Yes you read that right. I ordered the Britta FR utility pants in a size 18 (I’m a 16 in normally) and they gap in the back :-( I was hoping that they would have fit around my waist but when I saw that they had that gap I was sad. Not to mention that they are tight around my calves and well it doesn’t feel comfortable. I don’t know whether to return them or try them in denim. Any recommendations for FR pants that actually fit around the waist and curves?

hey all! it’s gonna be my first time working outside in the winter i’m looking for any product recommendations in general! i’m also curious if anyone has a good pair of gloves that they wear under regular work gloves (i already have uniqlo heat teach undershirts)

I’ve recently been thinking about going to electrician school in my state. I’ll be paid as I go, but im wondering. How is it? To add on if needed, I’m in college for fashion design but it’s not really for me.

Hi, all.

I (29F) just finished an all-female pre apprenticeship program and am looking for work. They spent the whole time telling us how hard the work is, how unforgiving unions can be, what challenges we would face as women — and I’m glad they did, I don’t want to go into this with any dumb illusions.

But something they really didn’t discuss was the benefits of being in a union. Generally speaking, I know the outlines of the benefits (job security, learning while working, health insurance, pension, etc), but I’d really like to hear more. Especially since apprenticeship is a years-long path until I’d receive full benefits/pay.

If you have any specific stories, opinions, or details about what being in a union has done for you and/or your family and colleagues, I’d really like to hear it!

So basically long story short I think I'm perimenopausal. I started a trade class and basically I noticed that I was the only one in class sweating bullets, dripping off my head and annoyingly onto my glasses when I'm leaning down which is often. It's that bad. 😭

I even brought a wash cloth to wipe my face, but I'm constantly having to do it and take a second and it's honestly embarrassing. I have very short hair thankfully but it's still noticeable.

I'm looking for advice from anyone here who also struggles with excessive sweating, either from being perimenopausal or simply being from a different country just not being used to any heat.

Any headwear that helps? Tricks?

(Additionally; I drink plenty of water and I'm an average weight)

Reno carpenter for 7 years, have red seal.

Just feel like I've hit the ceiling of what I can earn and it's still not enough to save for a house. And I'm 30 and the physicality of this is catching up to me.

I'm willing to switch trades. I just want to make a bunch of cash without the camp-job lifestyle.

Open to suggestions. Anybody making bank out there? Would just like to eventually live somewhere where I can paint the damn walls.

I’m a second year electrical apprentice. I’ve made a few posts here before. Long story short I got hurt, tried to work through it, got hurt worse, took a week off, hurt myself again at work, took a month off work, and have been back for a month now. So far this has been an issue for 3 months.

I got an MRI and confirmed it wasn’t a spinal or disc issue. I did 6 weeks of physical therapy, and felt like 90% better. I was doing good at work and still am for the most part. It’s gotten to the point where I can lift and move things again so long as they’re not crazy heavy (I’m not jumping to carry any conduit or reels of cable anymore).

I still get flare ups that are pretty bad and sometimes spend most of the morning in pain, usually it clears up by the afternoon. I’ve had a flare up that’s lasted from Saturday morning to Sunday night. It’s not good.

Since it’s a muscle issue I’m not really sure what regime I can start to help? I went back to physical therapy once a week but I’m not sure what else to do. What do you ladies do to help with your backs?

So I don’t know how it is for every trade, but I know in my first few years being a construction worker for IBEW I have heard some nasty stories, I’m not a prude, but some of them were way out of hand and it got me thinking one day I kind of wanna write a book about all the bullshit these guys talk about at work. I’ve only been in for two years so I only have a couple chapters worth of stories and was hoping maybe there’s some women that would like to share what they have heard at work. My goal for this book is just to poke fun at these grown ass Men acting like teenagers in the back of a health class, and maybe get some of these men to realize that maybe if they spoke out against the stuff they are joking about it could change the world. but ultimately this is just a small passion project and I’d love if other women could contribute to it. Also leave name suggestions because I suck at naming things

Hi!

I’m looking to request an application to the electrician apprenticeship in NYC. It’s really a holy mary shot I’m taking because I haven’t done a pre-apprenticeship program (though I would like to, but for several factors haven’t yet). Any advice? I studied computer science in college, and outside of a couple software engineering internships, I have food service experience. I’m an extremely dedicated and hard worker, I know I can excel; I just lack experience.

Tips, insight, and advice appreciated!

After 5 years (super senior lets gooooo lol) I’m finally testing for my electrical PJ license. It’s on Wednesday! I’m such an anxious text taker I’m stressed as helllllll. I’m sure it’ll be fine though ❤️

I’m the only girl in my class and a lot of guys stare at me like crazy. But when I come up to them and say hi or something they bolt away and then act mean? WTF?? But then they say I’m mean cause I ignore them???

there’s also this one dude I’ve had class with for the last 2 years now. We were both super casual small talk. Earlier this year I was being casual and small talk and then he tells me he had a girlfriend now and started being meaner to me?? Like ok I’m not tryna flirt with you. I keep my distance with him but he still stares at me like crazy like he wants me to say something to him.

How the fuck do you deal with this shit?

I recently stumbled into someone's sex dungeon, it had a swing, vibrating bed and a hottub in the basement. I was shocked, curious, and kinda grossed out by what I was working on.

I once found a picture of the person's kids in a picture frame that I could've swore was a picture of me and my sister when we were kids.

For some background, I am an IBEW electrician, and one of about 5 women in the local. I’m a 3rd year apprentice and my brother just got in as an apprentice this summer, so he’s a 1st year. Our local isn’t very big so word gets around pretty fast and just about everyone at least knows of me.
Now, I knew people were at least going to give my brother a hard time when he got in because I’m his sister and men are men, but I underestimated things because everyone has been fairly respectful to my face and speaks to me like I’m human (crazy, I know).
My brother just told me yesterday that literally EVERYONE who knows me or knows of me has said inappropriate things about me to him except for literally one person. One of the guys was someone I grew very (PLATONICALLY) close with on my last job. Him and my brother were going back and forth roasting each other in a joking way and he said something to the tune of his dna being inside of me. He said it in a more vulgar way but I don’t know what’s allowed here. I’m extremely disappointed in a friend speaking about me like that but my brother said that was tame compared to the other things he’s been told. Now I feel as though I can’t trust anyone and I’m scared I’m just gonna grow bitter and hateful of men.
Anyways, rant over. I just had to tell someone and get this off my chest because my boyfriend would have a heart attack if he knew half the shit I just found out.

Im currently in my second and a half semester at an A&P school. So far it has been really positive, a lot of the guys are nice to me and treat me as equal and some even go to me for advice. I really like what I'm learning and I'm looking forward to getting my license and working in the field.

But this one class I'm in a group with two other guys and the one guy is really pissing me off. Today was my tipping point. We did group oral and practical testing where we go around the plane and show the professor how to use certain tools and find references. This class is mainly first semester students, so I have more knowledge than them. This guy genuinely cannot accept that. Like whenever I have any kind of input he completely disregards it or says something snarky. And I always end up being right. When we were doing testing I answered a question he didn't agree with and he was like "okay let's do basic math" and went on a whole rant and then the professor questioned him and I actually ended up being right. So I get frustrated and I'm like "so yeah literally what I saying" and then we were filling out this sheet and he said something completely wrong and when I corrected him he argued with me but I said "Im taking (semester 2 class) I know what I'm talking about" and then he says some shit like how he has experience on the field already and he bled from planes or whatever.

Anyways I distanced myself from my group the rest of the class and at the end I talked to the professor and asked if our groups will be the same for the rest of the semester. He explained how he sensed the tension and then he talked about how I'm gonna encounter men like that in the future and I just need to speak up for myself and he can tell I know my shit. But IM SO EMBARRASSED because as I was talking to my professor my eyes got teary because I cry so easily and then I left and cried in the bathroom and I just hate how I cry easily. I know I have to prove myself and my knowledge but it doesn't help WHEN I CRY EASILY. I just needed to vent. I'm proud of myself that I was able to stand my ground with him without getting teary eyed but ofc I had to start crying in front of my professor who is like 3 years younger than me.😭

Hey girls. I just have a question. How is your dating life while working in the trades? I’ve been single for almost 6 years now, and I am a welder and a saw operator. My dating life sucks 🤣. I work very demanding hours (6 days a week sometimes 7). The men I meet think it’s “so cool” to meet a female who does my type of work, but when we try “talking” the insecurities come out. I work government contract jobs so I am around confidential blue prints and can’t be on my phone all day. And I be damned if I allow a man to risk my job bc he wants to be on the phone all day, lol. Or I’m automatically accused of having sex with all my coworkers when really it’s a bunch of brothers and uncles I never asked for, lol but they’re all cool. Idk, I’m just curious to hear other stories from women.

Does anybody know where I could find a pair of size 0 kühl ryder pants, regular inseam? They’re sold out everywhere and it’s very difficult for me to find pants that fit me. Or any pants anyone’s had luck with for a very string bean-y gal? I’m 5’5” and 125 pounds so pants with a good fit are a pain to find.

Someone asked if I farted to set it off and I panicked and said no but I wish that I had just owned up to it because they probably knew 😭😭

I chose to become an electrician despite having an educational background in accounting and computer science. I’ve always been physically active and spent six months gaining residential experience before being accepted into a competitive union apprenticeship.
I absolutely love electrical work, but I’m finding that the hardest part isn’t the physical labor. It’s the people.

On my first dispatch, my journeyman rarely let me do hands-on work, while another male apprentice with the same experience was constantly given opportunities. My second dispatch was much better, but I fractured my foot and was laid off after six weeks of recovery, despite initially being told my position would be held.

Now I’m with a large contractor working in a warehouse. I’m 5’2” and 120 pounds, while the other apprentice is 6’3” and over 220 pounds. We’re working 40 feet up on lifts, drilling concrete and installing strut. I’ve been told to lean or climb outside the lift to reach areas I physically cannot access, without tying off. Yet I’m criticized for not being as fast as someone nearly a foot taller and twice my size. I’m not slow but I’m not as fast as him. I’m also given the hardest areas, while his areas are free from obstruction.

I’m also still recovering from my fractured foot and terrified of heights, but I show up every day and push myself because I genuinely love this work. The other male apprentice has less experience but has started giving me orders. When we disagreed about how to hang MC from the ceiling m, I calmly agreed to try his method rather than argue. He then complained to our journeyman, who told me to listen to him instead of following what I’d previously been taught.

Meanwhile, he gets praised constantly, while I feel like everything I do is wrong. If I ask questions, I talk too much. If I’m quiet, I’m not engaged. If I ask what’s next, I should already know, despite being there less than two weeks. If I stretch after physical work, I should be helping. Meanwhile, the other apprentice can stand around vaping, talking, or refusing to help without the same criticism.

Even using the restroom feels frowned upon. I have to drive off-site to use one, and because the men apparently hold it all day, I feel expected to do the same.
I’ve also requested properly fitting PPE five times. My oversized gloves have caught in my drill, yet I still haven’t received appropriate replacements. I’m told to ask for whatever I need, but then have to justify something as small as a Phillips bit.

I’m exhausted, not by the work, but by constantly feeling scrutinized and held to a different standard.

When I’m given a task and allowed to work independently, I excel. I don’t need praise, special treatment, or anyone to like me. I just want equal opportunities to learn, appropriate equipment, and basic respect.

My dad spent 50 years in the trades. He warned me against this career, not because I couldn’t handle the work, but because he knew how women could be treated.

As a woman and minority, I feel like I have to work twice as hard to prove I belong. If I’m friendly, I’m too personable. If I speak up, I’m difficult. If I’m quiet, I’m disengaged. It sometimes feels like I’m supposed to be grateful just to be included in the boys’ club, even though I worked incredibly hard to earn my place.

I love being an electrician. I just hate feeling like I have to fight for basic respect every day.

How do other women deal with this without losing their passion for the trade? How do you stand up for yourself without being labeled difficult? My fondest moments of this trade when I am left alone all day to do physically demanding work listening to music. Dealing with these dynamics robs me of my joy.

I left the corporate world and took over a 60% pay cut to do the work I am passionate about. I had other options, I even left the number 3 ranked masters program in the nation for accounting, and quit pursuing my CPA for this field. So I wasn’t just stuck to do physical work, I wanted it.

Today I just shut down. I realized nothing I could say or do was right so I just stopped talking. What’s the point? Even my friends in the union have acknowledged I’ve had a rough go of it. I attend union meetings, RENEW, and woman’s meeting. I try to stay involved and be a good representation of minorities and woman in the trade but I’m exhausted.

I started my plumbing apprenticeship when I was 18 because I was completely lost in life and didn't want to waste money on college when I didn't know what I wanted to do. I was super lucky to know a wonderful journeyman who had just started his own business and needed a helper and didn't care that I was a 5'1" 125 lb girl who cried when I got frustrated (which was often). Aside from having good work ethic, being very strong for my size, and being used to physical labor, I basically had zero experience working with tools and machinery or mechanical problem solving. For years and years and years I have felt behind and slow and stupid and like I should know more than I do and like I'll only amount to being a helper even after I got my own licenses. But I stuck with it because I made good money, I liked the physical aspect, I loved the schedule flexibility in my company, and I liked the variety of work.

Now I'm 25 and during the past couple years our company has been expanding rapidly and we've got more guys coming in and I've kind of out of necessity fallen into a teaching/ overseeing role. It's super challenging especially because teaching does not come naturally and also I want to actually teach well instead of just making them feel stupid. But wowie wow!!! Settling into a new role teaching really shows me how much I do actually know now and has kind of given me permission to be way more confident in myself and my work. It's a super cool feeling to look back on how I felt even a couple years ago and see how much I have grown. It really does get better eventually and sometimes it helps to see things from another perspective in order to realize how far you've actually come, even if like in my case it's been a slow process.

Idk if this is supposed to be motivational or me just tooting my own horn, but since I don't know any other women plumbers I suppose I just want to put my story somewhere where others might relate.

Unfortunately the selection for durable double-knee cargo pants that are my size have NOT gotten better over the years....

As a young person I have made some mistakes and I wonder would people be willing to work with a felon. Nothing crazy a theft charge

I know they’re hard to come by. Even work pants that aren’t fleece lined are hard to come by. Carhartt doesn’t even make a size small enough for me (26 w) which makes me furious. And I can’t shop men’s because their smallest size is way too big. Do these workwear brands not think that women/petite women do blue collar work? So frustrating. Anyway, I do landscaping and need them to be baggy since I’m up and down on my knees all day. It’s getting colder in MN and some warm ones would be nice before the season is over. I would take recs for baggy petite work pants that aren’t lined as well if what I want doesn’t exist, I’ll just have to layer long John’s under. They can’t be hiking pant material as I kneel in wet soil, it would soak through so fast. Double knee would be great. Any recs are appreciated thank you!

Kinda silly but it's important to me!

I started dying my hair again after years of giving up the funky colors. I wasn't going for anything crazy so I just did purple box dye over my natural brown. I used splatt which I KNOW isn't the best option but it's all they had at Walmart.

It's been a week and that shit is already FADED. I do wash my hair everyday since I'm sweaty and gross in my hardhat, I also use bar shampoo for like environmental and economic reasons. Am I doing touch ups every week or what? What do my other dyed haired girls have going on to keep the color?

I’m PM for a project. I’m client side now but used to be contractor side. Anyway, the project might be delayed due to getting sign off on some aspects of it from the local authority. I’ve been raising this issue for weeks internally and with the client about it, my Director has come in occasionally to help, the contractor has been up my ass about a decision which I’ve been chasing for most days.

My director stepped in again and was able to speak to who we needed to speak to directly instead of going through all these third parties. I was never able to get a direct contact despite me pushing for it, pushing the consultant to try harder to get this bit signed off. I’m just like,… why couldn’t they put me in direct contact the minute there was an issue! Why did it have to get to this point!

One guy on the contractors side thinks our particular team (his and mine) are too soft on this project. I disagree, the way I handle things is just different.

When I was with a contractor, I was firm with everyone, sometimes I would curse people out, but that rarely got stuff done. It probably sounded like a mosquito in your ear! So when I started speaking to people calmly and being persistent, I found that able to work better for me. Acting like the guys never helped me.

I’m getting so frustrated, if I’m told I’m too soft, I don’t know how much I can help that, and if I get rude or mean with these guys no one will listen to me at all. I once had a situation (I think I wrote it on here a couple years ago) where I got in so much trouble with one side of the company for standing up for myself to a stupid weasly man. The others would regularly curse him out but when I do it it’s a problem 🙄

I’m also frustrated because it’s like why am I in construction? I fell into it because it’s one of the only things that’s able to hold my interest and my attention for long periods of time. I’m just trying to do what works for me I can’t always be like these men

Has anyone attended the Teamsters Women's Conference in the past? I believe this year it was in August in DC. I attended my union's National Conference this week and was approached by my GC and asked if I would be interested in attending the next one, but before I say yes, I would like to know what goes on there. Thanks in advance for any insight!