Women’s History Month: The life and journey of Gay Henson

As March begins, so too does Women’s History Month. The America’s Work Force Union Podcast begins its coverage by sitting down with the Secretary-Treasurer of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, Gay Henson, as she discusses her journey as a woman through the IFPTE.

The first time Henson believed she needed to make a difference in her Local came after she was told to, “sit down and shut up,” because they didn’t value her opinion as a female. It was at this point she ran for an open representative position before later running to become the President for her Local, Local 1937 the Engineering Association (EA). After nearly 18 years, Henson made the jump to the International after she took on the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) multiple times and won major improvements for her Local members.

It’s never been better to be a woman in labor, Henson said. She discussed the accessibility of female leaders in the labor movement who are doing everything they can to provide a platform for women in unions. Henson said that having friends like Liz Schuler, Randi Weingarten and Clayola Brown in leadership positions is crucial for the success of women in unions. Henson said there is real potential to see more women in unions in the next few years, and as more continue to take leadership positions it will become a standard, not an exception.

The IFPTE operates in private and public sectors, representing nearly 85,000 members across the United States and Canada. Some organizations the IFPTE works with include Boeing, NASA and the United States Navy. Their most significant priority for the future is the ability to make a net zero transition to green energy. Henson talked about the work being done to ensure workers can keep and maintain their jobs throughout the transition.

Listen to the show above to hear more from Henson on the future of women in unions.