in 1978, procedures and policies were designed for 18-year-old white male apprentices and male members. Against the backdrop of strong federal affirmative action, reinforced by a Boston Residents Jobs Policy, the new women apprentices and first journeywomen—with support from the Apprenticeship Director, Business Manager’s Office, and Health & Welfare Office—

*organized a women’s group that met regularly and where leadership shifted by issue
*led biannual recruitment events at the hall to increase women’s percentage in apprenticeship (starting ’79)
*proposed a by-law change that steward’s training include “education on…sexual and racial harassment” (’82)
*documented sexual harassment of female members through a survey (’82)
*when a 2nd year female apprentice’s car was trashed in school’s parking lot by three graduating male apprentices on the last night of class, all the women signed a petition asking the union to address the violence (’82)
*published “Guide to Your Rights and Benefits as a Pregnant Worker” (’83)

Iron Workers International union, Paid Maternity Leave Benefits, 2017

(Marketwired – March 23, 2017) “The Iron Workers (IW) and the Ironworker Management Progressive Action Cooperative Trust (IMPACT), announced a new paid maternity leave benefit [that]….includes 6 months of pre-delivery maximum benefit and 6 to 8 weeks of post-delivery benefit. Regardless of what was covered pre‐delivery, the ironworker member will be eligible for up to six weeks of paid leave after the birth of the child and two additional weeks for Cesarean deliveries. The challenges of physical work associated with the ironworking trade create unique health challenges that can jeopardize a pregnancy….

”’We are very proud to be the first to introduce a paid maternity program in the building trades,’ said General President of the Iron Workers, Eric Dean. ‘It’s about time we make our industry a level playing field for women and make diversity and inclusion a priority.’
“‘When we first started talking about it, I wasn’t sure how we’d pull it off and what it would cost, but we realized that it’s an investment because we want our well-trained ironworker women to come back to work,’ said CEO of Ben Hur Construction Co. and Co-Chair of IMPACT, Bill Brown.”

Announcement
Policy details

California, Two Legislative Proposals on Harassment/Work Culture, 2018

Building on their long working relationship—including a decade of annual conferences, Women Build California—the California Building Trades and Tradeswomen Inc., a grassroots-based advocacy organization since 1979, endorsed as co-sponsors two bills in the California legislature. The bills address harassment and work culture in construction industry apprenticeships and on construction jobsites. In clear language, they spell out responsibilities and accountabilities in preventing and addressing hostile and discriminatory environments that have blocked many tradeswomen from full careers. Tradeswomen, Inc and the State Building and Construction Trades Council were involved in crafting the bills’ language. Since passage in 1996 of Proposition 209 prohibiting state government institutions from considering race, sex, or ethnicity, in employment, California has carried an added burden in achieving workplace equity.

AB-2358  Apprenticeships: discrimination: prohibition.

(by Wendy Carillo) puts into California law the basics of federal statute requiring that every apprenticeship program have policies and provide training to protect apprentices from harassment and discrimination not only at school but also on their employers’ work sites. This California law would also empower apprenticeship training committees to deny apprentices to employers that fail to protect apprentices from harassment or discrimination.

Read full text/Track Progress

SB-1223 Construction industry: discrimination and harassment prevention policy

(by Cathleen Galgiani), establishes a committee to develop a construction industry-specific harassment and discrimination prevention policy and training standard for use by employers in the construction industry. A committee of building trades unions, employers, tradeswomen reps, and state agencies would be charged with developing the policy and training standards and recommendations to the legislature for its implementation.

Fact sheet

Read full text/Track Progress