Boston Tradeswomen's Network

CONTACT:

555 Amory Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130
617-524-3010

Etty Padmodipoetro, President

DESCRIPTION:

Construction work is a viable way out of poverty and into economic self-sufficiency for women, but its full potential is not realized owing to various impediments. Tradeswomen comprise only 2 percent of the construction workforce nationally, but they are unemployed far more than their male counterparts, which forces many to seek other careers. The Boston Tradeswomen's Network (BTN) was formed in 1990 to increase the number and diversity of women working in non-traditional, blue-collar occupations. In 1991 the group developed a Registry of Tradeswomen to illuminate why Boston had such high unemployment despite unmet affirmative action goals. Today the Registry lists over 600 tradeswomen in 13 trades, about 40% of whom are self-supporting or single heads of households. It is a strong resource linking contractors, unions and government agencies with qualified potential workers . In 1996-8 BTN led a successful "Close the Gap" campaign to leverage available federal incentive funds for Massachusetts by mandating the placement of women in 5% of construction hours on state-funded building projects; its "Compliance Campaign" works to ensure that the mandate is actually met. BTN also runs a leadership training program, a Health and Safety project, a Speakers Bureau for broader outreach, a Resource Guide for women in or seeking to enter the trades, a mentor program, a diversity project, and an effort to increase women's retention in the field. BTN fills a strategically significant and worthy niche in the over-all feminist movement, and you can help it "put more women to work."

(1999: HUMAN SERVICES: Girls and Women: General)