Celebrating Women in Construction Week

Women in Construction Week is a time to emphasize the ever-growing role of women in the construction industry and the importance of gender diversity in our trade. Although we are making progress, we must continue to narrow the gender gap in the construction trades.
As a union, we believe in equal pay for equal work and equal skill, ensuring that women receive the same treatment and benefits as their male coworkers on the job site. We want to encourage more women to reap the family-sustaining benefits of union contracts. Women under union contracts make 30.9% more per week than women who are not covered by a contract. They are also more likely to participate in pension plans. Getting more women into the union trades is one of the best ways we can improve the lives of working families.
Union wages and benefits make a difference, and encouraging more women to share in those benefits makes our union stronger, too. The more voices we have at the table, the better equipped we can be for the fight ahead. Women play an increasingly important role in the construction industry and Local 17 is happy to be a part of that growth.