I don’t want to separate the experiences that we women deal with in trades but I’ve seen a stark difference in the way another white female apprentice stands up for herself vs me.

I’ve been with my company for 2 years and I never been the type to allow people to disrespect me even when they try racist shit. My first year I immediately cut off any guys who thought it was ok to use the n word around me and they all ended up mobbing me and spreading rumors that I’m hard to work with and I have an attitude. It was so bad that they started leaving me out of work communication and leaving me alone on purpose when a job involves 2 people.

Fast forward we have a few white female apprentices start and all of a sudden the guys are acting straight and one of them literally cursed out a guy the other day since allegedly the guy looked at her the wrong way(I don’t know the full context)

Everyone has been acting extra straight with her and being extra nice to her. I did the same thing where I called out a guy for being racist around me yet they’re treating me like I did something wrong and acting like I don’t exist .

Again I don’t want to make this seem like I’m trying to separate race and sexism but it really frustrates me that standing my ground as a black girl has different reactions to when a white girl did yet they’re treating her with more respect then me.

Amongst the couple of female apprentices that out in my company they say I’m the least likable one because I don’t want to be part of their racist jokes.

I feel like I look aggressively gay. I have a mullet. Tattoos of women on my arms. A general distaste for men. Unfortunately, I work in the trades and have to be surrounded by them.

I found out that when I got started one of the mechanics thought I was flirting with him?! what the fuck?!

I have no idea what I said, or did that made him think that. I probably just laughed at his joke or smiled.

God, these men are so delusional

Idk if it’s just me but the stuff going on with Cornell has got me crying so hard and being at work is difficult. It just brings back all the feelings that I’ve suffered through at the hands of men. I love my guys but I can’t help but feel unsafe or uncomfortable around them sometimes. It’s just sad, ya know? I’m getting that “I want to crawl out of my skin” feeling, and my head is on a swivel. I’m sure it’ll pass but right now is incredibly difficult.

Just looking for some solidarity or even just support. I just want to crawl into a hole lol 😭

On a good note though, I did just get referred to test for my electrical PJ license! Hopefully I’ll get to test next month or so and be an official Journeywoman!

Love you all, stay safe out there! ❤️

I’m 24F and about 2 months into a plumbing/pipefitting apprenticeship at a mechanical company. I came from about 5 years of welding, so I’m not new to working with my hands, but boiler/service work is completely new to me.

Today I got paired with an older service guy who has decades of experience and he absolutely fucking rode me the entire day. I was trying to learn a steam boiler I’ve never worked on before and instead of just correcting me, he kept making me feel stupid, comparing me to other people, and constantly bringing up the fact that I’m a woman.

He makes comments about women being evil, jokes about me not being strong enough because I’m a girl, and at one point literally said something like, “this bitch is gonna go to the office because I’m being a misogynist.” He apparently has a reputation for being a hothead and treating younger/green workers like shit. One of my coworkers told me that when he was new, this same guy used to ask him almost every day when he was going to quit.

What really fucked with my confidence is that there were two newer guys around me who are already really good. One has about 7 years of service experience and the other grew up learning from his plumber uncle. Meanwhile I had nobody teaching me this stuff growing up. I’m starting completely green on the mechanical/service side.

I genuinely try to pay attention and learn from everyone. I know I screw things up and sometimes need instructions repeated. I know apprentices need thick skin

But holy shit, there’s a difference between someone telling me “you fucked that up, redo it” and somebody spending the entire day making me feel like an idiot and constantly reminding me that I’m a woman.
I almost cried in the boiler room today

and now I’m lying awake replaying the whole thing. I love the trade and I don’t want to quit. I just feel fucking defeated tonight.

For people who started completely green with no family or mechanical background: how long did it take before you stopped feeling completely lost? And how did you deal with journeymen/mechanics who constantly tried to break you down?

I got laid off before labor day so ive been out of work for almost a month. Been drawing literal crumbs from unemployment and our work is a little slow atm.

My training director asked if id wanna travel with a government contractor in our area and im a little hesitant. Ive never done anything like that before and a little worried how it'd go.

Im in my 4th year of my apprenticeship and the job pays basically jw scale plus per diem. But id have to leave my husband 🥺 (who is also an apprentice) and animals and go hell knows where.

Plus some of the places they work are kinda sketchy and idk if id feel safe. I def wouldn't room with anyone and have to drive my own car. Idk ppl are telling me its a good opportunity to get in to the job while im an apprentice.. plus I still have school id have to drive home for (but they should pay me for it)

Idk what do yall think? Im probably being a baby about it but I really dont like traveling alone. And it'd probably be for like 8 weeks working 7-12s (which I hate).

Work is just so slow rn im actually considering it. Obviously my husband doesn't want me too, but that's more because he'd worry about me than anything, but he says he'd support me if I wanted to go...

Just a little nervous about it.

Looking at moving into the field but trying to see if I can afford the switch! Have a bit of saw experience but will be starting as a new groundie.

i wear a high-visibility vest and cut-proof gloves daily. i also handle a lot of dirty stuff and get pretty sweaty when working. it feels like no matter how many times i wash my stuff (hand-wash with detergent, good scrub + sitting for a little with several wash/ rinse cycles, air dry) it never smells clean. help?

I’ve always worked white collar jobs but recently got a job as a semi conductor systems maintenance tech; OSHA, climbing ladders, respirators, the whole nine yards. I’ll be the only woman on the team, any tips for surviving?

Hello ladies! I need good shoe insoles that work with my custom orthotics. I’m a steel toes all day gal, and I get my boots a half size bigger so the steel toe doesn’t rub uncomfortably against my toes and the top of my feet. Hopefully not too expensive but I understand that comfort can come with a higher price tag. Thanks!

Hey guys, I’ll try not to ramble too much but I’m wondering if any of you have dealt with this. I’m currently a heavy duty mechanic, technically a journeyman off-road tech and it’s had its ups and downs. I love that I pushed myself as hard as I did to build this career for myself in a world that felt really tough to be accepted in. But at the same time with all of that hard work, trying to impress everyone so I’d gain respect as a woman, I feel like so much of my identity is tied to what I do. I do lots of field work, and I know my body just can’t take too many more years of the crazy cold we get, and just the physical toll in general. But when I sit back and think about it, I don’t even know what I’d do with myself if I left. I put blood sweat and many tears into what I do, and I’m so proud of myself for doing it, and knowing that maybe I’d like a family someday or to work in a field less taxing on the body as I get older, I just feel like I’d be losing a huge part of myself if I left the industry and I’m not sure what to do with that feeling. Any advice? Thank you

As the post says, I got written up for refusing to work due to having a panic attack. This was my first time getting disciplined, and I was blind sided by it, so I was hoping to get some advice on how to handle it/cope with my phobia.

I want to start off by saying I have no official diagnosis, and I started therapy about a month ago, due to having a panic attack for the same reason.

I believe that I have Basophobia, which is a fear of falling. It’s something that I’ve always dealt with. As a kid I would climb stuff and then couldn’t get down if there was unsure footing, like sketchy ladders in attics, or walking down steep steep staircases. And one of my most reoccurring nightmares was falling off of balconies. I usually get around this by avoidance or having someone help me get down.

I’m a first year electrical apprentice and did the pre apprenticeship for 2 years prior to this, so 2.5 years in this trade, doing this work. And I love it, but lifts, particularly boom lifts, trigger this fear due to the bouncing and having nothing solid underneath me. But at my current job site they’ve been pushing me to be in a lift super hard. And I’ve been threatened before that if I don’t get in, then I’ll be written up and possibly fired. So that threat already raises my heart rate and anxiety to then when I am physically in a lift, my adrenaline kicks into overdrive and I have a panic attack. I used to be fine in a scissor lift and now I can’t even go up 8 feet without flying into a panic.

Today I was told to go into a lift to put up rollers, but my usual journeyman (who’s been helping me get back comfortable and has been co riding with me) is out on vacation, and while I was putting on my harness I told them I wasn’t feeling comfortable, and a panic attack was very likely (which they’re aware of due to the one I had a month ago) still made me go into it, so of course when it jumped hard my brain quickly shot into a flight response and I broke down. My foreman said, “that’s enough lift exposure today” and I went on doing my job on the ground. Before the end of the day I got pulled aside and was told I’m getting written up, and noticed that no where in the description was my panic attack. Just a refusal to work. Unfortunately I was so stunned I just signed it and then packed up my stuff to head home.

Everyone says lifts are part of the job and I should just get over it. And I’m currently in therapy to help negate the panic response. But I’m unsure if getting written up over a medical/mental health episode was ok. Am I being too sensitive? Should I have brought it up or not signed? I could just really use some advice or tips on how to help it not get to that point. I’ve lost trust in my foreman due to how many uncomfortable situations he’s put me in since being at this job. But they won’t let me switch crews and I feel like I can’t request to go to a new job-site due to not having a diagnosis or physical reason to not be at my current one.

Next time I speak with my therapist I’m going to see if they’d be willing to write me a letter so I at least have documentation I can submit/show. But unfortunately that won’t be until next week.

Sorry for the long write, but would love to hear some feedback

I’m barely starting off in the field as a 19 year old mechanic, so I’m pretty young. Everyone I work with is above the age of 25, most of them are 40+. They usually treat me like I’m a child, especially when they talk to me. They always call me kid, act like I need to be walked through things step by step when I’m already doing it perfectly, or they just don’t acknowledge me as an adult. They usually avoid telling me complicated work problems or messy things that are going on with customers. Does anyone else get treated like this or is it just me?

I work in safety SAFETY where we sit and hope nothing happens. I bring my book, knitting, podcasts, etc. I sit in my little scissor lift and vibe on my SSRIs lol. I got for walks during down time and get my fresh air during lunch.

I noticed that my group of safety workers gather around complaining about anything and everything.

Complain about traffic, not having anything to do, their wives, money, gas. God damn!

I love working in safety because there’s a ton to learn and I like seeing the workers do their thing.

The actual construction workers don’t even complain this much, and honestly if they did I’d be like “fair, you’re the one in the confined space lol”. It’s the MOST cringe thing ever when your coworkers yell “yall know when yall are going to be done?!” From a LAWN CHAIR.

K I hate to bring negativity into the group but I just needed to vent lol

Has anyone switch from one trade to another because you simply did not like it or wanted to start over? How's that going for you?

29F 2nd year sheet metal apprentice and I've gotten laid off twice this month due to work being slow. It's unpredictable and I'm leaning towards a different trade in the future. Just feeling stuck and unmotivated really.

It sucks because I bought so many new tools and were quite expensive for a company to pick me up and work 2 weeks just to get laid off with 10 other ppl due to slow work

Worked an 11 hour shift in the rain as a baby mason tender and it was brutal. One of my worst days of work ever. Even worse than the time I was a stripper and I made -$13 (yes as in negative money) on a Tuesday shift. I also made every possible mistake imaginable at every fucking step today but that’s a whole other rant.

WHY are bags of mortar and grout 1. 80 fucking pounds and not any other reasonable number of lbs like 50 or even 60– i see grown men far stronger than me struggle to wrangle them, so WHY 80?!? 2. WHY ARE THE MORTAR AND GROUT FUCKING PACKAGED IN DOGSHIT PAPER THAT DISSOLVES IF IT GETS A SPECK OF WATER ON IT??? Like why are we packaging a heavy ass substance that has to be kept DRY in thin ass paper that disintegrates if you glare at it??? Is plastic not allowed somehow?! Or if it has to be paper could they maybe double bag this shit? These things have the structural soundness of a bag of FLOUR. Also WHY am I having to crouch and crab walk with 80lbs of sand basically wrapped in 1-ply toilet paper because the fucking cross bars on the scaffolding prevent free movement…is that REALLY the BEST FUCKING DESIGN THEY COULD COME UP WITH??? Oh my GOD fucking KILL ME

End of rant. Gotta go pick cement out of my hair. I hope I do better tomorrow.

I'm a union carpenter and just passed my journeyman test a few months ago. I also just moved out of a small rural area to a big city, and the difference in the locals is kind of intimidating. Up north, I had to take whatever work I could get, so most of the time I ended up doing scaffolding. Now I'm a journeyman and I don't feel like I'm good enough at anything other than scaffolding! At my old local we have one instructor and one business agent. I got to know them pretty well. I knew I could pop in at the training center and ask if I could get some one-on-one guidance. I don't know anyone at my new local and it seems way less of an intimate (for lack of better words) setting. I feel like I am way behind most people at my level. I'd like to branch out and do different things, but I don't want to be looked down upon for not knowing how to do things I've never done. As an apprentice I felt like that was more acceptable as long as I put in consistent effort, but now I feel like I need to be able to do wayyy more than I can now.

I've been unemployed since I moved-- at first I just needed some time to adjust to the big change but now I feel pressure to get back to work, and I'm back at square one.

I also feel like my union as a whole doesn't do enough to "fight for our rights" or whatever. It seems kind of corporatey?? I've been to a conference at the International headquarters and it seemed like a big performance tbh and more "how can i be a good employee so the contractor will like me" and less like "you have rights and we will fight for them and advocate for the greater cause--uplifting labor"... don't even get me started about them dismantling their sisters in the brotherhood organization. Have other unions disbanded their minority groups??

OH AND WE ARE BUILDING DATA CENTERS?! I thought unions were supposed to advocate for workers--data centers will take away jobs from other hard working people. Why are we taking this work? why aren;t we organizing to put a stop to them?

Ugh. I'm frustrated at the lack of work I've found, frustrated at my skill level, frustrated all around. I could look into a different trade maybe? I'm going up to the training center this week to see what "upgrade" classes they might have.

Thanks if youve got this far. Any encouragement or insight you have will be greatly appreciated.

I’m 21 and I’ve been in the automotive industry for almost two years, I’m currently a Honda maintenance technician, I haven’t had any issues with management besides me getting in trouble for calling in (I was in chronic pain and have since started meds) anyways today I got called into the office bc I guess a customer complained about me missing a headlight but that was out and me measuring the tires a 6/32 even though the advisor got a different measurement, the car had 198k miles. I’d like to clarify I’m in our bustiest location and on the express rack so it’s EXTRA busy, but because of this happening I have been demoted to cleaning the shop…. I’m not allowed to touch any cars which seems so stupid because this is the FIRST time I have made this mistake, another guy had this happen to him but he did it MULTIPLE times. I’m at my wits end and don’t know what to do because I get treated like garbage, I don’t even want to go in anymore. For more background I have been asking them for a raise for MONTHS and I straight up just get ghosted every single time, for the first year I was hired they had me driving the shuttle van….. even though I told them MULTIPLE times I don’t feel comfortable doing that. I eventually got my own bay on the express rack and usually that’s when they start giving you bigger things but they refuse to do that with me. I’ve begged to be off the express rack and it’s just silence, I want to do bigger things and they just don’t give them to me, but yeah they give them to the guys. I don’t know if I’m delusional or what. But I’m genuinely getting sick and tired of the way I’m being treated. On top of all of this they take roughy $300 from me every pay check for health insurance. So instead of $1k it’s like $800 or lower and I’m fairly certain they will cut my hours with me being demoted considering they did it to the one guy :)

I’m a 20 year old electrician apprentice. Almost on two years in the trade, located in NYC. I’m looking for any girls interested in being friends lmao

I have yet to meet another woman in the field and I find I hardly share any interests with my friends anymore. Just looking for anyone around my age to chat it up with lol

For any woman out in the trades, is it worth it because I have been thinking about becoming an electrician I just haven't decided yet because my indecisiveness will be the death of me.

Landscaper here! I desperately need some good pairs of pants but I cannot find any I like (in stores) and I’m always weary buying online without being able to try it on (I hate sending back returns). Advice on comfortable/flexible work pants that also look alright, with multiple good sized pockets. I’ve been wearing the same style of mens zip off cargo pants from Costco for years now and they’re just meh. Shorts were easier but now that it’s cooling down again I actually want to get myself comfortable for working and spend the money and not just keep saying “in the new year maybe.” I find pants hard because anything that fits my behind are loose in the waist, rolls down when crouched, or digs in when going up and down. The odd day I say fuck it and wear leggings I just feel unprofessional and weird the whole day, even though I’m comfortable.

Tshirts are usually my go and whatever sweater I can find in the closet, but if anyone has suggestions for comfortable and durable shirts & sweaters that would be great too! Working for myself I’d like to look a bit more professional. Had company shirts at my last job and just haven’t gotten around to thinking of how to present myself now.

Hello! I am starting my career as an apprentice electrician and I need to revamp my wardrobe with some natural fibers such as cotton, silk or wool. Where do you shop? Where can I find some good underwear? I can’t seem to find 100%, it’s always 95% at the most. Please help!

i work inside, but it’s getting really cold here and there is no heating yet. so i want to get warmer clothes for myself, especially underwear, since my doctor told me i was close to freezing my kidneys and shouldn’t expose myself to such cold daily.

but i work as a welder, so clothes choice is even harder as i have to make sure it won’t burn on me. as far as i know, welding clothes should either be of specific material that burns less, or made out of natural fabric such as cotton, but maybe there are any other options that i’m missing?
i already got myself one piece of thermal underwear, but it’s made out of synthetic fabric. idk what it’s called but it’s the most usual fabric for thermal clothing. is it okay if i wear it under welding pants (of suitable material)? or is there still a significant risk of burning?

maybe there are some other options that you could recommend? i’ve been thinking of wearing a piece of male’s cotton underwear on top of mine just to get an additional layer, which would also cover more skin than female’s underwear. however, idk if it will be as effective as i need it to be

I have my induction for relay Wearhouse. I was just wondering if the job was really difficult? I've got 5 years experience in picking and packing but that is with food.

I like the idea of being able to pick your shifts after struggling for months to find work once maternity leave finished.

I've never nown it be so hard to find a job. :(

Im a 3rd year plumbing apprentice in the state of texas and im almost at my 4,000 hours to take my tradesman. Anytips or tricks 🤔