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Against the Wind
Despite making gradual inroads, women find the construction industry remains a stubbornly inhospitable realm
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Business New Haven
9/17/2001
By: Fiona Phelan
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From stockbroker to astronaut, banker to doctor, journalist to politician - there aren't many professions left where women haven't made their mark. The construction industry, however, remains one of the few male-dominated bastions where women remain steadfastly in the minority.
Although the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC) boasts a 20-percent increase in the number of women in construction-related fields between 1995 and 2000, the vast majority of that was in technical, sales and administrative support positions - not females out in the field swinging hammers, hauling lumber or pouring concrete.
Overall, the Forth Worth, Tex.-based NAWIC reports there are approximately 9.3 million individuals employed in various construction related industries across the U.S. More than 8.5 million are men. Less than a million are women. However, compare year 2000 figures of 913,000 women in construction with 1993 numbers of 617,000, then, yes, women are gaining ground.
But, according to the women interviewed by BNH, they haven't necessarily gained respect.
“Building was something I always wanted to do,” says Arlene Berger of Waterford. “But girls couldn't take wood shop when I was in school, so I became a registered nurse instead.”
Years later, Berger went back to school to learn a trade but left the program - where she was the first woman enrolled - to go to work in the field.
“I probably learned more the first day at work than at school,” she recalls. “Initially I was a novelty. Everybody would be watching to see if 'the girl” could do the job.
“Once you start pulling your own weight and the men see that you are capable, then you become one of them,” she says. “I still hear stuff from the younger people; people mimicking the way you say something, stuff like that. It's not always direct harassment; it's things that are said within earshot.
“You have to have a tough hide,” Berger says.
Four years ago, Berger branched out on her own and formed Heavenly Hammers (she sings in her church choir), which does a lot of remodeling jobs for the elderly. She is also president of the New London chapter of NAWIC, where she is one of only two women in the group that practice a trade. The other 13 members are in associated fields such as project management, engineers, architects and accountants.
Most weekends find Berger swinging her hammer at a Habitat for Humanity construction site in New London. She is among a number of volunteers working on a project that is exclusively female.
Like Berger, Diane Trivella of Torrington worked in construction for a long time before striking out on her own.
“I had been in construction for 20 years doing everything from scheduling to purchasing, drafting, civil design - soup to nuts,” says Trivella, “but I couldn't take the way I was treated and left without another job to go to.
“I couldn't take the harassment,” she says. “It's a tough job for anyone, even for a guy. There's a lot of pressure. But as a female, it's worse.
“I'm not thin-skinned. I'm seasoned. I can take it and I can dish it out,” she says. “But I'd had enough. It's a field that hasn't caught up with the rest of the world.”
Today, Trivella is her own boss and runs her six-year-old company, D.J.T. Enterprises LLC, which offers renovation and remodeling services for residential customers.
“I miss the big work, and this is a change of pace,” says Trivella. “But I don't regret what I did. I'm a better person for it. It was time to move on.”
After working in smaller companies for several years, Margaret Conable of Wallingford found doors opened for her when she became a member of the Connecticut carpenters union.
“When I got into the union my pay doubled in a year,” says Conable. “It was a step forward for my dignity because I didn't constantly have to wonder if I was being paid less than the guy next to me.”
Conable believes that her acceptance into the union, where she is apprenticing, also led to acceptance from her co-workers.
“When people discovered that I was serious about doing this and that I wanted to pull my weight and they could see I could get the job done, they became more accepting,” she says.
“The construction site is an environment where people need to rely on each other because it's dangerous and it's hard work. We have to rely on each other for safety. Once people realized that I could do the job it became much easier,” Conable says.
Gaining acceptance and approval from co-workers was repeatedly the biggest challenge faced by area tradeswomen. However, they feel they've come a long way. For example, the first national tradeswomen conference will be held in Denver next month. NAWIC will host its own national convention in Anchorage this month.
“Women are beginning to gain recognition as capable bodies in the construction industry,” says Glenda Thompson, marketing manager at NAWIC. “Historically there were a tremendous number of women in construction, especially during World War II. But when the men came home from the war they needed jobs and the women were sent back home.”
Today, organizations like NAWIC and the Women Contractors Association are promoting careers in construction to students as young as the second or third grades in the hopes of sparking an interest and letting young girls know that there are opportunities for them. NAWIC chapters in Connecticut participate in school career days and speak at schools.
“We know that there are tradeswomen out there,” says Kim Salvatore, president of NAWIC's Connecticut chapter. Of the group's 48 members, however, none actually toils at a trade. “You have to have a certain personality to go into construction,” she explains. “Some women - and some men - don't cut it because of the hours, the weather and the trailer life.
“It's gotten easier and people are more accepting than they used to be,” Salvatore adds. “There are lots more opportunities for women today, but women still face all the typically female issues such as day care, which is a real problem for construction workers who begin their day at seven in the morning.”
Renee Smith of Cornerstone Construction in Killingworth faces the day care predicament, as well as the added dilemma of being the boss's wife.
“It was a little hard at first to gain the respect of the subcontractors because they always want to speak with the boss,” says Smith, who serves a project manager on the company's jobs. While her husband Tom handles the land purchase, land development, foundation, framing, roofing and siding and working with the Realtor, Smith is responsible for the interior work - the drywall, the painting, trim, flooring, etc. Like many women, she started out in the office.
Her ten years of experience at IBM served her well when setting up the company's computer system, and she can very often be found taking care of office work.
“I think it's extra challenging being a woman in this field, but no one has ever given me a hard time,” notes Smith. “Once they find out that you know what you're doing, they respect you.”
“It's a hard field for women,” says Lisa Fitch, senior vice president at New Haven Partitions. “It's a physical job and it doesn't matter if you're a man or a woman - you have to be able to do the physical work.
“But the image is not what it used to be,” she adds. “I think we've turned the page.”
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