Union workers from SMART Local 85 (Atlanta, Ga.), IBEW Local 613, IUPAT DC 77 and UA Local 72 joined the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers for a transformative community service project in June, replacing the aging Blockhouse Boat Ramp dock at Lake Allatoona. The successful “Unions Unite” event concluded months of organizing by Local 85 apprentice Dyana Lee, whose dedicated unionism helped make the project a historic one.
“We ended up having over 30 volunteers on site day of, and almost 20 people assisting me behind the scenes to create a $70,000 volunteer event,” Lee explained. “It was one of the largest union volunteer events in Atlanta history, with multiple trades coming together to build and better something for our community while creating a sense of solidarity among union brothers and sisters of Atlanta.”
“Thanks to Dyana’s hard work and determination, this project was a huge success,” added Local 85 Business Manager and SMART General Vice President Steve Langley.
Lee, who recently completed the first year of her apprenticeship, started getting active in her local in January 2023: attending Local 85 Women’s Committee meetings and taking on responsibilities within the committee at the request of chair and Local 85 President Jan Chappell. But the inspiration for a cross-trades, solidarity-driven community service event was sparked in earnest during the 2023 Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) conference in Washington, DC. Lee attended the TWBN all-tradeswomen hike sponsored by the USA, learning about the organization’s conservation and restoration efforts through its Work Boots on the Ground program.
“While I was at the conference, I was inspired by the community, strength and solidarity shown between different trades,” she said. “I took the lessons I learned at TWBN and decided that I would like to spearhead a project in Atlanta to bring people from multiple trades together to give back to our community and start to foster that sense of unitedness between tradespeople.
“With the full support of my local and my mentor, Jan Chappell, I reached out to the USA to start the ball rolling on this idea.”
Lee met with USA Conservation Coordinator Cody Campbell, who walked her through the steps needed to create the type of project she envisioned. Lee then started organizing: attending meetings at other locals in Atlanta, talking to tradespeople at jobsites and eventually contacting Atlanta & North Georgia Building Trades Business Manager Randy Beall (a member of Local 85) to help connect her to other local unions. All told, she spent six months networking with potential volunteers, also delivering a speech at the USA’s Atlanta fundraising dinner to rally her union brothers and sisters to the cause.
In the meantime, Lee and Campbell worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify a project, eventually landing on the replacement of the courtesy dock at Blockhouse Boat Ramp. The old dock only had a few mooring points for community members, leading to traffic, congestion and safety concerns, and it was no longer ADA-compliant – restricting the number of people that could use the dock and limiting accessibility.
With the project decided, Lee doubled down on her organizing, successfully recruiting dozens of volunteers from other trades. On the day of the project, the skilled volunteer force gathered at 7 a.m., with work starting at 7:45.
“The temperature was 88 degrees at 6 a.m., and the humidity was off the charts,” said Lee. “However, that didn’t stop my determined team from getting the job done, not only well, but fast.”
The new, accessible boat dock will benefit Atlanta community members for years to come. But to Lee, the impact extended to the worksite, where she said the sense of cross-trade community she was working to foster started to have tangible outcomes. On her job, for example, she started to see workers from different trades gathering for lunch each day, and the environment began to feel more positive and supportive – everyone had each other’s back.
“My goal in organizing and creating the first annual Unions Unite event was to take that first step to building that for every jobsite, for every local,” Lee noted. “This sense of community won’t just create more amicable jobsites; it will help to break down the stigma of being a union member in the eyes of the city, showing that union culture includes a sense of belonging and acceptance for everyone.”
Moving forward, Lee is working with the Georgia Building Trades to collaborate with some of the tradeswomen she met through the Unions Unite event to create a Georgia Building Trades Women’s Committee. She sees that effort as part of a greater endeavor to strengthen and grow the labor movement in Atlanta — and beyond.
“I want the young adults to know that there’s a place for them with us, no matter the trade they go into,” Lee declared. “We are all brothers and sisters; united we stand, divided we fall.”
More than 420 SMART sisters and allies from 47 local unions and regional councils descended on New Orleans, Louisiana, from September 27-29 for the 2024 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference. Joined by approximately 5,000 fellow union sisters and supporters, these trailblazing women put the strength of the labor movement on full display — marching through the streets of New Orleans, spreading the word about good, union jobs and sending a resounding message of unity and solidarity as Election Day 2024 approaches.
“‘Superheroes are men,’ they say,” Acting United States Labor Secretary Julie Su told attendees during Saturday’s plenary session. “Well, standing here in a room full of tradeswomen, I know women can be anything.”
Louise Medina, Annet Del Rosario, Vanessa Carman, Natasha Scott-Lawson
Plenary speakers highlight progress, commit to further growth
Plenary speakers addressed Tradeswomen Build Nations attendees on Saturday and Sunday morning, overviewing the enormous progress tradeswomen have made in North America — exemplified by the extraordinary growth of the TWBN conference itself — and making clear that union sisters have a crucial role to play in continuing to build our two nations.
North America’s Building Trades Unions President Sean McGarvey discussed NABTU’s commitment to bringing more women into the unionized building trades, and the historic role recent legislation has played in helping turbocharge that effort.
“Let the good jobs roll isn’t just a catchy slogan — sisters and allies, we’re in the business of changing lives,” he said. “Each and every one of you is living, breathing proof of [our] tremendous progress.”
Led by union tradeswomen, McGarvey said, the building trades are focusing on recruiting and retaining more women in our unions. That doesn’t only include efforts to reach out to women workers across North America — it means ensuring our sisters have correctly fitting PPE, pumping stations and cleaning facilities on the jobsite, as well as ongoing efforts to expand access to affordable, quality childcare.
“Sisters, we are meeting these challenges head-on,” he declared.
But we cannot talk about the progress the labor movement has made, McGarvey continued, without talking about the historic pro-worker actions of the Biden-Harris administration. The infrastructure investments creating pathways for women in construction like never before. The clean energy jobs creating workforce demands from coast to coast. The investments in registered apprenticeship programs that make it easier for local unions to bring women into the trades. Those crucial policies from the current presidential administration are ones that we need to build on by electing Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, McGarvey said:
“We must make sure our progress isn’t rolled back by a tyrant dictator who doesn’t respect our Constitution or women’s rights.”
Under Biden and Harris, NABTU affiliates collectively doubled their women membership, and the building trades realized the biggest net gain in members since 1952. Now, it’s time to continue our growth.
“Our ability to make progress depends on leaders whose policies prioritize women and unions,” said McGarvey.
Acting Secretary Su has been a historic leader of the U.S. Department of Labor, both as DOL deputy with former Secretary Marty Walsh and as a trailblazing pro-worker administrator herself. For unions in general, Su’s actions — implementing Biden’s executive order requiring project labor agreements on large federal projects, repealing the sham Industry-Recognized Apprenticeship Programs scheme, restoring OSHA capacity and beyond — are making a difference in the lives of SMART members everywhere.
Specific actions to help tradeswomen are, perhaps, even more impactful: for example, making sure gender-based violence, harassment and the like are treated as the workplace hazards that they are.
“Laws only hold if they are enforced,” Su said. “That’s what this DOL is doing.”
The last administration crushed worker organizing, rolled back worker protections and attempted to undermine union apprenticeships. Under this administration, Su told TWBN, the attitude is very different, and it reflects the DOL’s stance towards anti-worker actions of any kind: “Not on our watch.”
“You can be anything that you want to be,” she concluded. “Superheroes are not just in comic books and the movies.”
Finally, in a conference first, President Joe Biden called in live to speak to sisters and allies about the Biden-Harris administration’s commitment to union workers — and the continued progress tradeswomen stand to make with a Harris-Walz White House.
“When unions do well, studies show that ALL Americans do well,” Biden said.
From project labor agreements on federal jobs to policies that protect pregnant workers, the president reminded TWBN attendees of the Biden-Harris administration’s historic pro-labor policymaking. And it’s only the beginning, he said — with Kamala Harris and Tim Walz in the White House, workers stand to build on the foundation laid over the last several years.
“A woman can do anything a man can do,” Biden said. “That includes being president of the United States of America.”
Tradeswomen also heard from Dr. Christine Yu Moutier, chief medical officer of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention; LIUNA General President Brent Booker; BlackRock Managing Director Anne Ackerly; Micron Technology Vice President of Procurement (Indirect and Real Estate) Heather Baldwin; Accelerator for America President/CEO Mary Ellen Wiederwohl; a video address from actress Kery Washington and others.
Local 105 (Los Angeles, Calif.) Organizer Angie Flores introduces the TWBN emcees on Sunday, September 29.
GP Coleman details International maternity leave program during SMART caucus
SMART General President Michael Coleman, General Secretary-Treasurer John Daniel, the SMART Women’s Committee and others joined SMART sisters for the annual SMART TWBN Caucus, where Coleman announced a truly groundbreaking piece of news: SMART’s new International maternity leave benefit, jointly funded by SMACNA.
“I can tell you that we already have our maternity leave program in place, ready to launch,” Coleman said. “We believe this will provide the opportunity to not have people choose between having a career and having children.”
Coleman acknowledged the efforts of General President Emeritus Joseph Sellers, General Secretary-Treasurer Daniel and others in making this possible, specifically highlighting members of the Women’s Committee: “The work you do is incredible. You do it all on behalf of this organization and women in this trade.”
In 2019, the Women’s Committee proposed a resolution to double the union’s female membership by 2024. SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina reported that we have achieved that goal for journeyperson workers, doubling and retaining those members.
“We have made great progress in bringing more women into this trade,” Coleman said, vowing to continue that progress rather than stay content with what we’ve achieved.
Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner
We have the momentum, he continued, pointing out that SMART was the fourth-most represented trade at TWBN 2024. Now, we need to seize that momentum and grow our ranks, including in our apprenticeship programs. The women at TWBN, and in local unions across North America, are our trade’s best advocates, he said.
“When I hear the stories of where you’ve come from and now where you’re at — even though it’s a struggle, those are stories that can help others.”
He went on: “We’re brothers and sisters. We have to take care of each other like brothers and sisters.”
Coleman finished his remarks by touching on the upcoming November 2024 election, telling the sisters and allies in the room what they already know: The stakes in this election are inordinately high. On the one hand, we have a historically anti-worker president, who rolled back investments in OSHA and tried to weaken union apprenticeship programs. On the other hand, we have a pro-worker ticket dedicated to protecting and advancing women’s and workers’ rights.
“Please, if you can, talk to people; give them the facts,” he said.
Coleman ended by fielding questions from attendees during an open mic session, providing attendees with information about women in leadership, his personal story, childcare resources and more.
Earlier in the caucus, Women’s Committee subcommittees reported back to attendees on efforts to increase women in SMART, communicate with sisters in and outside of our union, develop leaders within SMART and more. Sisters and allies heard from Tiffany Boiman, deputy director of the United States Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau, who outlined how the Biden-Harris DOL has rejuvenated the bureau’s work to protect women and provide them with better access to fulfilling careers. Plus, the caucus gave members and allies the chance to network, bond and tell their stories. Countless sisters from across North America shared that TWBN is a life-changing experience that they look forward to every year.
SMART sisters lead breakout sessions
Breakout sessions are an annual highlight of the Tradeswomen Build Nations conference — giving SMART sisters a chance to network, learn and build connections with their fellow tradesworkers. TWBN 2024 was no different in that regard, with SMART members both attending and helping lead a variety of breakouts.
Annet Del Rosario (left)
SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina and Local 16 member and International Training Institute (ITI) Recruitment and Retention Specialist Tammy Meyen joined three other sisters on the “Building a SISTERHOOD” breakout, which included a discussion on retention and its importance for bringing women into our trades. Different retention techniques can be used to build mentorship and support systems at the local and International level, and such techniques are crucial for growing union density — whether applied on the jobsite, in the hall or at the training center.
Affordable, accessible childcare is one of the most persistent barriers to the recruitment and retention of women in the trades. That being said, unions at the local and International level are working hard to develop solutions — from new maternity leave programs, like the one announced by General President Coleman during the SMART caucus, to lactation pods on jobsites, recently pioneered by SMART Local 66 in Seattle, to new childcare pilot programs across the country. SMART Northwest Regional Council member Tiffany Caulfield joined the “Childcare: Challenges and Solutions” breakout as a panelist.
Turner (second from right) participated in a union leadership breakout.
Women’s Committee Chair Shamaiah Turner took part in the “Union Leadership Structure and Why It’s Important” panel, an interactive session detailing leadership structures and opportunities at the local union and international level. And SMART Local 206 (San Diego, Calif.) member Annet Del Rosario, who also sits on the SMART International Women’s Committee, sat on the LGBTQ in the Workforce panel, an open workshop that welcomed LGBTQ+ union members and allies for a discussion on LGBTQ+ issues, success stories and how these members strengthen the labor movement. Panelists and attendees spoke frankly about the unconscionable harassment they have faced on jobsites, the importance of having true allies in the union hall, how they overcame obstacles in the trades and much more.
“It doesn’t matter what trade we are — the higher [our numbers] are, the more our voices are heard,” Del Rosario declared. “We need to make a change — otherwise change won’t happen.”
As always, the conference was highlighted by Saturday’s TWBN banner parade, when the resounding echoes of marching feet, union chants and thousands upon thousands of tradeswomen joined the usual jazz soundtrack of New Orleans (including a band that marched alongside our sisters).
Union workers from SMART Local 85 (Atlanta, Ga.), IBEW Local 613, IUPAT DC 77 and UA Local 72 joined the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) and the United States Army Corps of Engineers for a transformative community service project in June, replacing the aging Blockhouse Boat Ramp dock at Lake Allatoona. The successful “Unions Unite” event concluded months of organizing by Local 85 apprentice Dyana Lee, whose dedicated unionism helped make the project a historic one.
“We ended up having over 30 volunteers on site day of, and almost 20 people assisting me behind the scenes to create a $70,000 volunteer event,” Lee explained. “It was one of the largest union volunteer events in Atlanta history, with multiple trades coming together to build and better something for our community while creating a sense of solidarity among union brothers and sisters of Atlanta.”
“Thanks to Dyana’s hard work and determination, this project was a huge success,” added Local 85 Business Manager and SMART General Vice President Steve Langley.
Lee, who recently completed the first year of her apprenticeship, started getting active in her local in January 2023: attending Local 85 Women’s Committee meetings and taking on responsibilities within the committee at the request of chair and Local 85 President Jan Chappell. But the inspiration for a cross-trades, solidarity-driven community service event was sparked in earnest during the 2023 Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) conference in Washington, DC. Lee attended the TWBN all-tradeswomen hike sponsored by the USA, learning about the organization’s conservation and restoration efforts through its Work Boots on the Ground program.
“While I was at the conference, I was inspired by the community, strength and solidarity shown between different trades,” she said. “I took the lessons I learned at TWBN and decided that I would like to spearhead a project in Atlanta to bring people from multiple trades together to give back to our community and start to foster that sense of unitedness between tradespeople.
“With the full support of my local and my mentor, Jan Chappell, I reached out to the USA to start the ball rolling on this idea.”
Lee met with USA Conservation Coordinator Cody Campbell, who walked her through the steps needed to create the type of project she envisioned. Lee then started organizing: attending meetings at other locals in Atlanta, talking to tradespeople at jobsites and eventually contacting Atlanta & North Georgia Building Trades Business Manager Randy Beall (a member of Local 85) to help connect her to other local unions. All told, she spent six months networking with potential volunteers, also delivering a speech at the USA’s Atlanta fundraising dinner to rally her union brothers and sisters to the cause.
In the meantime, Lee and Campbell worked with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to identify a project, eventually landing on the replacement of the courtesy dock at Blockhouse Boat Ramp. The old dock only had a few mooring points for community members, leading to traffic, congestion and safety concerns, and it was no longer ADA-compliant – restricting the number of people that could use the dock and limiting accessibility.
With the project decided, Lee doubled down on her organizing, successfully recruiting dozens of volunteers from other trades. On the day of the project, the skilled volunteer force gathered at 7 a.m., with work starting at 7:45.
“The temperature was 88 degrees at 6 a.m., and the humidity was off the charts,” said Lee. “However, that didn’t stop my determined team from getting the job done, not only well, but fast.”
The new, accessible boat dock will benefit Atlanta community members for years to come. But to Lee, the impact extended to the worksite, where she said the sense of cross-trade community she was working to foster started to have tangible outcomes. On her job, for example, she started to see workers from different trades gathering for lunch each day, and the environment began to feel more positive and supportive – everyone had each other’s back.
“My goal in organizing and creating the first annual Unions Unite event was to take that first step to building that for every jobsite, for every local,” Lee noted. “This sense of community won’t just create more amicable jobsites; it will help to break down the stigma of being a union member in the eyes of the city, showing that union culture includes a sense of belonging and acceptance for everyone.”
Moving forward, Lee is working with the Georgia Building Trades to collaborate with some of the tradeswomen she met through the Unions Unite event to create a Georgia Building Trades Women’s Committee. She sees that effort as part of a greater endeavor to strengthen and grow the labor movement in Atlanta — and beyond.
“I want the young adults to know that there’s a place for them with us, no matter the trade they go into,” Lee declared. “We are all brothers and sisters; united we stand, divided we fall.”
More than 4,000 tradeswomen and allies converged for Tradeswomen Build Nations 2023 (TWBN) in Washington, DC, from December 1–3 for an awe-inspiring display of sisterhood, strength and solidarity. Highlighted by the annual banner parade, where tradeswomen took the streets of DC to showcase their union pride, the conference was an example of the progress and momentum carrying both SMART and the labor movement into the future.
Plenary speakers illustrate progress made, work ahead
Plenary sessions on Saturday and Sunday brought various speakers from the labor movement, the United States government and the construction industry to TWBN, all of whom spoke to the progress that has been made for women in the trades — and the importance of building on that progress in the years to come.
North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) President Sean McGarvey delivered remarks on Saturday that largely focused on the union difference, particularly with a labor-friendly administration in power and an extraordinary amount of work on the horizon. After highlighting worker wins across North America, from infrastructure legislation and projects in the United States to clean energy tax credits in Canada — which mandate provinces to require inclusive restrooms on jobsites — McGarvey homed in on the important role unions need to play.
Collective bargaining agreements, project labor agreements and community benefits agreements are making the construction industry more equitable and inclusive, he said, helping bring women and underrepresented communities onto jobsites. And since 2016, NABTU affiliates like SMART have increased women participation in apprenticeships by 50%, thanks in no small part to pre-apprenticeship programs. But there is more work to be done, particularly when it comes to childcare obstacles, eliminating hazing and discrimination on the jobsite, and more.
“We are on the right track,” McGarvey declared. “You are the future of our unions.”
Local 16 Organizer Korri BusAFL-CIO President Liz ShulerNABTU President Sean McGarvey
McGarvey was followed by Stanley Black & Decker President Maria Ford and United States Speaker of the House Emeritus Nancy Pelosi, two glass-ceiling-shattering women who discussed the importance of gender equity and inclusiveness in business and in government. Ford detailed her journey from intern to president and stressed that diversity and inclusion aren’t just about statistics and quotas, but about strengthening industries — pointing to the National Football League as an example of a company whose value spiked as it made strides to include more women. Pelosi, on the other hand, talked about how unions have built America into the country it is today, and how union jobs with prevailing wages can change women’s lives for the better. She also underlined the importance of passing legislation that creates more union jobs, expands childcare accessibility and more.
“We believe that when women succeed, America succeeds,” she declared.
AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler took the stage to reflect on the extraordinary growth TWBN has achieved during its 13 years, from small gatherings in conference rooms to standing-room-only rallies in enormous ballrooms. After thanking NABTU’s Tradeswomen Committee — which includes SMART Director of Special Projects Louise Medina — Shuler talked about taking the momentum of TWBN back to local unions across North America.
“We need every woman in America to see that construction is for them,” she said. “You are the best organizers.”
Shuler described some of the threats facing workers in North America, including corporate-controlled technology such as artificial intelligence. But, she noted, “you can’t build nations with an algorithm.” The strikes that defined 2023 demonstrate the determination of workers to seize their power, and it is imperative that SMART sisters and allies work to build on the foundation that has been laid.
“We’re going to keep growing, we’re going to keep marching, we’re going to keep winning together,” Shuler concluded.
On Sunday, Local 16 (Portland, Oregon) Organizer Korri Bus took the stage to tell her story and shed light on one of the most devastating recruitment obstacles in the trades: the lack of accessible, affordable childcare. Bus has been in the trade for approximately 17 years but had to step away temporarily in 2007, when she was forced to choose between her job and her need for reliable childcare. America’s existing childcare system is inadequate and far too expensive for workers across sectors — especially tradespeople, who work long hours outside the 9–5 schedule.
“It’s not just a personal struggle, it’s a collective challenge,” Bus said. “Together, let’s build a future where no parent in the trades has to choose between professional commitments and parental responsibilities.”
Other speakers throughout the weekend included International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) President Jimmy Williams, Jr., Acting U.S. Labor Secretary Julie Su and others. All speakers noted that TWBN 2023 was a signifier of fantastic growth — and urged attendees to perform the work, from organizing to pushing for proworker legislation, to make sure that progress continues.
“I came to Tradeswomen Build Nations for the first time in 2015 — there were 30 of us in the room. Now there are over 300 of us here.”
Shamaiah Turner, a SMART Women’s Committee member and Northeast Regional Council Business Development Representative
SMART sisters and allies get to work in breakout sessions
Breakout sessions on Saturday afternoon and Sunday morning put TWBN attendees to work, learning more about pressing issues facing women in the trades and brainstorming together on how to push forward. Sessions included “Women-Mentoring-Women in the Building Trades;” “Federal Policies Impacting Tradeswomen and the Infrastructure Generation;” “Moving Beyond Recruitment to Retention;” and many more.
Sheena Jones (Local 36, St. Louis) and Amanda Filpo (Local 28, New York City) present on BE4ALL during a Tradeswomen Build Nations breakout session.
In the “Childcare: Challenges and Solutions, and What the Building Trades are Doing to Help” breakout, attendees heard from panelists on how inadequate childcare is preventing people from entering the trades, as well as pilot programs being implemented to help tradespeople and potential long-term solutions. In Milwaukee, for example, TradesFutures — the nonprofit set up by NABTU and contractor partners — put together a program to cover half the childcare costs of program participants. And Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) in New York City created a similar pilot program, helping union tradeswomen choose the childcare options and provider they needed in order to get to work. Importantly, all panelists emphasized the need for lasting solutions — namely, legislation that makes childcare available to all workers.
SMART sheet metal workers and Belonging and Excellence for All (BE4ALL) Committee members Sheena Jones (Local 36, St. Louis) and Amanda Filpo (Local 28, New York City) took center stage during the “Pioneering Progress: Highlighting DEI Success in NABTU Workforce Development Programs like SMART BE4ALL” breakout session. Along with an Ironworker member of the Navajo nation — who discussed the importance of inclusion and taking on workforce challenges with an Indigenous-specific lens — Jones and Filpo provided an overview on how diversity, belonging and inclusion are core to the labor movement’s values, demonstrating how BE4ALL’s work is making our union stronger. The pair pointed to BE4ALL’s existing success stories, such as the distribution of bathroom kits with menstrual products to JATCs across North America, as examples of material steps unions can take to bring more people into the trades.
“This is how you prove that you want to keep people in the industry,” Filpo said.
SMART caucus brings members together for the journey ahead
SMART General President Michael Coleman and the SMART Women’s Committee addressed and answered questions from TWBN attendees during the annual SMART caucus, which outlined our union’s dedication to bringing more women and underserved populations into our trade.
General President Coleman and the SMART International Women’s Committee
SMART Women’s Committee member Amy Carr kicked off the caucus by talking about growth, pointing out how many women have joined SMART since her first TWBN conference in Chicago in 2017, as well as how many local unions now have women’s committees. Chair Vanessa Carman then had the Women’s Committee members introduce themselves before subcommittee chairs overviewed the work they’ve undertaken in the last year, from working to increase the number of women in SMART and facilitating mentoring programs, to helping women members across North America create, sustain and strengthen local union women’s committees — and much more.
The Women’s Committee website has information and resources related to the on-the-ground work the committee is performing, committee member Subrina Sandefur said, including sister stories, information on parental support and childcare, and so much more. In addition, the Women’s Committee hosted a series of virtual events throughout the year, including informational sessions on pathways to leadership and union-wide Women In Construction Week celebrations.
General President Coleman then spoke to the caucus, acknowledging the work and leadership of the Women’s Committee.
“It is an honor to be here today, and it is an honor to represent you every day,” he said. “You are true trade unionists.”
Coleman paid tribute to the determination and fearlessness of women across our union, and said the women at TWBN reminded him of trailblazing workers’ and civil rights leaders from throughout history.
“You are making a difference in this world,” he explained. “There are so many people that don’t have the opportunity to make a difference. You are making a difference, a tangible difference, that you should all embrace, every single day.”
Our SMART sisters are changing the lives of working women across North America, Coleman continued, leading by example as they fight for better pay, working conditions and contracts that eliminate the gender pay gap. He vowed to walk in lockstep with women across our union as they take on those battles. “I want you to know that I’ve got your back,” he concluded. “General President Sellers, he led. And I’m promising each and every one of you: I will lead in the same way. We are going to continue in this movement, and I will fight for every single one of you.”
Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) is the largest conference of tradeswomen in the world, created by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) to help women in the construction industry achieve access, opportunity and equity at work. From October 28–30, 2022, more than 3,100 tradeswomen from across North America gathered in Las Vegas to share experiences and best practices with fellow tradeswomen, learn about new programs and opportunities in the industry, and to engage with top leaders from government, industry and the 15 largest international building trades unions.
The three-day conference featured two formal plenary sessions, a banner parade on the Las Vegas strip and over a dozen workshops on a range of topics addressing unique and critical issues faced by tradeswomen in the workforce.
The plenaries included powerful keynote speeches and remarks from NABTU President Sean McGarvey, U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo, U.S. Labor Relations Manager Allison Ziogas, Las Vegas Raiders President Sandra Douglass Morgan, AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, IUBAC International President Tim Driscoll, U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau Director Wendy Chun-Hoon and a host of others
Over 300 SMART sisters and allies attended the conference and participated in workshops covering a wide range of topics.
The “Women in Union Leadership” workshop was led by a panel of women in leadership positions across several unions, including Alicia Mijares from SM Local 104 (northern California). Panelists shared how they became leaders in the field, on committees and working in business managers’ offices. Each panelist outlined their journey, challenges, growth, highlights and recommendations for those in attendance.
Annet Del Rosario, a foreperson and member of SM Local 206 in San Diego, was part of a group of panelists discussing “Lean-In Circles For Women in the Trades.” Lean-in circles are comprised of small groups of women who come together to support each other and learn new skills — and help women amplify their power. The interactive workshop prompted attendees to connect with each other and learn how to advocate for themselves at work.
“…the energy in this room is unparalleled. All of these attendees are dedicated trade unionists and the lifeblood of our future. It is my privilege and honor to stand here with my sisters who are forging a path forward for our organization.” – SMART GP Joseph Sellers
“How to Be a Male Ally in the Construction Industry” was designed specifically for men attending the conference. It featured an all-male panel which discussed the crucial role male allies play in promoting gender equality at work. Attendees learned how to better advocate for tradeswomen, help improve jobsite environments and increase diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging in the construction industry.
Another panel discussed childcare strategies for women working in the trades. Childcare has served as a barrier to many women looking to establish a career in construction. With labor shortages present across the construction industry, attendees focused on how the unionized trades could take the lead on tackling this issue and open careers to a greater number of participants.
For the unionized share of the construction industry to thrive, everyone must have a seat at the table — women, young workers, veterans and historically marginalized communities — and that can only be accomplished through inclusion and solidarity. A session on that topic, featuring panelists from the IBEW, covered how these populations are an asset within the workforce. Workshop participants learned best practices for garnering the support of local union and national leadership, overcoming obstacles and building an environment where a culture of inclusiveness can expand.
According to SMART General President Joseph Sellers, who attended TWBN with SMART General Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Powell, “the energy in this room is unparalleled. All of these attendees are dedicated trade unionists and the lifeblood of our future.”
“It is my privilege and honor to stand here with my sisters who are forging a path forward for our organization,” he added.
More than 300 SMART sisters, allies and leaders gathered during the 2022 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference in Las Vegas for a SMART Army service event, creating paracord bracelets for military servicemembers. The effort served as a powerful reminder that SMART’s union solidarity always extends beyond our membership.
Paracord bracelets, also known as “survival bracelets,” are made from durable paracord strands that can be repurposed to meet an enormous range of needs, including carrying gear, creating makeshift pulley lines, hanging tarp, suturing wounds and much more. That utility makes the bracelets an ideal accessory for active servicemembers. Beyond that, though, paracord bracelets serve as an ever-present morale boost — a reminder, for those deployed, of the countless Americans back home who support soldiers and veterans
The SMART Army’s bracelet-making event, which specifically benefited Soldiers’ Angels, took place following a SMART reception on Friday, October 28, with members from across North America — spanning rank-and-file union sisters, local leaders and international leadership — putting in the hard work to benefit those who serve. By the end of the night, the SMART Army had created 357 bracelets: a staggering number that illustrates our union’s commitment to honoring those who sacrifice for us.
