Last night, he asked my parents for their blessing, which they gave without hesitation. I didn't get the opportunity to ask his folks because of logistics, but they are very happy.
So, it's official. I'm marrying Regular Joe, probably in May, 2010, in a small personalized ceremony.
I am, of course, very happy.
I believe marriage is between one man and one woman. I believe marriage is between two women. I believe marriage is between two men. I believe marriage is between two women and two men. ( Read more... )
October 19, 2008
“Joe the Plumber” got to ask his question, now it’s Sarah the Plumber and other tradeswomen’s turn. Sarah is a real licensed plumber, member of the UA Local 130 here in Chicago, and the Chairperson of Chicago Women in Trades Board of Directors. Beth Barton, who is the chair of Missouri Women in Trades (MOWIT) has some questions also.
Beth Barton, a 29 yr. old Journeylevel Carpenter, is from the rural town of Luebbering, Missouri. She commutes 50 miles each way to work in St. Louis, Missouri. After working as a Certified Nurse’s Assistant, for just a little bit above minimum wage, Beth put aside her healthcare (low-wage) career when she became pregnant and found herself raising her first child alone. Beth, who grew up on a farm, realized she could do heavy lifting for higher pay by becoming a carpenter. Rejections from dozens of contractors didn’t deter her quest and she finally found one willing to hire a woman and she was able to enter the Carpenter’s Union Training Program as an apprentice and join the union. She is a member of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters Local 1596.
Five years later, Beth is now completed her apprenticeship and is married to a union carpenter and raising five children. Her favorite job was making someone else’s dreams come true, by building a house for charity. She is her family’s primary breadwinner for now, since her husband, like many construction workers in this failing economy, is unemployed. Beth wonders what the new administration will do to create job security for women like her working in the construction industry.
Sarah the Plumber, Yvette the Electrician, Pam the Painter, and other tradeswomen like them have yet to hear much about the issues that matter most to them. Times are tough for all construction workers, but these tradeswomen want to know what will it take to crack through the concrete floor to gain and maintain secure high-wage, high skill jobs. Here’s their top sixteen list of questions for the candidates:
- How can women who left TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families- also known as welfare) to take personal responsibility for themselves and their families, (and found themselves in jobs that paid minimum wage with no benefits), gain access to training and job opportunities that provide them with the wages and security to achieve the American dream?
- What will be done about providing working mothers (and fathers) with affordable, quality, accessible childcare during our nontraditional work hours?
- What are your plans for ensuring that working women (or any person) who has/adopts or cares for children, the sick and the elderly can get paid family and medical leave like almost all of the other major industrial nations?
- When will women not have to work four extra months to have an annual salary equal to men’s wages?
- If we get into the “old boys network” will there be a safety net to ensure national health care? Can this cover our spouses/domestic partners and children as well?
- When exactly does the statute of limitations run out on pay equity? Is pay equity a trial lawyer’s dream, or a simple woman’s hope for (spare) change to pay the babysitter?
- How much energy do women have to expend before we get (financial) independence (or at least a 23% discount on our bills to reflect the wage disparity)?
- Do we have to kill a moose to demonstrate we can handle tools or provide leadership on the job?
- How many bridges (or highways and high-rises) do tradeswomen have to build to stop being seen as ‘just’ homemakers and breakground into male-dominated jobs?
- When can we anticipate that the free market and voluntary corporate efforts will level the playing field for women and people of color? When can we expect reparations for the disparity created by race and gender discrimination? Is this covered in the bailout bill (TARP) under executive compensation?
- Can we expect the government to actually enforce safety regulations on the jobsite and ensure that personal protective equipment like hardhats, safety belts, gloves actually fit a woman’s physique?
- Is the bailout (rescue-recovery plan?) a bridge to economic equity for working women, (and people of color and men), and exactly where does it go?
- Is a pink hardhat safer than a bonnet to protect us from the falling dollar and crashing stock markets?
- How much straight talk will it take before gays and lesbians can move from being just “tolerated” to full equality in our work, civic, military, family, and love lives?
- If we change “business as usual in the beltway”, how many documents will a worker need to be treated fairly and equally for day’s labor and to share the wealth they help to create?
- How many “hands across the aisle” will it take to create a bi-partisan bill to rescue women from second-class citizenship, low wages, and discrimination on the job? Can poor women be appointed to fill all the positions on the oversight board to assure compliance? Can full childcare be provided at all meetings?
Lauren Sugerman
Executive Director
Chicago Women in Trades
o/312-942-1444 ext. 214 c/773-704-3627
lsugerman@cwit2.org
Contact Beth at: jbbarton@peoplepc.com
Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) is a nonprofit organization committed to improving women’s economic equity by increasing the number of women working in well-paid, skilled trade jobs traditionally held by men. For more information, visit www.chicagowomenintrades.org. or call us at 312-942-1444.
In the interests of full disclosure, CWIT is a community organization that formerly received funding from the Woods Charitable Fund and has associated with ACORN in the past and supports their campaigns for living wages and poverty reduction. All the women named above are pseudonyms to protect the identities and jobs of real tradeswomen who go to work everyday and come to CWIT with the above concerns.
my job responsibilities have multiplied over the last couple of months, and i'm wearing a bunch of different hats now. i am the Project Engineer on one large and one small project. i am the Shop QC Representative (and the understudy for the QA Manager, who is having surgery and will be out for a couple of weeks). and, I am still a Project Estimator. so i don't usually have much time at work to goof off.
outside of work, i am the Secretary of the Board of Directors for CWIT, a co-facillitator of Women in the Pipe Trades, dating Regular Joe regularly, still trying to find the best relief for the fibro, and the only errand-runner and laundry-doer in my home.
so, i apologize for being out of touch, both here and by other means. your best chance of communicating with me is by phone, with email being the runner up. be persistent. i'm sure there will be another lull sometime!
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verin_the_brownYour results:
You are Kaylee Frye (Ship Mechanic)
| You are good at fixing things. You are usually cheerful. You appreciate being treated with delicacy and specialness.  |
Click here to take the Serenity Firefly Personality Test
My computer took a crap this weekend. It won't recognize the hard drive. It won't recognize the recovery discs because it won't recognize the hard drive.
This means I need, at the very least, a new hard drive, right? This is a decent hand-me-down pc. But, being inculcated by the disposable culture in which we live, I'm strongly contemplating just replacing the whole thing. So help me out.
+ I like the portability of laptops
+ I hate the keyboard/screen relationship of laptops
+ I'm not made of money, but I do all right. I figure a buget about $500, but less is better.
+ All I really do is internet, word processing, and download photos from my camera
+ I'm no technophile--simple is best
So here's a little poll to help you help me. PLEASE write additional recommendations in the comments. Thanks in advance for your help!!
Poll #1243998 The Answer to Piper's Computer Woes
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5
Open to: All, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 5
I think Piper should...
View Answers
just replace the hard drive. I recommend... (see comments)
1 (20.0%)
replace the desk top with a desk top. I recommend... (see comments) 1 (20.0%)
replace it with a new lap top. I recommend... (see comments) 1 (20.0%)
replace it with a used lap top. I recommend... (see comments) 0 (0.0%)
buy a used lap top and ask for a desk top for Christmas or something. I recommend this lap top: (see comments) 0 (0.0%)
get a lap top with a remote keyboard/monitor/something that will give her more of a desk top set-up when at a desk. I recommend... (see comments) 1 (20.0%)
give up. It's hopeless. Join the Amish. 2 (40.0%)
let me click this clicky button! 2 (40.0%)
I would like to contribute following to the Piper Joy Oh-so-sad Computer Replacement Fund:
View Answers
$25 0 (0.0%)
$50 0 (0.0%)
$100 0 (0.0%)
$500 0 (0.0%)
$1000 0 (0.0%)
My late-model desk top 0 (0.0%)
My very good lap top 0 (0.0%)
Yeah, right 2 (100.0%)
HA HA HA HA HA HA! 0 (0.0%)
ooh, the date is "August 13, 2008, 13:13"
in the last 7 days, I
- pulled off a successful workshop for prospective pipe fitters that had been rescheduled 3 times.
- repurposed 3 rooms in my house
- fell down the stairs and went to the ER
- ruined a moment with inept dirty-talk
- indulged in truly Bammtastic cookies and other sweets
- had a 3-hour conversation with my dad that included an interesting perspective on gays in the church and ended with his saying, "It's so nice to have a daughter I can talk to like this!" *
- watched enough L-word that i dug out the eyeliner and actually wore some out of the house
- rested and moped
- acted as critical and decisive executive committee member to promote the welfare of the organization
- found out that i'm someone's "platonic domestic partner"
- graciously accepted other people's willingness to help while i try to heal my ankle
so, yeah, I've been busy *wink*
*i'll try to say more about this soon
1. gently used birch writing desk. about 10 years old. 30" H x 42" W x 20" D.
It has all three drawers--i just removed them to move the desk.
Check out the fake lining in the drawers.
2. Ikea ROBIN wardrobe, blue, gently used, about 2 years old. 39.5" W x 65 H x 20" D
the one i'm offering is blue, like above. the lower picture shows the inside well. all shelves are adjustable.
That's the Business Manager, me (duh!), the Assistant Apprenticeship Guy for the international union, and some guy who came from my local and went international but whose title I can't recall at all.
x-posted to
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tradeswomenThe Bunny told EVP that it would be a big mistake to make me the new BK, that it would be a waste of my talents and greatly increase the risk that I'd jump ship too.
Leo told EVP that I was just the person for the job. He told me that it's mostly what I have been doing, and certainly nothing beyond my capabilities. And Leo will be there as a resource for me.
EVP told me that although this is not exactly what we'd talked about a month or two ago, it is temporary, and it is part-time. He told me that wheels had been set in motion to get BK out from under Keebler's thumb. He told me that he still intends to utilize my QA/QC training and experience, and that this BK project will just be filler until other work comes in. He told me to visit the site, and to learn as much as I can from this opportunity. I told him that I was reassured, and looking forward to the opportunity. And I asked for a raise, which he seems reluctant to grant. I just figured if I'm doing BK's work, I should get BK's compensation. But I can live without it. I'm proud of myself for asking.
And this morning, when Keebler tried to foist his work on me, I handed it right back. I was surprised at how smoothly that went. And now he ought to know that he can't fuck with me.
So, yeah, good. :)
- Mood:
accomplished
"No, this is the way it's always been done. I don't know that EVP wrote that. I don't understand why it's such a big deal to you."
"I have worked very hard to become and excel as a pipe fitter. I believe it was EVP's intention to show me the respect I deserve by placing me among the people with similar job responsibilities to mine."
"But X isn't a pipe fitter, and he's at the top. [blah blah blah]"
"Okae, well, frankly, I don't understand why it's a big deal to you to do what EVP asked you to do. If you don't believe that he signed his own initials to the move, I will talk to him and have him tell you directly what he wants."
"Fine."
Really!? She wants me to go to the OWNER and get him to tell her to do what she should have already done 3 times over? Okae.
Later, when EVP looked a little less busy, I explained the situation to him, letting him know that Lady was obstinent but trying not to bad mouth her. He was upset that I wasn't where I belong on the sheet. I felt so vindicated! I asked about the gender segregation, and he said it was a throwback to when gender and job description created identical separations. But that it needs to change. :D
It kills me that my biggest run in with sexism thus far in the trades is with a woman. And although at least one other woman thinks I'm a hero for standing up for myself, I think some of the others might feel snubbed. It sucks donkey balls. You win some, you lose some.
I said, "Does that make much sense to you? Cuz it doesn't make much sense to me..."
"Well, yes. The girls hardly ever leave, but I have to sign the guys out all the time. Besides, I didn't know it was the EVP [even though he initialed it]--people write on the sign-in all the time--they draw stars and all sorts of malarky."
This is a sort of abreviated version of the convo. I could tell I wasn't getting anywhere, so I left. Today, I'm going to ask her to move my name to the section EVP intended. If she won't, I'll take it EVP, and maybe even get the whole thing alpha (there are several guys who never leave the building too).
Wish me luck!
I hate this (sorry about the yelling). One of My Company's owner told the receptionist to move my name from its lonesome at the bottom of the sign-in sheet to the part where the project managers and other male employees are. Instead, she moved it to where the admin. and accounting female employees are. I have nothing against the admin. and accounting people--i think it's unjust for everyone that the sign in sheet is segregated by gender. I guess I'm most upset because this CONFIRMS that the division is by gender, not job description. Arggggh. I'm so mad.
- Mood:
aggravated
Black was Lion Brand Wool Ease. Whoops! Damn. Then I remembered thinking the texture was a little different when I was working it. Such a moron in a rush! So I ran to the washer and discovered it was MUCH to late to frog; the border, etc. had felted and the last 1/3 of the black had not. It's all sc, so it's not superbad, but it is noticeable.
Any suggestions?
x-p to
crochetcrochetBut Dead Batteries asked me today if I'd like to teach a CWI class with him this fall. Yes, yes, I would. I adore Dead Batteries. He's a great teacher--he taught my class. I could learn a lot from him. And being involved in the class will help keep me up on trends and give me that many more contacts and years of other people's experience to draw on. I seriously hope this pans out.
Cross yer fingers for me!
- Mood:
anticipatory
bammba_m& </a></font></b></a>enochs_fable:You are in a mall when the zombies attack. You have:
1. one weapon.
2. one song blasting on the speakers.
3. one famous person to fight alongside you.
Weapon can be real or fictional, you may assume endless ammo if applicable. Person can be real or fictional.
1. a magical kerambit which imbues its wielder with superior skill in its use
2. for some reason, "The Eye of the Tiger" is stuck in my head and seems appropriate for both the mall and the ensuing battle
3. Spike the vampire
You?
