Are We Stuck in 1980?
I looked at that chart of women in construction, and something snapped in me. This is not 1980; it’s 2010. So I sent the link to my friends in the Maine Society of Women Engineers, the local high school guidance office, the carpentry teacher at the vocational school, the dean of engineering at the University of Maine and others. I put it on Facebook and LinkedIn.
So, thank you for your interesting and informative chart, and I’ve spread it around for you. I don’t think I’m done being mad about it.
What Do Women Want?
Female construction workers often say, “Don’t treat us differently” and “All we want is a chance.” Soon after arriving on the job, they ask for preferential treatment—port-a-potties, etc. They want to have their pink hard hats and tools and a number of other things/conditions that serve to separate them from the existing workforce. Another example is separate—and costly—construction conventions only for women.
If what women want is a chance, I’m all for it. I support women being in the construction trades and believe there are some who can outwork some men currently in the trades. However, women need to decide what it is they want and stick by it.
Do they want preferential treatment or do they just want a chance—to be treated like everyone else? Stop saying one thing and then demanding another. It’s offensive and detrimental to “the cause.”
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