NABTU Tradeswomen Committee Chair and Ironworkers General Organizer and Director of Diversity Vicki O’Leary and International Brotherhood of Boilermakers International Representative and TWBN Committee member Erica Stewart joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss the North America’s Building Trades Union’s 2023 Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference.
O’Leary has developed into a leader in the trades after starting her career with the Ironworkers on a dare, as she discussed the story of taking her apprenticeship test on a dare from her Ironworker brother. Over the course of her career, O’Leary earned three undergraduate degrees, and multiple graduate studies degrees in leadership, organizing and labor history as she became the Chair of NABTU’s Tradeswomen Build Nations (TWBN) Committee.
Similarly, Stewart told the story of looking for work following her time in the military, and joining her friend on a roadtrip to look for work. After arriving, she chose to apply for work in the shipyard in Pascagoula, Miss., where she would become a member of Boilermakers Local 693 and later become the first female President of her Local and eventually find her way to the TWBN Committee.
This year's Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference was an incredible experience O’Leary said. They maxed out the number of people allowed in the venue and sold out over 5 hotels worth of rooms with women from unions all across the country. O’Leary loves every opportunity to show women in trades that they can be impactful and successful in their career. She talked about the importance of the TWBN Committee members, the NABTU support team and all of the volunteers who helped make the conferences safe and fun for all attendees.
With her background in the U.S Army, the transition to a union job was the opportunity that helped change Stewart’s life. She made her way to become a journeyman welder and has worked on several different ships with Local 693. In Nov. 2020, Stewart was named the Tradeswomen Heroes Award winner, something she uses to show women in the trades that they can make a difference no matter where they started. Stewart talked about the importance of sharing her story, whether it’s at a grocery store, school or even the Waffle House where she ate after a day of negotiations.
Hear more from O’Leary and Stewart on the 2023 TWBN Conference in the episode above.