Women in the Skilled Trades Face New Hurdles

What It Covers

NPR examines how Trump administration policies targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion programs threaten progress for women in construction trades. Women comprise less than 5% of construction workers with tools. Federal contractors no longer must set goals for hiring women or prove good faith recruitment efforts, endangering organizations like Chicago Women in Trades.

Key Questions Answered

• •Federal Policy Rollback: Trump rescinded the 1965 executive order requiring federal contractors to analyze hiring disparities and create action plans. The administration also eliminated the 6.9% goal for women's participation on federal construction projects and ended requirements for apprenticeship programs to address gender imbalances, removing accountability mechanisms that helped women enter trades.
• •Union Apprenticeship Model: Becoming a licensed plumber requires five years of earn-as-you-learn training, combining on-site mentorship with classroom instruction. Union plumbers in Chicago earn over $60 per hour after apprenticeship completion. Programs like Chicago Women in Trades provide free twelve-week introductions to construction, teaching tool use, blueprint reading, and physical conditioning for agility tests.
• •Maternity Leave Innovation: The Ironworkers Union implemented maternity leave in 2017 after hearing testimony about a miscarriage caused by working too long. The policy provides up to six months partial pay before birth and six to eight weeks after, achieving 85% retention rates among 200 women who used it. Other building trades unions subsequently adopted similar policies.
• •Gender Advantages in Skilled Work: Multiple union leaders report women excel at precision tasks like welding, gold leafing, and commercial wall covering due to concentration and steadiness requirements. The Painters Union set a goal of 20% women by 2029, with employers now requesting female workers for specialized artistic work in state capitols and commercial projects requiring fine detail.
• •Legal Uncertainty for Diversity Programs: The United Brotherhood of Carpenters disbanded its decades-old Sisters in the Brotherhood program in May 2024, citing legal risk from policies targeting identity-based initiatives. Chicago Women in Trades faces potential loss of federal funding and contractor partnerships despite a construction worker shortage of 447,000 positions nationwide, as the administration has not defined illegal DEI.