Union aims to smooth trades work for women
BY BILL MAH, POSTMEDIA NEWS NOVEMBER 7, 2011
"Women's issues are not necessarily the same as male issues on a job site and in non-traditional occupations," says Martyn Piper, executive secretary of the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers.
Photograph by: Bruce Edwards, Postmedia News, Postmedia News
Some of the challenges faced by women working in the trades might never occur to a man.
"Harnesses," said Margaret McDonald, a scaffolder from Fort McMurray.
"The harnesses for when we climb high steel. Trying to make sure a company has the right size to fit women. It's little things like that."
McDonald said most employers are usually "pretty good" about having their safety officers supply harnesses fitted for women. "It might take a while before you get it."
But not all issues faced by women in the trades are as easily fixed.
More than 100 people, mostly women working in non-traditional jobs, took part in a recent conference looking at how job sites meet the unique needs of women.
The Women's Conference hosted by the Alberta Regional Council of Carpenters and Allied Workers, a union representing 11,500 Albertans - including about 480 women. The event for networking and education came six months after the union created a women's committee to help female members play a bigger role in an industry dominated by men.
"Women's issues are not necessarily the same as male issues on a job site and in non-traditional occupations," said Martyn Piper, the union's executive secretary.
Journeyman scaffolder Brandi Thorne, chair of the women's committee, originally studied at university to become a statistician, but an opportunity came up to work in the same field as her husband.
"Some of the differences are that we tend to live with a higher demand for family and child care, elder care, and we have different physical needs," Thorne said of men and women.
The conference offered workshops on issues such as parenting and pregnancy, fitness and nutrition, respect in the workplace and effective communication, and as well as talks from government, labour and industry representatives.
"The weekend is also about finding the voices of women and what are the barriers that exist out there and what would the solutions be to break down those barriers and get more women - and keep more women in construction," Thorne said.
Alberta in particular and industry in general have been trying to coax more women and more aboriginals to enter the trades as a worker shortage looms.
In 2010, 17,400 Albertans retired, 2,300 more than in 2009, and about 190,000 are expected to retire in the next 10 years. The province says Alberta will face a shortage of at least 77,000 workers in the next decade.
© Copyright (c) The Windsor Star
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