Celebrating International Women’s Day and National Women in Construction Week

March 8, 2023

Not only is today International Women’s Day, but this week is also National Women in Construction Week, a time to honor women and promote them as an integral part of the construction industry. For its part, the New York City District Council of Carpenters (“NYCDCC”), which consists of nine Local Unions and over 20,000 members, has a long history of encouraging women to join the “Brotherhood” and helping advance their careers in the industry.

To promote women in the industry, a mentoring program called “Sisters in the Brotherhood” (www.carpenters.org/sisters-in-the-brotherhood/) was formed by the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (“UBC”). This program, which is highly valued by the NYCDCC, is an opportunity for new female carpenters to learn from more experienced Union sisters as they carve out their careers. In addition, it provides women with crucial mentoring opportunities so they can succeed in the construction industry – both on and off the job site. In 2021, the NYCDCC took this program a step further, launching a new Inclusion and Diversity training.

A few key aspects of the training include promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace, participating in active caring, and preventing sexual harassment, racism, and bias. The curriculum is incorporated in all apprenticeship onboarding programs and taught to all NYCDCC apprentices by skilled instructors during 45-minute training sessions held every week and during annual training sessions.

Our organization, the NYCDCC Benefit Funds, helps these proud women (as well as their Union brothers) get the assistance they need to utilize and understand their many benefits, including welfare coverage, pension, annuity, vacation, life insurance, and many others, while both as an active and/or retired participant.  

To stay up to date on the latest news from the NYCDCC Sisters in the Brotherhood, you can follow them on Instagram here.

On behalf of the NYCDCC Benefit Funds, we wish all of you a Happy International Women’s Day and National Women in Construction Week!