Labor Women Who Lead

Saturday, March 25th from 10 a.m. -11:00 a.m. EST

This Women’s History Month, ReImagine Appalachia and BlueGreen Alliance hosted a panel on Saturday, March 25th at 10 a.m. to hear from women who are doing trade work – from building skyscrapers to the halls of the White House. We learned about successful strategies that can expand opportunities, increase diversity, and encourage more women to find success in these family-sustaining jobs.

Women have been contributing their skills to build America since before WWII – and yet women still represent less than 5% of the construction trade and other skilled workers across most of the US. We have a historic opportunity to bring more women into the trades with new federal investments coming into our region.

Panelists at this virtual roundtable discussed where we’ve been, where we are and where we need to go.

Watch the recording here

Speakers included:

Gina Cooper – International Vice President, IBEW Fourth District
Doreen Cannon – Plumbers Local 55, ASSE International Board Member, CBCTC Tradeswomen Committee Chair
Joanne Manganello – Director of Pennsylvania Government Relations, LIUNA Mid-Atlantic Regional Organizing Coalition
Angela Swan – 1st year apprentice with Bricklayers Local 4, Kentucky
Linda Hamilton – IUOE Local 132, West Virginia
Tanji Gilliam – Coordinator, North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU)
Nicole Schwartz – Executive Director TradesFutures
Tammi Fleming – Infrastructure Investment Equity Fellow at the United States Department of Labor, where she serves as a member of the Women’s Bureau and the Good Jobs Initiatives