Partner Spotlight: R & H Construction
OTI works with many wonderful employers in the area and periodically, we will be shining the spotlight on one of them!
This month, we are featuring R & H Construction. The company has been building successful commercial construction projects throughout the Pacific Northwest since 1979. Locally owned and operated, R&H specializes in adding value to complex, quality driven and time sensitive jobs. With a diverse portfolio ranging from small remodels to large-scale corporate headquarters, R&H takes an individualized approach to each job, while upholding our company-wide commitment to providing an exceptional customer experience.
OTI has worked with one of their employees, Dennis Cleaver. He has been very supportive in talking with our Pathways participants about careers in construction and very generous in allowing us to conduct field trips to various sites. Thank you, Dennis!
Here are a couple of photos taken at a recent field trip:
We also offer the company congratulations on their recent award of the 2014 ROSE Awards presented by the AGC Oregon Columbia Chapter!
January 2015 – Oh, what a month!
All kinds of love headed OTI’s way since my last post about such matters. It is so thrilling to hear from our members how much they love OTI and how they join us in our collective vision to help women pursue work in the trades.
At our recent annual meeting, we visited with almost 70 attendees to talk about what we did accomplish over the past year and all the great opportunity that is available to us in 2015.
Please visit our Facebook page to see more photos from our Annual Meeting!
Our accomplishments for 2014 include:
• 79 women graduated from our Pathways pre-apprenticeship program in 2014.
• We helped 88 women get their first job in the trades or move up to apprenticeship.
• 75 graduates landed their first job in the trades with an average hourly wage of $15.18.
• 1441 girls and educators attended our annual Women in Trades Career Fair.
• 76 girls attended our Summer Girls Construction Camp through our Building Girls program.
We also gave away great raffle prizes! Thanks to Portland Spirit, Tradeswomen, Inc., Miss Zumstein Bakery & Coffee Shop, Ristretto Roasters, and Hankins Hardware for donating some really sweet prizes. A special shout out of thanks to Doris, our amazing volunteer, who did the work at getting most of these goodies into our hands.
We received great news from these foundations as they sent us very generous support for our various programs:
- NW Health Foundation – $50,000 – Building Equity – Creating a Construction Culture that Supports Women and People of Color
- The Autzen Foundation- $3,000 – Building Girls
- The Jim & Dianna Murphy Fund of The Oregon Community Foundation – $10,000 – Supporting programs that encourage girls and women to explore careers in transportation and trucking
THANK YOU!!!
I had the pleasure of hand delivering several certificates of appreciation to a few of our long-time sponsors of our annual career fair. I visited with NW Natural, RR Donnelley, PacifiCorp and Gunderson.
Our 2015 Career Fair is taking place May 14 – 16 — learn more here!
If you wish to make a tax-deductible donation to OTI today in order to support our efforts to promote success for women and girls in the trades through education, leadership, and mentorship, please click here – thank you!
— Dennise M. Kowalczyk (Development Director)
Wire a Light Workshop – An Introduction to the Electrical Trade
Wire a Light Workshop – An Introduction to the Electrical Trade
Monday, February 23, 2015
6:00 pm – 8:00 pm
Register by calling Abby at 503.335.8200 x 33
Location:
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
3934 NE Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., #101,
Portland Oregon 97212
WORKSHOP FOR WOMEN:
Electricians enjoy satisfying careers and earn up to $40 per hour at the end on-free apprenticeship. Come learn how to wire a circuit, meet electricians from the industry, and find out how you can apply for this opportunity.
Coming this May: Annual Women Building the Nation Conference in Los Angeles!
The national tradeswomen’s conference, Women Building the Nation, is set to take place in Los Angeles, California, May 1-3! With an expected attendance of over 1,000 tradeswomen, union leaders, apprenticeship coordinators, contractors, and politicians, the fifth annual Women Building the Nation conference will be the most exciting and productive conference yet!
In addition to networking with other tradeswomen from around the country, conference goers will build new skills, engage in leadership development and learn more about organizing through more than 40 different workshops and plenary sessions. Workshop tracks include: Pre-apprentices; Staying In and Staying Strong; Promoting Leadership; Policy & Politics; Career Ladders; and Nourishing Extras.
A special Pre-Apprenticeship Training Institute will be held on May 1 for coordinators and staffers of pre-apprenticeship programs. Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. is proud to serve on the National Task Force on Tradeswomen’s Issues, which is planning the conference’s closing event, a policy forum designed to inspire tradeswomen to work together to lift our sisters around the country and elevate tradeswomen’s issues to the national stage.
Please join us in turning out the largest ever Oregon delegation to the Women Building the Nation conference! Last year we had 42 conference attendees from Oregon, representing 16 different locals. Help us beat last year’s attendance and represent Oregon, your trade, and your local this year in Los Angeles!
In general, it will cost about $600 – $1000 for one person to attend the conference.
- Registration fees are $100/person
o $75 reduced early bird fee if you register by Friday, February 20
o Additional $15 discount for members of BCTD-affiliated unions
o Registration includes two continental breakfasts, two lunches, and a reception - Hotel Rate is $129/night, reservations can be made at the Sheraton Gateway LAX
- Flights running $210 – 400 as of January 27 according to kayak.com
Join with other conference goers, like 2014 attendee Maddie Ettlin, in experiencing the power of tradeswomen in community.
“The 2014 Women Build California and the Nation Conference began before it even officially started. Flying from Portland to Sacramento, there were already five or six different trades represented by delegations of women proud of their union membership. Tradeswomen tend to stand out in a crowd, and we’re eager to find each other. We were everywhere! In restaurants, in cabs, all over the airport, walking to and from hotels and preparing our business. As a member of Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc, I feel like I have a strong community of tradeswomen around me, and our numbers are nothing to sniff at. But I had only been around a large group of tradeswomen a handful of times, and it was nothing compared to stepping foot into the convention center at the opening plenary. Our sheer numbers will forever impress upon me that I am not alone, no matter how it may feel from job to job.“
Now that you want to go, the question is how? Well, luckily for you we can help you with your quest. OTI can provide guidance about making motions to the floor at your union meeting, how to write letters requesting support, a sample letter, and some talking points about the conference! That’s right, we have tried to make it as easy as possible to incorporate between all of your hard work. Would you still like some more support? Contact Tiffany and she would be more than happy to explore how OTI can support you.
How to write a letter requesting union support
Women Building California and the Nation conference talking points
We want to see you at Women Building the Nation this year! Let’s turn it out for tradeswomen in Oregon and across the country.
Giving Back: A Donation to Raphael House
The young women who participated in OTI’s Building Girls Construction Club at Wilson High School Construction Club embraced the spirit of the season and they made a donation to Raphael House, a domestic violence agency dedicated to ending intimate partner violence for good.
As part of the great work they did to learn about woodworking, carpentry, and construction, they took on the task of making a variety of wooden toys – with the intention of donating them to a local organization in need.
Just before Christmas, Ana Gonzalez came by the OTI office to meet with Katie Yablonski, OTI’s Building Girls Program Manager. Katie gave her the toys the young women in the Wilson High School Construction Club made. Ana is a 2010 Graduate of OTI’s Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class and currently the Facilities Coordinator at Raphael House. She was touched by the thoughtfulness of the young women we work with and pleased to take the toys back to Raphael House.
Fifty Licks Ice Cream Fundraising Event for OTI
Fifty Licks was so inspired by the Willamette Week Give!Guide that they stepped up to support every one of the 137 local nonprofits that were featured in 2014! Starting on December 28th, they have dedicated one day to each nonprofit and will donate 10% of proceeds! They have devoted Thursday, January 22nd to OTI!
They offer an array of seasonal flavors, classics, and even sorbet for those who avoid dairy. They also offer amazing hot chocolate, cocktails, and a daily happy hour from 3:00pm – 6:00 pm.
You can learn more about Chad, the owner of the 50 Licks ice cream, check out a recent interview with him on Right at the Fork, a local food-centric podcast.
You can click this link for the event on Facebook if you would like to share it and invite your friends to participate!
Details:
Thursday, January 22
3:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Fifty Licks Ice Cream
2021 SE Clinton Street
Portland OR 97202
We hope to see you there!
An Update from OTI Graduate Chevy Nash…
We were thrilled to hear from OTI TACC Graduate Chevy Nash and learn about how her career is progressing. She recently sent this inspiring note:
“I am now the operations manager at Alpha Energy Savers, a weatherization company. It’s a small company and I’m working in the office and able to make the job whatever I may want to make out of it for now and the future. I met Carter Stafford – he was working at Alpha the night you sent me to the Home Performance Guild meeting to track down Kelly Haines! He remembered me and called me when he knew he was moving on to Conservation Services Group (CSG) and hired me to take over.
I have been thrown in and am trying to get the gist of it all, but I love everything l I get to learn! Kelly at Clean Energy Works (CEW) has agreed to pay for my Building Performance Institute (BPI) certification license, and I can put that certification to use doing home energy auditing for my current company and I’ll also have on the job training with an in house BPI certified supervisor and be getting paid all along the way!
My company works with Multnomah, Clackamas, and Washington County to make low income homes more energy efficient, we are working with TriMet to use weatherization as noise mitigation for houses near the new Max line running through Milwaukie, and of course we work with regular everyday folks looking to improve their homes efficiency.
Frankly it’s kind of the best situation as I’m learning terminology, how each of the programs work, going to training meetings & contractors meetings, and asking a ton of questions. It will get me even more ready for the next step and I get paid a decent wage along the way.
Anyway I wanted to give you a heads up. Now that I have more than two nickels to rub together I’ve sent my first donation check into Oregon Tradeswomen as you guys are a big reason why I got a leg up.
Wanted you to know and to thank you for helping me along the way…having me go to that Home Performance Guild meeting was HUGE!”
Congratulations, Cassie Czubachowski
| Huge congratulations to Cassie Czubachowski who recently graduated from the Oregon and SW Washington Roofers and Waterproofers JATC with high marks! Cassie is now a journey level roofer. She is greatly appreciated and valued by her employer, Snyder Roofing. Way to go, Cassie! |
A Banner Year
Thanks to everyone who donated to our Give!Guide campaign! We raised $14,007.00 in individual gifts and $5,000 was donated by our delightful partners, Atomic Direct and Clean Energy Works Oregon for a grand total of $19,007.00 – thank you!
We also received tremendous support from various private foundations and government entities this past year. In the last couple weeks of the year, we received several generous donations including these:
- OCF Joseph E. Weston Public Foundation in the amount of $4,250.00 for training in construction.
- Penney Family Fund, a member of the Common Counsel Foundation, in the amount of $5,000.00 for general programs.
We thank both foundations for their generous support of our work at Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
You can also help us continue our work in helping women reach new levels of professional success and satisfaction by supporting our programs. Your financial contribution helps women learn about work in the trades and girls experience trades, most likely, for the very first time. Make your tax-deductible donation today by clicking here to change a life in a really positive way!
Our annual career fair is coming up May 14 – May 16 and we need the support of our business community to teach girls about opportunities in the trades. We are seeking corporate sponsors for our three day event. Learn more by clicking here to become part of the “100%” – the percentage of industry support we rely on to make this fabulous event a reality.
Happy New Year!
Dennise M. Kowalczyk – Development Director
Dennise@tradeswomen.net
503.335.8200 ext. 38
Tough Mudders!
We are so proud of the OTI graduates who took on an intense challenge this summer and formed a team to participate in Tough Mudder! The members of the Oregon Tradeswomen Mudders team were Eleni Vournas, Sho Newman, and Genevieve Smith-Henry. They worked out together to train for the race – running individually and as a team to improve their stamina and they also committed to strength training and did some “bouldering” at the rock gym.
We asked Eleni to tell us more about her experience and this is what she shared:
“The race itself was FAN-TASTIC! What I loved most about it was the empowering spirit of teamwork! Not only between the three of us but with the entire Mudder pack – especially after the first obstacle of crawling through the mud on our belly!! It seemed as if we all became one giant force after that! Initially we all had our team jerseys separating us from one another: green, black, yellow, purple…but after that first obstacle it didn’t seem to matter anymore, we were all the MUD team with one goal: To cross the finish line! No time was kept and there were no awards for 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Team spirit is the essence of the Tough Mudder race and you feel it with every grip offered by a stranger to pull you over/under/or through the obstacle at hand. And yes, I am personally already signed up for Tough Mudder 2015!”
Way to go Eleni, Sho, and Genevieve!!