Community Partners
Harassment in the Workplace
In June, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) released the 2016 EEOC Harassment in the Workplace Report. OTI was pleasantly surprised to see that the report took a much broader and more comprehensive view of this issue rather than sticking to a strict legal definition.
The report acknowledges that the vast majority of workers who experience harassment in the workplace are unlikely to report the behaviors. Given this information, the EEOC is recommending prevention efforts to address workplace harassment as a remedy instead of simply focusing on the report process.
There is a section in the report that recommends the use of Bystander Intervention Training as an effective prevention model, with the caveat that more research needs to be conducted to determine the effectiveness of such models. Interestingly, OTI has been working on exactly that approach! For the last two years, OTI has been working with Green Dot (mentioned on page 57 of the report) to get funding for a pilot project here in Oregon. We are really excited that the first training for the Respectful Workplaces project will take place at the end of August!
If you are interested in this topic, but only have a few minutes, please read the summary (pages 66 – 71)! If you have more time, we recommend reading the entire report.
Green Your Garden with Greywater
Have you ever thought about diverting used sink and shower water to your yard, to feed your garden? As water rates escalate and summer droughts become more commonplace, Northwesterners need to use water more efficiently.
If you want a beautiful and productive landscape that uses very little water, attend one or two August 2016 workshops in Portland to learn about low-cost DIY greywater systems that you can implement to conserve water and enhance your home landscape.
Greywater Action, in partnership with Depave, Recode, Oregon Tradeswomen,and East Multnomah Soil and Water Conservation District are hosting two workshops for Portland area residents interested in implementing greywater systems at home. The workshops will be taught by greywater-expert Laura Allen who is a founding member of Greywater Action and author of The Water-Wise Home. Laura will share her tips on conserving water and saving money with effective and inexpensive greywater solutions.
Workshop 1, August 13 from 9:30a-12:30p Greywater 101: The basics of greywater reuse in this FREE workshop. Learn more and register here: http://greywateraction.org/event/green-garden-greywater-free-portland/
Workshop 2, August 20 from 11a-4:30p Hands-On Greywater Installation: Learn how to install a simple laundry-to-landscape system and see a branched drain system from a shower up close in a Portland backyard. Learn more and register for workshop 2 here: http://greywateraction.org/event/hands-greywater-installation-workshop-portland/
Registration is open now to residents of Multnomah County, with a wait list for residents of surrounding communities to fill remaining spaces after June 15.
Metro Hosts Screening of Sista in the Brotherhood
If you haven’t had a chance to look at positive news in Portland recently, Sista in the Brotherhood has become a big deal! Dawn Jones Redstone (Director), and and Roberta Hunt (Producer) have been invited to screen the film across Oregon and the US. The film won Best Short Film at the Portland International Film Festival. and was an official selection for the Portland Oregon Women’s Film Festival. It was also shown at the Women Build Nation Conference in Chicago!
Most recently, Metro held a screening of the film as a part of their new Equity Initiative and Plan. The film was screened at the Whitsell Auditorium at the Portland Art Museum, Tuesday April 19 at 12:00 pm. The film was followed by a panel discussion about government policy initiatives that could support women of color in the trades.
The panel was made up of industry professionals including:
- Dawn Jones Redstone, Director
- Dr. Roberta Hunt, Producer
- Gabi Schuster, Metro Procurement Manager
- Michael Burch, Community Relations with the Pacific NW Regional Council of Carpenters
- Lauren Holmes, Project Manager for Lease Crutcher Lewis
- and our very own Amy James Neel, Construction Manager at OTI!
The video below is Amy’s response to one question about the impact of policies:
We are encouraged by the fact that Metro is engaging in this important work. It is critical as they develop their policies moving forward, that they consider the real life impact on tradeswomen of color.
Congratulations Willamette West Habitat for Humanity!
Last year, OTI was awarded the Neighborhood Builder grant from Bank of America which allowed us to launch Women in Metals & Manufacturing to introduce women to careers in the manufacturing sector! We now want to extend our congratulations to Willamette West Habitat for Humanity who just received this year’s Neighborhood Builder award!
We know they will make a big impact with their critical home repair initiative in Washington County neighborhoods and the whole community will benefit from their dedication to creating more affordable housing options for individuals and families.
Watch the official announcement on AM Northwest!
Thank You, Vigor, for Your Scholarship Fund Contribution
OTI extends our deepest gratitude to Vigor for their support of our work and their generous contribution to our Pathways to Success Scholarship fund.
Vigor is the leading provider of shipbuilding, complex fabrication, and ship repair and conversion in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. They have twelve locations and more than 2,500 workers who work to fabricate heavy, high complexity projects from structural bridge girders to nuclear containment devices, from dam lift gates to space launch complex towers. Vigor loves to build.
Vigor is privately owned and publicly minded. They value training, hard work, and smart thinking. Vigor is serious about safety and environmental stewardship. Vigor’s companies share a common goal: providing world-class maritime and industrial services to support our customers and strengthen the communities where we live and work.
Vigor is a sponsor of our annual Women in Trades Career Fair and they generously hosted us last year when Bank of America presented us with the 2015 Neighborhood Builder Award. OTI has great respect for Vigor’s company values: Truth, Responsibility, Evolution, and Love.
If you didn’t make it to the 2016 Annual Meeting…
We missed you! Hopefully, you can join us next year – in January, 2017!
As happens each year, Connie shared OTI’s accomplishments from 2015. The short summary version is that it was a very busy year for staff. If you want the more detailed version, well, you are going to have to wait a little longer. We are going to be releasing an annual report later this year and we don’t want to spoil all that hard work!
A critical piece of the Annual Meeting is voting in board members for their two year terms for both new and continuing board members. This year Aida Aranda and Stephanie Peters extended the terms of their board service, and Emily Wigre joined OTI’s Board of Directors!
Sometimes when we welcome someone new, we also have to say goodbye to someone else. After two terms of service, Cari Ebbert decided it was time for her to transition to a new role. She shared her passion for OTI, particularly the important role she feels the organizations plays in creating a community of tradeswomen who support each other. Cari is not a graduate of OTI’s TAC Class, but talked about volunteering for her union at the Women in Trades Career Fair every year. Once she realized that OTI coordinated the entire event, she began to volunteer with us as well! Thank you so much Cari for all of your time and dedication. We look forward to seeing you at OTI events and supporting us in new ways in the future.
We wrapped up the evening by recognizing our 2015 Outstanding volunteers and by holding a raffle. Believe it or not, Jen Netherwood was a winner again! Between hard work and good luck, we suspect she will be running the world soon. Overall, there were 61 people in attendance representing 19 different trades!
See you next year!
Congress Passes Extension on WANTO Training Funds!
Senator Jeff Merkley at the 2012 Women in Trades Career Fair
We’re thrilled to announce that the Women in Apprenticeship and Non Traditional Occupations (WANTO) program has received funding for another year! Along with our co-grantees ANEW, Tradeswomen, Inc., NEW-NYC, and Chicago Women in Trades, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. advocated for the renewal of the WANTO program, which remains the only source of federal funding that specifically targets women’s participation in apprenticeship.
Together in a coalition with our co-grantees, OTI worked closely with the staff of U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley, whose leadership was instrumental to getting WANTO funds included in the federal budget.
“Women hold less than three percent of high-wage jobs in the construction industry and face many barriers in gaining access to these nontraditional jobs,” said Merkley. “I’ve fought for funding for WANTO because it will make a big difference in helping train and ultimately put women in Oregon to work in high-wage, electrical, mechanical, highway and utility trades jobs that will provide financial security for a lifetime.”
Senator Ron Wyden with TACC instructor Amy at the “Sugar Shack” in Northeast Portland
We’re proud of the work that we have accomplished with WANTO funds, which are critical to our ability to provide training to low income women at no cost to them. This fall, students in our WANTO-funded Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class inspired community partners and Oregon leaders through their work to demolish and repurpose the former “Sugar Shack” strip club into a Cully neighborhood asset. We were fortunate to be able to share that work with U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, who stopped by the job site after learning about our community partnership.
We’re thankful to our allies in the Senate who heard our call and took action on behalf of women everywhere.
Business Membership Spotlight: Walsh Construction Co.
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. welcomes the support of the business community to help us fulfill our mission to engage more women in the trades.
Walsh Construction Co. is one of our partners in this program and we thank them for their contribution to OTI.
“It started in 1961 when two young brothers, Tom and Bob Walsh, who had an idea for a business, created Walsh Construction. They were college students with limited funds, so the shoe box served as their filing cabinet and the Chevy van as their transportation.
Over the years, they made smart decisions, seized opportunities, developed innovative approaches, and asked people who shared their passion for building the Northwest to come along with them as they grew into something extraordinary.
Those characteristics endure to this day. At WALSH, we’re always focused on building Smart, building Green and building Community. Just as importantly, we’re focused on the people who join us for the ride.”
OTI thanks the staff of Walsh Construction Co. for their support of our programming as a business membership program participant!
If you want to learn more about our business membership program, please send an email to dennise@tradeswomen.net for details on how you can be involved.
OTI In the News in November
Wow! Oregon Tradeswomen was in the news multiple times earlier in November! We made a lot of noise about the first ever National Women in Apprenticeship Day, and we invited members of the media to visit our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class during their hands on learning days when they were hard at work deconstructing and demolishing the interior of the former ‘Sugar Shack’. This work opportunity was made possible through our partnership with Living Cully – an innovative collaboration between non-profit organizations in the Cully Neighborhood in NE Portland: Verde, Hacienda CDC and NAYA (Native American Youth and Family Center).
Women in Apprenticeship Day
Oregonian
Daily Joural of Commerce
NW Labor Press
Deconstruction of Sugar Shack
Daily Journal of Commerce
KATU
KGW
Portland Business Journal
PQ Monthly
Partner Spotlight: Sheet Metal Institute
Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc. is most grateful for the support of community and industry in our work in promoting the success for women in the trades through education, leadership and mentorship. We do this, in large part, working with our partners in a variety ways, including the coordination of field trips for our Trades and Apprenticeship Career Class participants.
TAC class is a free, 7-week, pre-apprenticeship training class that helps women prepare for a high skill, high wage career in construction. Over the course of the session, women visit several sites like the Sheet Metal Institute.
The center is a registered non-profit joint labor-management training trust between the Sheet Metal Workers Local Union #16 and Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association – Columbia Chapter. It offers approved training programs in three occupations including Sheet Metal Worker, Sheet Metal Worker Service Technician and Residential Sheet Metal Worker.
Kim Neel is a career counselor and job placement specialist for OTI. She coordinates the field trips and I asked her to share some thoughts about our appreciation for the center and the employees who operate it:
“I always make it a priority to make it to the Sheet Metal Institute, because so often many women do not understand what sheet metal workers do. Kevin does a remarkable job of walking them through the process of understanding the scope of the industry as well as its history. He has a great way of getting our students excited not only about the variety of the work, but also the mathematical and mental challenges it brings. They are naturally drawn to the industry because of his organized delivery.
Kevin Roth – Training Coordinator
At the beginning of class, we ask all the students what trade they are interested in. Few students ever say Sheet Metal at the start of class. When they graduate we almost always have women who enthusiastically say sheet metal after visiting the training center. The training staff is VERY patient and are great at explaining how and why they are doing what they are doing when they give them a hands on task. The training center also invests in our students and gives them a hands on experience which is invaluable. The students often tell me….”It was when I got my hands on the tools that I fell in love with the trade.” I love that they invest the time and resources into our students. It really shows their commitment to diversify their trade and I respect that a lot.”
— Kim Neel, Oregon Tradeswomen, Inc.
Thanks to the entire staff of Sheet Metal Institute for their years of support as a field trip host but also for their long standing support of our annual Women in Trades Career Fair. If you want to learn more about their programs, see their web site for complete details.
— Dennise M. Kowalczyk, Development Director