`

No Balls?

NYCDCC Women’s softball team 2006 called “No Balls”

NO Problem!!!A Photographic

History Of

the Sisters in

the NYDCCDana Havas, Linnea Nelson, and

Torie Aldrich

The First Women in the UBC were admitted in 1918 by default as the Union Absorbed a boxmakers local

• The women boxmakers were received begrudgingly

• They received no international benefits

1957• The UBC Constitution was amended to include the term

“sister” to represent the 8,864 women in the brotherhood

1978

Left: Dorthy Comneck, a 20+ year member and New York Civil Service Carpenter

Right: Connie Reyes, an activist and single mother who became the first female student at New York’s Labor Technical College

1979• United Tradeswomen is formed to address the

concerns of the growing number of tradeswomen in NYC

Including a young Elly Spicer

They Print Newsletters

They hold meetings and talk about common issues such as:

Sexual Harassment

At right: Irene Soloway, United Tradeswomen Co-founder and Pioneer of Sister’s Activism.

Pregnancy Rights

Lisa Narducci, 20+ yr.

Local 157 member

& How To Organizeand Build Membership

With sisters like young Star Reed, currentlya 20+ yearand Local 608 member

They Organized Demonstrations

UT protests hiring

discrimination at

Convention Center site

where less than 1 in

150 workers are women

Get illegally fired tradeswomenRE-HIRED after contractors tell

them “There is No Work Here For WOMEN”

“Fair Treatment NOW!”Irene Soloway

Fight alongside workers

from around the

nation for total Union

Democracy

United Tradeswomen write to Leadership, asking for backing of a

women’s committee

Leaders respond saying women “experience more

abuses as secretaries than they do on construction

sites”

Hmmmm….

But Despite Opposition…

Women Worked

Early 80’s

NEW fights for representation on federally

funded jobsites such as the North River

Water Pollution Project

Where Rebecca Lurie worked and many

women got their start

Rebecca Lurie, 20+ year member of Local 608 and former Steering Committee member

1983

• 500 tradeswomen gather in California for National Tradeswomen Conference. 40 are from the UBC

1990’s

• Slow growth of Women Membership…

• NEW grows..

• UT dismantles

• Ad hoc committees continue to organize

In 2000, UBC Women

form Sisters in the

Brotherhood, their

own official committee

2002

First ever International UBC Women’s

Conference in Las Vegas

Mike Forde sends 6 sisters from New York

This Committee was officially recognized

They prove a woman’s place is in her UNION…

23 NYCDCC women attend 2nd UBC conference in 2005

They met with Doug MCCarron

(r. to l) Mary Ann Addorisio, Linnea Nelson, Doug McCarron, Elly Spicer, Nefertari Barnes

Rebecca Lurie, Dorthy Comneck, Doug McCarron,

Catherine Swain, Gracie Morgan

They eat shrimp…

Most importantly, they ORGANIZED!

2006Elly Spicer becomes the 1st Woman

Delegate in NY

2008: Liz Sgroi first woman delegate elected for local 157

Hey, it’s a start…

Progress?

In 1980 there were 30 women in the NYDCC:

today there are over 450 active sisters

Into The 80’s Sisters’ presence felt

Lynda Lyday & Chryse Gibson of Local 608

Win apprenticeship contest in 1980’s

Joining the ranks of sisters making history is Dana Havas, Local 157

Winner of Interior Systems Golden Hammer in 2007

2008: FIVE women compete in the apprentice contest!!!!!

Diane Marinconz

Jessica Smith

Caro MarreroEmily Huffman

Stephanie Lawal

2006

Co-workers throw Djar

Horn a Baby Shower on

the jobsite

2006

Steering Committee

Member Kathleen

Klohe’s son Zach enters

the apprenticeship

school. Adding to the

history of mother-son

duos

Be Proud

June 2008: Sisters marched for the first time in NYC’s Pride parade

And we work HARD…

Star Reed

We form bonds…

Erin Fass, Andrea Jaco, Linnea Nelson at Tradeswomen’s Mother’s Day rally in 2002

And we’re here to stay

Elaine Stanley, Sandra Quinones, Olga Aguilar (An all women apprentice crew) with their foreman John Lewis.