Upcoming Event: FREE Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) Training

The Asian Community Development Corporation (ACDC) and Suffolk Construction will be hosting a free 10-hour Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) training. The training will cover OSHA regulations and requirements that are necessary as you apply to the construction industry. This will be a good opportunity  for women looking to enter the construction industry.

Saturday January 24th, 2015, 8:30am-3:30pm
Sunday January 25th, 2015 8:30am-3:30pm

OSHA Training
38 Oak Street 
Boston, MA 02111

For more information, check out the event flyer.
If you have any questions or need to sign up, please call Brian McPherson at 617-517-4446 or email BMcPherson@suffolk.com

Repost: MassGaming to establish ‘Access and Opportunity’ committee, Initiative created to support state’s commitment to ensuring workforce and vendor diversity

Last week, The Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced their plans to establish an Access and Opportunity Committee for "the primary function of monitoring diversity in the construction workforce and supplier base of the state's resort-casino licensees" (MGC Communications, 11 Dec. 2014). This motion was passed unanimously by The Commission on December 4. The Policy Group on Tradeswomen's Issues (PGTI) co-conveners Susan Moir and Elizabeth Skidmore expressed their excitement for the achievement, which was spurred in part by The Commission's collaboration with PGTI. "'After six years of hard work developing best practices for increasing the number of women in construction jobs, this is a great milestone, and we look forward to continuing to work with the Commission'" (MGC Communications, 11 Dec. 2014). With major construction planned for new casinos in Massachusetts, this motion means hundreds of jobs for tradeswomen.

To read the full news release, visit http://massgaming.com or download the PDF.

Repost: Iron fist in a velvet glove, Chinese women on construction site

© 2009 - 2012 ChinaHush

ChinaHush recently published striking photos of women working in construction in China, where "woman construction workers have taken up 10.18% of the total construction site workforce" (Lee, 24 Sept. 2014). Many of these women work side-by-side with their husbands, earning wages to support their families. While these jobs often provide better wages and greater freedom than factory jobs, women workers typically make less money than their male counterparts--in the case of 32-year-old Yang Amei, 120 yuan instead of the 160 yuan per day that her husband earns (Lee, 24 Sept. 2014). In recent years, women have taken on roles that require "heavy lifting" on the construction sites--work that was previous reserved for men.

To read the full article and view the photos, visit http://www.chinahush.com/.

Upcoming Event: WOW Book Talk Series with Dr. Mary Gatta - 10/9/14, 1-3pm

As part of their 50th Anniversary Book Talk Series, Wider Opportunities for Women (WOW) will host an event featuring new CEO Amanda Andere and Dr. Mary Gatta, who will discuss her new book, All I Want Is a Job! Unemployed Women Navigating the Public Workforce System.

Thursday, October 9th, 1-3pm

Jobs for the Future
88 Broad St, 8th Floor Conference Room

Boston, MA 02110 

For more information, check out the event flyer. To RSVP, visit WOW online.

Repost: Lessons from returning women migrant workers

A recent article in The Phnom Penh Post illuminates the importance of protecting Cambodian women who face many challenges and dangers while they migrate to and from worksites in Thailand:

"Chandy’s story was positive – she received her wages, retained her belongings and returned to Cambodia unharmed. But in crossing into Thailand as an irregular migrant, there were no guarantees of her safety or protection. Indeed, many of Chandy’s fellow returnees had much darker stories to tell." (Holliday, 10 Sept. 2014)

Chandy's story is just one of many women who overcome barriers to earn a living for themselves and their families.

Visit http://www.phnompenhpost.com/ to read the full article. 

Repost: Manufacturing and Women

A group of federal, state, educational, community, and industry leaders recently gathered at The New Haven Connecticut Chamber of Commerce for "a roundtable discussion focused on the need for more women business owners and more women in advanced manufacturing positions" (USDOL, 4 Sept. 2014). Congratulations to Women's Bureau regional administrator Jacqueline Cooke and the other leaders on their continued efforts to recruit and retain women in non-traditional occupations.

Visit http://www.dol.gov to read the full article in the USDOL newsletter.

Repost: CAWIC Calls on Construction Industry to Promote Women's Advancement

Earlier this year, the Canadian Association of Women in Construction (CAWIC) announced its plans to "conduct research and develop an action plan to improve women's advancement into leadership roles within the construction industry" with support from a sizable government grant (CAWIC, 21 February 2014). CAWIC is recruiting employers in Alberta, Ontario and Newfoundland/Labrador to collaborate with as part of its Women's Advancement Project (CNW, 26 August 2014).

Visit http://www.newswire.ca to read CAWIC's most recent press release and www.cawic.ca to learn more about CAWIC.

Repost: Mayor Walsh targets gang members for jobs - Trade unions step up with apprenticeships

The Boston Herald recently reported that Mayor Walsh and attorney Daniel Mulhern have developed a program, Operation Exit, to direct youth involved in street violence to employment in the building trades. Select individuals will complete an apprenticeship program and subsequently gain access to union employment and benefits. Walsh states:

''It’s a great way to get somebody into an industry where they’re going to make a good amount of money in the beginning, but it gets them off the street, hopefully gets them to understand the importance of working and the value of working,' Walsh told the Herald. 'And it will help us on the backside by taking some of the key players off the street'" (Encarnacao, 18 July 2014).

Visit http://bostonherald.com/ to read the full article.

Repost: Newly launched program gives women a pathway to building trades

Great article in the May 16 2014 issue of New Hampshire Business Review describing Building Pathways New Hampshire (BPNH)'s efforts to help women access good jobs in the construction industry:

"Lisa Wiggin was looking for a career change. A 40-something nurse’s assistant, she wanted a job that was 'more hands-on' and gave her the satisfaction of working on a project and seeing something finished. 

At a visit to the unemployment office, Wiggin learned about Building Pathways New Hampshire, a program to provide pre-apprenticeship training to unemployed and underemployed women in hopes of building the female ranks in the construction industry. About 13 women were selected for the inaugural class, which began May 12 and runs for five weeks" (Lamontagne Hall, 16 May 2014).

Visit http://www.nhbr.com/ to read the full article.

Repost: Hundreds of girls try out nontraditional jobs at career fair

Congratulations to our colleagues at Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. for bringing over 2,000 women and girls to their recent Women in Trades Career Fair!



Here's a short recap from nwlaborpress.org:

"More than 2,000 women and teenagers were introduced to careers in 'non-traditional' trades such as construction worker, lineman, and firefighter at the 22nd annual Women in Trades Career Fair held May 8-10 in Northeast Portland" (Northwest Labor Press, 14 May 2014).

Visit http://www.katu.com/news, http://nwlaborpress.org/, and http://www.tradeswomen.net/Fair/ to learn more.

Repost: New Women's Bureau Director

President Obama appointed Latifa Lyles as the 17th director of the Women's Bureau, and she was officially sworn in on March 11. As director of the Women's Bureau, Lyles works to advance and improve policies and programs for women in the labor force. "The Women's Bureau has been working to level the playing field for more than 90 years," Lyles said. "It has been on the cutting edge of promoting policies that continue to help millions of working women, and I am excited to lead the agency during such a critical time."

View the USDOL newsletter to view the original article or learn more about Director Latifa Lyles.

Repost: Women aged 40 'happiest at work'

New study from the UK shows happiest workers are 40-year old women, and construction is listed as the first of the industries "with the highest proportion of fulfilled workers."

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WORKERS who are most happy in their professional life are likely to be well-educated women aged 40, working in a secure industry offering a good work/life balance, according to a new British study.

A survey of 2000 employees by recruiter Randstad found that ambitious women were getting the most from work.

The firm drew up the profile of a "very fulfilled" worker, saying it was likely to be a 40-year-old, well educated woman, earning STG31,600 ($A58,340) a year, having a positive personality, with a sense of vocation in their career.

Industries with the highest proportion of fulfilled workers included construction, farming, teaching, social work, hospitality and health, while below average scores were found in manufacturing, the public sector and financial services.

"As the debate about equal opportunities at work continues, it's inspiring to see that women are on top in terms of fulfilment," said Mark Bull, chief executive of Randstad.

"Clearly, not everyone in the UK can be a well-educated, 40-year-old woman, but you don't have to fit the typical profile of a very fulfilled worker in order to reach your full potential and feel more fulfilled in your career.

"Sadly, you may not find many 40-year-old women working within the construction sector. However, construction staff do tend to work in a vocational environment and often derive a real sense of satisfaction from seeing a project develop from the ground up which is why they have such a high proportion of very fulfilled staff within the workforce.

"Similarly, staff within education, social work and healthcare will also have a strong sense of vocation and derive satisfaction from helping others and all of these characteristics fit the typical profile of a very fulfilled worker."

To view the original article, visit http://www.heraldsun.com.au.

Repost: Meet Janette Wipper, OFCCP's New Pacific Regional Director

Dear Colleagues,

Today, I am pleased to welcome Janette Wipper to OFCCP as our new Regional Director for the Pacific.

Janette (starts out like “just” not “January”) comes to OFCCP from Sanford Heisler, a national civil rights law firm. During her seven-year tenure there, she litigated complex class action lawsuits on behalf of workers facing discrimination, misclassification and wage theft. In 2010 she was tapped to serve as Managing Partner, overseeing the establishment and expansion of Sanford Heisler’s San Francisco office.

At the firm, Janette served as lead advisor and consultant on the use of statistical evidence and experts in numerous class action cases. Among her many significant victories is the landmark Novartis lawsuit in which the pharmaceutical giant had to pay $250 million for discriminating against 5,600 female sales representatives in pay, promotion and because of pregnancy. That is the largest jury award for workers in a class action sex discrimination case ever. And Janette played a crucial role in the victory by uncovering flaws in the analysis used by a key expert for the defense. For her efforts on the Novartis case, she was named one of Law360’s rising stars in March of 2013.

Prior to joining Sanford, Janette practiced civil rights impact litigation at the Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law, the NAACP and New York Lawyers for the Public Interest. Throughout her career, she has been a champion for social and environmental justice on behalf of low-wage workers, women and communities of color. A native of Brooklyn, New York, Janette received a B.A. from The University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Vermont Law School. In between acquiring these two degrees, she worked as field coordinator in Ecuador, advocating on behalf of indigenous communities affected by oil contamination in the Amazon. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and five-year-old daughter.

As the head of OFCCP’s Pacific operations, Janette will oversee more than 100 staff working 12 offices and responsible for enforcement across 11 states and territories. The Pacific is one of the largest and most diverse regions in our agency, and, over the past year, staff in the region were responsible for negotiating more than $2.2 million in back wages and 933 job offers on behalf of 3,685 workers affected by discrimination – the largest remedies in the nation.

I am thrilled to welcome Janette to OFCCP and am confident that she will be a terrific addition to our team! I know you will agree.

Pat

Career Opportunity: Boston Resident Jobs Program (BRJP) Monitor position available

Job Title: Sr. Research Analyst (Boston Residents Jobs Program)

Job ID: 346702

Location: ASD-Boston Residents Jobs Policy



Full/Part Time: Full-Time
Regular/Temporary: Regular

BRIEF JOB DESCRIPTION (essential functions of the job):
Under the supervision of the Manager of Boston Residents Jobs Program (BRJP), monitors public and privately funded construction projects to ensure contractor compliance with relevant City of Boston policies and Federal and State regulations.

• Conducts kick-off meetings and pre-construction conferences with developers, general contractors and project managers. 
• Conducts on-site monitoring of the participation of minority, women and Boston residents. 
• Verifies reported employment data and wage data. 
• Conducts quarterly review meetings to review contractors' performance goals, and review cases of non-compliance, and statements of recommended corrective actions. 
• Prepares reports and make presentations before the Boston Employment Commission (BEC). 
• Performs related work as required. 

MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Must have four (4) years of fulltime, or equivalent part-time, experience in research work including project monitoring and statistics. A bachelor's degree may be substitute for two (2) years of the required experience. Must have computer knowledge of Microsoft software; knowledge of City utilized software and hardware preferred. Excellent written and oral communication skills and willingness to travel to sites throughout the City of Boston on public transportation; writing sample; knowledge of the construction trades and related legislation; ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.

Boston Residency Required

Terms: Union/Salary Plan/Grade: SEIU/RL-18
Hours per week: 35

Please refer to the Salary Information section on the Boston Career Center site for more information on compensation. For each Salary Plan, salaries are listed by Grade and Step.

Visit the City Job Postings webpage for more information.

Career Opportunities: The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is Hiring

The Massachusetts Water Resources Authority is currently accepting applications for the following positions:

OB POSTINGS	APPLICATION DEADLINE
JVA #6532, Program Manager, Water Quality Assurance	09/26/13
JVA #6531, Jr. Civil Engineer	09/26/13
JVA #6454, Plumber/Pipefitter	09/25/13
JVA #6519, M&O Specialist	09/24/13
JVA #6526, IT Project Manager, III	09/18/13
JVA #6523, Operator	09/18/13
JVA #6506, Sr. Staff Engineer, Electrical	n/a

Visit http://www.mwra.state.ma.us to submit your application.

Yesterday Cleveland Signed Community Benefits Agreement

Community benefits agreement aims to keep construction work local

By JAY MILLER
1:46 pm, September 16, 2013

A group of Cleveland’s leading institutions, some of the city’s largest contractors and the building trades unions today formally endorsed an agreement designed to provide what Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson described as “a self-help approach to economic development.”

Called a community benefits agreement, or CBA, the memorandum — signed by 10 organizations that expect to spend billions of dollars on construction projects in the next several years — sets standards designed to encourage the use of local labor and local contracting firms, in particular minority and female workers and firms.

It also would expand apprenticeship and pre-apprenticeship programs and study best practices for improving diversity and inclusion in the construction industry, which Mayor Jackson said is critical for training Cleveland residents for jobs in the building trades.

“Never before have you seen the private sector step forward and voluntarily say they would participate in a program that would result in community benefits,” Mayor Jackson told Crain’s Cleveland Business. “We need to keep those dollars local and spend them in a way that creates jobs and support businesses. Not only will this construction activity support local construction firms, but they have to buy their goods and materials” locally as well.

University Hospitals Health System, in its Vision 2010 construction program, laid the foundation for this community benefits agreement when it made a concerted effort to ensure that as much as possible of the $1.2 billion it spent on construction between 2005 and 2010 benefited local businesses and workers.

“This is really about culture change,” said Steven Standley, chief administrative officer of UH, who was among the signers of the CBA this morning in the Red Room at Cleveland City Hall. Mr. Standley said the hospital system believes it needs to play a role in developing the next generation of local construction workers, construction firms and even health care workers.

“It’s really about pipeline,” he said. “Everybody is starting to figure out that we don’t have the next generation of people ready to take over and everyone is starting to realize” they must help support that next generation locally.

In addition to UH, endorsers of the seven-page CBA memorandum of understanding were William Peacock, chief of operations for The Cleveland Clinic Foundation; Scott Miller, vice president of Dominion East Ohio; Fred Geis, president of Geis Cos.; Michael Heise, president of The Medical Center Co.; Julius Ciaccia Jr., executive director of the Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District; Stephen Campbell, vice president of campus planning and facilities management at Case Western Reserve University; and Eric Gordon, CEO of the Cleveland Municipal School District.

The CBA has been in the works for several years and the memorandum of understanding that was endorsed last February by the city of Cleveland, the Greater Cleveland Partnership, the Construction Employers Association, the Hispanic Roundtable, Hard Hatted Women, the Urban League of Greater Cleveland, Cuyahoga Community College, and the Cleveland Building and Construction Trades Council.

To view the original article, visit http://www.crainscleveland.com/.

Save the Date: "Building Economic Security for Low-Income Women" Roundtable on Fri, 9/27/13, 9:30-11:30am

Budget Buddies

Center for Women & Work at University of MA, Lowell

Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union

The U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau

INVITE YOU TO AN IMPORTANT ROUNDTABLE:

BUILDING ECONOMIC SECURITY FOR LOW-INCOME WOMEN

Friday, September 27, 2013

9:30 to 11:30 a.m.

Corporate Offices of Jeanne D’Arc Credit Union

257 Father Morissette Blvd, Lowell, MA

The roundtable will bring thought leaders in the Greater Lowell area together to discuss potential pathways to financial stability for low-income women once they’ve learned essential money-management skills. During this time we will break into four work groups that will consider the following topics:

   1) How do we help women find flexible work situations?
   2) How can women qualify for higher-paying jobs?
   3) What opportunities are available for women in “green” jobs?
   4) How can we help homeless women veterans reenter the work force?

Attendance is free but registration is required. Space limited to 25

RSVP: To register, please send an e-mail to kathrynbrough@verizon.net by close of business on September 23 and include your name, organization, and telephone number. Please also indicate your preference(s), if any, for the work group you’d like to join.

Save the Date: 9/20/13 USDOL Women's Bureau & The Construction Institute Will Host "Engaging Women for STEM, Non-Traditional, and Green Careers"

THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR WOMEN’S BUREAU & THE CONSTRUCTION INSTITUTE INVITES YOU TO AN IMPORTANT ROUNDTABLE: ENGAGING WOMEN FOR STEM, NON-TRADITIONAL, AND GREEN CAREERS 

The roundtable will bring together leaders in the Metro Boston area to discuss potential pathways for women to become involved in careers related to science, technology, math, and engineering (STEM). This discussion will also draw on ideas for engaging women in green and non-traditional careers. Some of the topic questions to be considered are:

1. How can women qualify for STEM, Non-Traditional, and Green Careers? 
2. What opportunities are available for women in “green” jobs and STEM? 
3. How can we help women transition from traditional occupations to non-traditional ones? 

DATE: Tuesday, September 20, 2013

TIME: 9:00 a.m. – 10:30 a.m.

WHERE: Sheet Metal Workers Training Center, 1181 Adams St. Dorchester 

Attendance is free but registration is required. Space limited to 25.

RSVP: To register, please send an e-mail to Rizzolo.Angela@dol.gov by close of business hours on September 18 and include your name, organization, and telephone number.

For questions, please call: Angela Rizzolo @ 617-565-1988.

Our special thanks to the Sheet Metal Workers Training Center for co-hosting this roundtable.

Repost: Order to give boost to minorities, women in construction

Mayor Francis Slay signs Executive Order #46
(Photo from the City of St. Louis)

10:04 AM, Dec 12, 2012

Written by Kristen Gosling

St. Louis (KSDK) -  St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay issued an executive order effective immediately to try and increase the number of women and minorities involved in construction jobs.

Executive Order #46 extends the existing workforce goals on city public works projects, commonly known as Board Bill 75, to all TIF projects that are $1-million or larger. The first such project will be the CORTEX project in the Central West End. CORTEX is embarking on a $186 million development that will bring 1,400 new jobs and 384,000 square feet of additional lab and office space to the district.

The workforce goals are as follows:

• Twenty five percent of labor hours are to be performed by minorities. 
• Five percent of labor hours are to be performed by women. 
• 20% of labor hours are to be performed by City residents, although those hours can also be counted towards the first two goals. 
• Fifteen percent of all hours are to be performed by apprentices enrolled in an approved training program, although those hours can be counted towards the first two goals.

The St. Louis Development Corporation and the St. Louis Area Agency on Training will implement the order.

The goals will be in effect until the city completes a disparity study next summer, whic would measure existing workforce capacity adn utilization. The disparity study will set new goals.

Read the original article at www.ksdk.com or watch video coverage of the story at www.fox2now.com.

Sources: KSDK and FOX2Now

UMass Boston Workforce Outcomes posted- you won't believe the outcomes!

Quick read: The Access and Opportunity goals and outcomes for the multi-million dollar UMass Boston project have been posted!

Have you seen the new website for UMass Boston projects (www.mass.gov/dcam/umb)?

The new site is to encourage community outreach and access for UMass Boston, and that includes providing information and reports about progress towards diversity goals. There is information for current and prospective employees, contractors, and other members of the community.

The Access and Opportunity goals and outcomes for the $700+ million UMass Boston project have been posted! Check them out, then let your voice be heard by coming to an Access and Opportunities Committee meeting or contacting a committee member.

Sneak peek of the latest report

Note: You can view the UMass Boston PLA here.