Gendered Bodies, Gendered Minds: Femininity, Barriers, and why the hell don't more women apply for apprenticeship?!

Another one of the more interesting presentations at the union conference I attended a couple of months ago was "Gendered Bodies at Work" by Dr. Bob Bruno. He started his talk with a humorous story about his young daughter; apparently, her fourth-grade class was given an assignment concerning goals---what is/are your goals, and how do you plan to achieve them? His daughter decided that her goal was to have a baloney sandwich, and she gave a rather detailed account of exactly how she was going to do just that...the route home, opening the door, letting the dog out, going to the kitchen, opening the fridge door, getting the baloney....you get the idea. While her classmates were planning the trajectory of their lives from grade school to college to career, young Ms. Bruno was planning her sandwich---and her father was regarding himself as an abysmal parent and failed feminist! Well, not exactly....but he did regard it as a wake up call, and an occasion to ruminate on messages on gender and abilities.

The talk began with a discussion on masculine images in the labor movement; how images of muscular, virile men were and are consciously used to reflect strength---the physical strength of the working class in opposition to the effete elite. Images of brawn were supposed to embolden men to counter the power of the almighty dollar. This, of course, led into a rich side conversation amongst the sisters (this particular talk was held on the first day, the 'Women's Conference', so brothers in the room were vastly outnumbered) on where exactly we can find men in our locals who look like the brothers in the T-Shirts and posters, otherwise known as the "why do the guys in the logos have washboard abs, and the guys in our local have washtub abs" question. And a little wicked laughter, as our poor brothers shrugged with the general "hey, I put good money into this belly" or "ya gotta have a good shed over your tools" grin. Then we moved on.

Powerful, masculine imagery has been synonymous with organized labor practically from the start...even though throughout labor's history in the U.S., women have been front-and-center---from mill girls to the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, from telephone operators to teachers. Women have been instrumental in broadening the horizons of what is considered to be labor issues. Organized women have often been more radical than the men. But for all our work, images--even those created, promoted and distributed by organized labor--are overwhelmingly masculine. And this set me to thinking.

In the United States, women in construction are 3% of the total. If you include only the mechanical trades, the number is lower...1%. The most recent statistic I have for my union, the IBEW, is 1.1%. Why so low? And what can we do to increase the number of women in the trades? I think images are key...to the problem, and to solutions.

Quick---what images come to mind when you hear a term like "female construction worker"? What does she look like? There are many stereotypes, none of them flattering. The reality is far less dramatic, or controversial. Hence, less press. Both my sixteen years of experience, and my avid reading on the subject have shown me that if any image of us occurs with enough frequency to be an accurate stereotype, it is this one: the single mother. Single mothers tend to outnumber both the married and the childless on the jobsite. That, and more of us tend to enter our apprenticeship from a working-poor background. Male apprentices tend to take a cut in pay on acceptance into the apprenticeship; women experience a raise. This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone; many organizations, including various women's labor coalitions and central trades' councils, promote apprenticeship as a way out of poverty, though we still struggle to find our place at the table, and poor women are motivated to stay. Some women found their way into the trades by taking a 'preapprenticeship' course; that is, an overview of many trades with both "hands-on" and classroom studies. I found my way in by applying after reading the advertisement for apprentices in the back of the newspaper.

And that's pretty much the story for most of the tradeswomen I've met in my area too. We happened upon the posting in the newspaper. The year I applied (1988), there were a handful of women who tested, but years go by in which no woman applies or tests. For every organization like Chicago Women in Trades, Oregon Tradeswomen, and Nontraditional Employment for Women, who run preapprenticeship programs and provide logistical and moral support for women entering the trades, there are hundreds of jurisdictions who do not have such a program (or, much access to that type of program).

Women who enter the trades will face hostility; it's only a matter of time. IBEW Sister Susan Eisenberg documented some of the hairier stories in her seminal work on the subject, We'll Call You If We Need You. But for all the run-ins with knuckle-draggers, frankly the jobsite is where one is least likely to find them--or, where one is most likely to succeed in smashing stereotypes. Most of the articles and discussion I've seen on the topic that has not come from tradeswomen themselves has been rife with well-meaning misconceptions and seriously lacking in depth. The jobsite is not the site where the problems begin; while it is a site to enact solutions, it's hardly the only one. Integrating women into the nontraditional field of construction is going to require structural changes in the application process for apprenticeship, more gender integration in industrial education in the public schools, and a whole lotta changing in the minds of the general public. A step into the world of construction is a trip in the Wayback Machine, where the most progressive element is the actual brotherhood on the jobsite.

First, a woman battles the misconception about her "suitability" for the job. Many women never get to the application process because they have either internalized that message or have been intimidated by countless stories of the hostility, hazing, and pure nastiness they will face. That's probably the reason that you will find more women coming from a working-poor background who both enter and stay in construction: we don't care! Being able to pay one's bills is a great incentive to shrugging off adversity, real or potential. Childcare can be a barrier to more female participation; in my area, almost all jobsites start at 7:00AM, which is the time almost all childcare (like the SCOPE program for school-age kids) opens. The few other childcare facilities that open earlier do not take "older" (meaning post-kindergarten) children. This will be a scramble for me in the near future. Apprenticeship classes are held at night, and in my area there is a dearth of evening childcare available. The apprenticeship interview can be a source of tension; I faced a roomful of older white men who were all business, had hostile looks on their faces (no one smiled), and asked such illegal questions as whether or not I was married and/or had children. They stressed the physicality of the job (I stressed that I was a gym rat who lifted weights), and asked me if I minded "foul language, as it can be rather earthy on the jobsite" (I was so tempted to say, "oh, fuck no!", but in that sea of unfriendly faces I thought I better not. Didn't want to offend anyone and blow my chance of a lifetime). And sometimes, the "just one" theory is operative, meaning female candidates are only judged against other female candidates, and the "best one" is chosen. It is thought to be discriminatory against males to have more than one woman in an apprenticeship class.

When a new woman arrives on the jobsite, there's a palpable tension amongst the brothers. The apprehension goes both ways, as the brothers are afraid of doing or saying something that will get them in trouble (the relative few knuckle-draggers have no such qualms; in the face of everyone else's quietude, their vocality can be assumed representative---not good for anyone!). New female apprentices have often had no experience in the trades, not even in high school (I was prevented from taking Industrial Ed, and that was the early '80s), and generally need more hands-on support from a journeyman, especially when there are safety risks. Women apprentices can be afraid of breaking tools, especially power tools (that was me all the way---can you imagine thinking you can fuck up a Hilti TE 76? Bwa ha ha!). And then there's the gauntlet of questions: "so, why'd ya wanna do this for a living?" repeated for years after one has topped out. And yeah, there can be actual hostile incidents (as opposed to more pedestrian mouthiness). More often than not, these are isolated incidents that involve one cowardly man, but again, with no background in the construction world it is easy to assume that these types of actions are representative. Female apprentices who want a well-rounded, thorough education must be vigilant; there is a trend towards limiting women to the "easy" stuff.

After a woman tops out, she can find herself fighting to stay employed. Brothers on the jobsite either are or can be egalitarian; men higher in the office, in the shops, are rarely so. Female journeymen can become ghettoized in the "minority calls"; and there is still a strong tendency amongst those who don't work with us to belive that we are just working to find a husband, or that when jobs are in short supply they must go to the men first...after all, they have families to support. "Minority calls" (jobs which require 6.9% nontraditional female participation because they are funded publically) are nonexistant in California becasue of the passage of Prop. 209 and this has had a negative effect on female employment. Women who top out are rarely offered the same opportunity for job longevity or advancement in their career that men are. But despite the drawbacks, most tradeswomen find their career in the building trades quite rewarding, and not just financially. Personally, I wouldn't be anywhere else!

So, with the situation as it stands, how do we increase the number of women in apprenticeships? By engaging the same qualities of resourceful and flexible thinking common in solving mechanical problems on the jobsite, that's how! Wider Opportunities for Women offers a collection of strategies and resources for girls, women, union halls, labor organizations, employers and service agencies inerested in nontraditional employment for women. Their sister site, Workplace Solutions, is especially rife with practical, down-to-earth, easily implemented practices that are cost-effective and get results. ISEEK offers a questionnaire for women considering a nontraditional path of employment. Part of the problem is circular: a lack of female representation means fewer women apply, which continues the lack of female representation, which perpetuates stereotypes and hinders female progress, and so on. Any attempt to integrate the trades must work hand-in-hand with recruitment. Critical mass is necessary to resolve the problems inherent from lack of integration. Great Britain, in their efforts to increase nontraditional employment for women, has noticed a strong correlation between careers with a high concentration of men and a skills shortage. Efforts are being made to recruit young women in secondary school, but research shows that in many cases employment stereotypes are already well in place by that time, and recommend starting strategies such as job shadowing at even earlier ages. Tradeswomens' groups in the United States have been recommending this for years, and have produced resources such as Tradeswomen, Inc.'s The Little Tradeswomens' Coloring Book a trilingual coloring book featuring women in nontraditional jobs. Hard Hatted Women offers the Painting Our Way to a Better Future coloring book, and the Cool Careers for Girls in Construction book, and "Power Tools are a girl's best friend" T-Shirts. Work4Women offers the Cool Jobs for Girls website, and the corresponding parents and educators guide here. Ms. Fixit encourages girls to explore nontraditional employment. There are several tradeswomen's organization that focus attention on this issue, such as:

• Tradeswomen, Inc.


• Chicago Women in Trades


• National Association of Women in Construction


• Tradeswomen Now and Tomorrow


• Hard Hatted Women


• Oregon Tradeswomen


• Nontraditional Employment for Women

A couple of good resource sites for tradeswomen include a no-nonsense legal guide from Equal Rights Advocates, the Women's Project for Union Democracy, and a site run by a sister Ironworker, here. (She also has a magnificent eulogy for one of her mentors, here.) For a good insight into the life of a tradeswoman from the application process, through apprenticeship, through journeyman status and beyond, you can't beat the humorous, fictionalized account of real-life tinner bluecollargal, entitled Hey Lady, Your Tin Snips Are Showing!. Right before Bethola and me got laid off the last job, she informed me that she was in the midst of the sequel to that, so keep yer eyes open! And IBEW sister Victoria King has written a book, Manhandled: Black Females, that takes up many issues, but support for more black women in the trades is one of them, as she outlines her experiences as a Journeyman Wireman in New York's Local 3.

Now, for La Lubu's quick and dirty guide for female apprentices:

1. Keep your eyes open, your mouth shut, and your nose to the grindstone.


2. Remember that your enemies are few and your allies are many. Allies tend to be quieter than enemies, but they're out there. Don't allow yourself to fall prey to the same stereotyping process you are subjected to. When in doubt, refer to rule #1.


3. Your allies will come in every size, shape, color and gender; with that said, you will notice that your staunchest allies will tend to be older journeymen and veterans. Why? Well, the Old School has a strong sense of "all for one, one for all" unionism, and a strong work ethic. If you have a strong work ethic, they will respect you. Also, older men have experienced their own form of discrimination, and that tempers their view. Older female journeymen have generally gone through the wringer, and most will keep a lookout for you. Veterans? Well, the armed forces are more integrated racially, ethnically and by gender than just about any other work force in the U.S. A strong work ethic is stressed there, also. (remember rule #1!) More often than not, a person leaves their round of service with less bigotry and a more open mind than before. They have also had the opportunity to see women performing nontraditional work, so they're not going to experience culture shock when you come on the jobsite.


4. Always complete your apprenticeship assignments on time, always attend class, and study hard for your tests!


5. There is no such thing as a stupid question. When in doubt, ask. After all, no one expects an apprentice to know shit, anyway. And few things are more irritating than a know-it-all, won't listen apprentice.


6. If there is hot, cold, dirty, nasty, tough work, be Janie on the spot for it. Don't ever cop out on the rough stuff. Some guys can get away with it. You can't. So don't.


7. Be aggressive in your work. Ask questions and take the initiative. The construction site can be a chaotic environment at times, but stay busy. And don't ever stand with your hands in your pockets.


8. Gain as much breadth of experience in your apprenticeship as you can. If there's a facet of your trade you haven't learned, ask for an assignment for that, even if you have to take a job transfer. Subscribe to trade journals (they're free). Go to trade shows (they're free too, plus you can win door prizes of new tools, and if you're a smooth operator, sometimes you can sweet-talk sales reps out of cool tools. It's fun to try, anyway!).


9. You will be tested. Don't sweat the small stuff. How will you know if it's the "small stuff"? Ask yourself: does it affect my work record, paycheck, or job performance? If the answer is no, it's small stuff.


10. On the other hand, if you experience a real problem, you don't have to tolerate it. But always follow the chain of command. First, approach the individual presenting the problem. If that doesn't work, take it up the chain: to your journeyman, to the steward, to your foreman, if necessary. If none of those people can solve the problem, speak with a business rep at your union hall. Keep a job diary; a job diary is a worker's best friend. What's a job diary? A journal of dates, dates, times, and what you did on various days....what your job duties were, who you worked with, where you worked, that sort of thing. And of course, anything problematic. Chances are, you'll never need it.


11. Get involved in your local union! Attend meetings, and if you can, volunteer for committees. It's a good way to meet other people in your hall. You will get out of your union what you put into it---just like anything else in life. You may also want to join various other labor organizations such as the Coalition of Labor Union Women, the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (naah, you don't have to be black), or the A. Philip Randolph Institute.


12. Be politically active. Get involved with issues affecting working people. Volunteer time to political candidates and causes that are pro-labor. Historically, labor has won more and lost more through the political arena than any other avenue. Keep this in mind at election time. Vote your paycheck!

So, how is that list any different from the advice you'd offer male apprentices, Lubu? Not much. And that's the point. Advice to brothers who are nervous working around women? Relax. Most women don't have the "sue you blues". Just be yourself. And if the brother in question is an asshole? Be someone else!

I'll be back to this subject again; I plan to offer recruiting strategies for apprenticeship councils and union halls, and strategies for employers. Stay tuned.

UPDATE: Amp has a somewhat related post on employment segration at his gig. The constuction field definitely rates as segregated, but it doesn't have to be....