A Conference Welcoming All Women in the Trades and Women in the Industry from Everywhere
April 29th-May 1st
Marriott Oakland City Center
1001 Broadway, Oakland, California
This will be the first national multi-craft conference held in the U.S. since 2001. The official conference sponsors are the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO and the California Building Trades Council. In addition, several international unions are making donations to support the conference; these include IBEW, UA, Boilermakers, LIUNA, and more are coming each day.
This national conference is being piggy-backed to the Women Building California conference, which is heading into its 10th year. That very successful conference brings together about 350 tradeswomen each year for two spirited and educational days workshops and networking.
The conference costs are kept extremely low to enable as many women as possible to attend. Registration, if paid before March 31, is $70 per person. This fee includes breakfast, lunch and reception on Saturday, and breakfast and snack on Sunday.
Link to Facebook Event Page, Please post your ETA and if you have or need a room to share
Link to Past Women’s Build Event Photos Page, Please send any and all photos of Past Women Build California to donate to share to
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Bullet Points on the Value of the Women Building California and the Nation
Bullet Points Full Document
HOW TO: Make a Motion from the Floor Requesting Union Support for Conference Attendance
HOW TO: Write a Letter Requesting Union Support for Conference Attendance
Example letter to Executive Board to get sponsorship
Carolina, JIW Letter for sponsorship as example
Link to Marriott for Registration
Special Rate Code: Women Build Conference
Online Registration Special Rate Code: WBCWBCA (The hotel rate is $119 + tax per night. up to 4 per room is allowed)
Link to Oakland Airport 8 miles from the Marriott, This hotel does not provide shuttle service.
Link to Subway Station, BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit), AirBART shuttle travels between OAK and the Coliseum/Oakland Airport BART Station every 10 minutes, $3.00 and lands you one block from the Marriott
Link to City Express Shuttle fee: $28.00 on request
Link to Bus Station Greyhound lands you within 2 miles of the Marriott
Link to Train Station, Amtrak lands you within 2 miles of the Marriott
Event Vendor Tables are $300 Plus registration fees for those staffing the table. E-mail Debra Chaplan,
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All are Welcome to donate something to the Raffle.
There is a traditional Large Raffle at the end of the conference. Tools, Gear, Gift baskets, Gift cards, Tee-shirts, Trades Jackets, Hats, and an endless variety of wonderful donated stuff.
Tradeswomen Inc. President, Carol Toliver, will coordinate the raffle. Email
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for donations to the raffle. Emails should include a description of item with the appropriate contact information. Please bring the item(s) to the conference or have the vendor or merchant ship it to Debra Chaplan’s office. Request an Example of Letter Asking for Donations from Carol if you wish to help with that effort.
Anne Feeney, Legendary Union Maid, and Hellraiser
It warms my heart and touches my soul to be able to announce that Anne has recovered enough from her cancer treatments to be Joining us, entertaining us, and educating us with her wit and passion. http://www.annefeeney.com/
To send well wishes to Ann,
Mail a card to. 2240 Milligan Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15218
or Say hi on Facebook
Looking for Union Women Contractors interested in helping with a work shop, The Business of Business: Becoming a Union Contractor…
You've worked for years with the tools and know how jobs can and should be run. Now you're ready to try your hand at stating your own business as a union contractor. …. how they got started, the hurdles they've had to overcome and what it's like to be an owner instead of an employee.
Looking for a Woman apprenticeship coordinator/instructor, to help with the “After the Tools” work shop
Looking for someone very good at Resumes, for the “Resume Writing for Tradeswomen” Workshop
Looking for Photos of Tradeswomen On the Jobsite
Sisters in the Building Trades will again be making a Video for the Conference, Please donate photos to the Sisters Gallery, our online Gallery of photos free to use, by grade schools, high schools, colleges, apprenticeships, outreach, state agencies, safety programs, etc. Is now the largest of its kind on the net. Send photo donations to
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If the younger generation can see us, they can dream of following us…
What to Wear and what to Bring…
Bring something comfortable to learn in and something to have fun in. :) You may wish to go on the tour of the Rosie the Riveter Memorial Park, if so, bring something warm, as it may be windy.
Have you written a poem or essay or thoughts about your job, life as a tradeswoman, or how you fit (or don’t) in the industry? Dig it out and bring it with you. Sue Doro of Pride and a Paycheck will be there for the Writers in Workshirts Work shop.
You will want to bring union pins, tee's and stickers if you have them, and business cards by the load.
There will be a Lapel Pin Board that has been collecting pins of locals where women have come from over the years you can donate to.
Just a note, there will be a short energetic Operator, who is the Lead of “Blue Collar Women” Just fair warning, she is a Pin Collector Nut, so you better bring at least 2, as she is a fun Nut!
Feel welcome to bring things to donate to the Tradeswomen Archives, like a scan of your apprenticeship papers or Journey card, photos, whatever you may have. WE ARE HERSTORY. Bring stuff or scans of stuff, from Mom, Grandma, and Aunts in the non traditional trades if you have it. And you may as well when you are done reading this, click the link above and put Your name in the Archives.
There will be an informal Gathering on Friday
Friday April 29th The Pre Conference Gathering is a fun event that provides great camaraderie, networking, political bs, entertainment, laughter, bullshitting, making friends, and having fun. There will be a few sisters meeting for a late lunch, and at 5pm we plan on taking over the Pacific Brewing Company in Oakland, 1 block from the motel. :) 906 Washington Street, Oakland, and ending the evening, meeting at 8pm, in the Lounge at the Marriott, “ 12 Bar Lounge.” Beware, Breakfast is at 7am.
Now is the time for Sisters everywhere to put in a request to be sponsored to go, from their Local, regional, employer, labor center, and other orgs and agency's supporting women in the blue collar industry. We have been promoting Women Build California as Welcome to All women in the trades and industry, from Anywhere. Passing news, not to the few, but to the rank and file, working women, where ever we can reach them, to join in, and now it is Official. High fivin happy dance :)
Every woman in the blue collar trades and construction industry are expected to help get the word out, attempt to attend, and help make this as big and kick ass as we can manage. This is a all hands on deck call to All, Everywhere....Yes!
We Mean YOU! YOU CAN DO IT!
I set the Goal at 1,000 women. :) You never know, if we reach for the brass ring…..we just may catch it. Sisters United, will Never be Divided!
See you in Oakland!
Sharing and caring and Finding a way….
Those who have gotten a double room and have space to share, those who need to share a room post on the Facebook event page
California Hospitality for Sisters in need
Those who need sofa space from our California Sisters, and California Sisters who have a sofa to offer. Helen is coordinating housing for the April 30-May 1st Conference in Oakland, CA. While accommodations are available through the Marriot Hotel at $119/night for 4 people, we would like to offer alternative housing to tradeswomen in need. If you are interested in either offering housing or need housing, please email Helen Vozenilek at
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. She’ll try to hook up housers and houses
Be sure to include:
Offering Housing
- Type of accommodations i.e. bed, couch, floor and for how many?
- Friday and Saturday night or just Saturday?
- Are you able to shuttle people around and/or you located near public transportation?
- Any animals in the house that people may be allergic to?
Needing Housing
- How many nights-Friday and Saturday or just Saturday. How many of you?
- Will you have your own transportation or will you need help?
- Any animal allergies?
- Special needs/desires you may have?
Scholarships for those that cannot afford the fee are available on a case by case basis; write to Debra at
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for more information.
If you would like to donate to the conference, or to help more women attend write to Debra at
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Where there is a Will….there is a Way…
If we cannot find a way….We will Make one!
Seattle to Oakland, 803 miles 13 hours, @ 20mpg = 40 gallons, $120 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $80 each, Round trip
Portland to Oakland, 629 miles, 10 ½ hours, @ 20mpg = 32 gallons, $96 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $64 each, Round trip
Las Vegas to Oakland, 553 miles, 9.25 hours, @ 20mpg = 28 Gallons, $84 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $56 Each, Round trip
Phoenix to Oakland, 741 Miles, 12 hours, @ 20mpg = 37 Gallons, $111 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $74 Each, Round trip
Boise to Oakland, 633 miles, 11.25 hours, @ 20 mpg = 32 Gallons, $96 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $64 each, Round trip
Casper to Oakland, 1,136 miles, 18 hours, @ 20 mpg = 57 Gallons, $171 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $114 Each, Round trip
Salt Lake City to Oakland, 730 miles, 11 ½ hours, @ 20 mpg = 37 Gallons, $111 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $74 Each, Round trip
Albuquerque to Oakland, 1,074 miles, 17 hours, @ 20 mpg = 54 Gallons, $162 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $ 108 Each, Round trip
Denver to Oakland, 1,264 miles, 20 hours, @ 20 mpg = 64 Gallons, $192 divided by 3 sisters in a rig = $128 Each, Round trip
If you want to share a ride, or have room to share, or a sofa to offer, please post it on the Facebook event page
We do need to learn how to have one in our States in the future,don't we?
…Women Build the Wild Northwest… kinda has a nice ring to it, don’t ya’ think! |
