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The mission of Women in the Building Trades (founded in Boston, 1986), was to assist and support women entering and staying in skilled construction jobs. From the Boston-based organization's earliest days, a primary activity was training women for construction jobs; training included physical fitness, information about the various trades and their requirements, information about the culture of the construction site, survival tools, trade math, and blueprint reading. WIBT was dedicated to ending gender discrimination in trade and technical work, and also worked with unions and contractors on specific issues that face women in non- traditional occupations, such as sexual harassment. The organization was particularly geared toward helping low- and moderate-income women. Programs included Women in Apprenticeships and Non-Traditional Occupations Program (WANTO), funded by the Women's Bureau of the U.S. Labor Department; the Apprenticeship Preparedness Program (APP), funded by several state agencies to prepare women and people of color for jobs related to the Big Dig Project; Steps to Success, funded by the City of Boston Neighborhood Jobs Trust Fund; and the Construction Industries Training Assistance Program (CITAP), funded by the Federal Highway Administration.
WIBT was also involved in policy and advocacy work, including Close the Gap, legislation intended to modify and monitor hiring goals for women in construction projects funded with state dollars; Northeast Women in Transportation (NEWIT), to establish federal legislation that state transportation agencies may set aside one half of one percent of federal highway funding for training; the founding of the national organization Tradeswomen Now and Tomorow; Lawrence Community Works, a workplace federation of small, progressive organizations in Greater Boston; and various after- school programs for middle school girls, funded primarily by the Rutland Foundation. The organization also worked extensively with the Boston Employment Commission. WIBT ceased to operate in September 2008.
Administrative files, including extensive financial information; personal information about program participants, including applications, attendance records, referrals, evaluations, and biographical information; photographs of program participants in action; newsletters and publicity materials; project descriptions, curriculum information, proposals, contracts, and notes.
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The papers are open to research according to the regulations of the Sophia Smith Collection with the following conditions:
The Sophia Smith Collection owns copyright to unpublished works in this collection that were created by Women in the Building Trades. Permission must be obtained to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use." Copyright to materials authored by others may be owned by those individuals or their heirs or assigns. It is the responsibility of the researcher to identify and satisfy the holders of all copyrights. Permission to publish reproductions or quotations beyond "fair use" must also be obtained from the Sophia Smith Collection as owners of the physical property.
Please use the following format when citing materials from this collection:
Women in the Building Trades Records, Sophia Smith Collection, Smith College, Northampton, Mass.
The Women in the Building Trades Records were donated to the Sophia Smith Collection by Maura Russell in 2009.
This collection has not been fully processed and therefore may be difficult to use.
Accessioned by Burd Schlessinger, 2009