Update…. October 19th, 2019

Help is needed!!

 

 

 

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We a tiny nonprofit, Tradeswomen and their supporters rented a 20 ft. container, loaded it with 12,930 pounds of tools, bags, gear, safety and supplies, with a declared value of $57,657, and paid to have it shipped 6,645 miles from Tacoma to Metro Manila. It will arrive at the port September 27th.

12 Tradeswomen Delegates will start flying to Manila October 4th.  Flying an additional 1,050 pounds to Manila and Papua New Guinea.

We filled 303 backpacks plus wheeled tool bags/boxes to give to the women at the Manila Tradeswomen Conference.

We packed tools and gear to adopt a Union Co-ed Vo-Tech to facilitate the training of tradeswomen in Carpentry, Masonry, Plumbing and Painting.

We packed tools for 152 welder/metalworkers, 10 Plumbers, 20 Painters, 50 electricians, 25 electronic repair/low voltage electricians, 12 mechanics, 11 carpenters, 10 tile setters, 3 masons, and 3 bricklayers with the power and hand tools they would need in an effort to facilitate the creation of the first union, all-woman Contracting Co. in Manila.

 

We are delivering training/educational materials to the TESDA Women’s Center, the only government vocational training center in the country for women.

 

As of Today September 22, we are $8,500 short in our fundraising to pay for venues, feeding the attendees, and paying for the necessary ground transport.

there are many things we would like to be able to do, but this is the minimum still needed for the basics.
 

Please consider printing out our modifiable begging letter and sending it to a Union, Contractor, Labor Council, Building Trades Council, Industry Company, Industry Manufacturer, etc.

Please consider tossing a few bucks at our Fundraiser to help us pull off the impossible
etc.

Please take a look at our Online Auction Fundraiser were we have posted under “Discussion” a variety of items, from Pearls from the Philippines to HerStorical items.  

 

 

Reach around the World and Adopt a Sister!
 

What are we raising funds for and Why are we doing this??

In the USA women make up just 2.5% of the construction trades workers. The same number we were at in 1978. In Australia it is 1%.

 

Just like in the USA in the 70's... governments are working to train women in non-traditional careers, and then.... Leaving them to fight the battle of Getting Hired and Retaining a Decent job in male dominated industries.

 

Last year The Sisters in the Building Trades, a Seattle Based 501C3 Nonprofit, put on the first conference by Tradeswomen for Tradeswomen in another country. It made prime time news in the largest stations in the country.

 

This year we will go back, and try to change their world by bringing Safety Gear, First Aid Kits and TOOLS that are Greatly needed to allow them to get the experience, do work in their community to pay the bills, and give them the edge to compete and succeed in a trade.

 

We need to raise enough to fill in what is not donated for 350 gift bags. This is not your average conference, nor are these your average conference bags. A  number of bags will be “Adopt a Sister” larger back packs and wheeled bags filled with tools for struggling tradeswomen in various trades. Enough to allow them to do “Side work” to get the experience they need to survive, and compete.

These bags contain hand tools, power tools, safety gear and 425 hand assembled First Aid Kits. The conference “bags” are back packs so they can carry their tools to work. Some are wheeled bags, some are dolly’s with ruck sacks attached.

 

Not a single tradeswoman of the 320 we met last year had a car or truck. Back packs and wheeled bags are needed to allow them to transport tools to work.

Please consider chipping in to ourFundraiser

 

We need to Crate and then Sea Freight the gear over 6,600 miles.

 

We need to feed breakfast, lunch and evening snack to those attending the 8am to 5pm conference Sunday. 

 

In the Philippines, the work week is 6 days long. This is their only day off and many will travel. We need to raise funds to rent vans to bring some of the women in from outside of the metro area.

 

Min Wage in Manila is $10.37 a DAY. Min wage in Papua New Guinea is 95cents an hour. No... Tools are Not dirt cheap there, they are not much cheaper there, than here, and most of those available to them are very low quality.

 

Power tools are rare for the average Joe. So arming our Sisters with what we can, will give them the competitive edge they so desperately need.

The Venue in Manila will hold 350 and we Know we will over fill the space. We plan on up to 75 women in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea.

As in the Philippines, in Papua New Guinea we need to get a venue, feed them, cover crate and sea freight. We would like to help the founders of the Meri Tradies with their fundraising to fly them to the Aussie Conference.

 

The Sisters in the Building Trades was the only "out of country" support for the first Australian Tradeswomen Conference.

For the Second Aussie conference, we had grown to a Tradeswomen delegation of 7.

 

In 2009 the Founder of SALT, Supporting and Linking Tradeswomen came to Women Build California. That year women across the US helped her write a 50 page white paper to the government and supported her in starting the first Tradeswomen Nonprofit Down Under. They have, and continue to change history. In 2010 women from Canada were encouraged to join in.

 

In 2014, 7 Aussies made it to Women Build California and the Nation. Inspiring over 800 Tradeswomen on what could be done, as a global team.

 

After the Australian Women in Trades Conference in Sydney, SALT will join us to put on the Meri Tradies Gathering, and support our Sisters in their first Tradeswomen Nonprofit and organizing efforts.

The International Tradeswoman Delegation will be buying their own plane tickets. They are self-selected women who will pay the cost, take the time off, and put in the efforts to help change our Herstory. Any tradeswoman is welcome to join us and put in some elbow grease to put on the events.Tentative Agenda

To defray costs we will be packed usually 2 to a bed, or 6 to a room, or 10 to an Airbnb. Even with that, we need to raise funds to defray the costs of ground transportation and lodging large enough to prepare for the events.

 

We also need to feed those tradeswomen able to join us after work or take the day off for various meetings, informal gatherings and community outreach.

 

We are begging for help to pull off the impossible.

 

Empowering Tradeswomen to reach around the world, learn, teach, help and grow into future leadership, that changes our culture and world.

 

$5 bucks to $1,000 bucks, all donations will help us make and change our history.  

If you or your company has contacts or locations in the Philippines or Papua New Guinea, we would like to reach out to them and inform them of the event and effort. Please e-mail us atSistersITBT@gmail.com

 

Women are being trained as

 

Carpenters

 

Welders

 

Motorcycle and Auto Mechanics

 

Plumbers

 

Painters

 

Electrical Residential install and Solar install

Electrical appliance assembly and repair

Auto electric

Commercial electrical install, maintenance and repair.

 

Please consider choosing a trade... and "Adopting a Sister"

 

Many of the needed items are listed on our Amazon Wish List.... at
https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/12UQITHSN2UER

Items are also being ordered onHarbor Fright (cheap shipping). As well as online tool and safety suppliers.

 

Ship to Sisters in the Building Trades

17701 108th Ave SE, #131

Renton WA 98055

If what you can give is some used tools, we have volunteers de-rusting, sharpening, oiling and repairing. We will have 2 “Fill the Crate” Potluck BBQ's per month, in June, July and August in Kent, WA.

If what you can give is to pass the hat at the hall or jobsite, post aflyer at your company, forward an e-mail to those who may wish to be involved to help get the word out.

Modifiable example letter to Unions asking for support and sponsorship
Fill the Crate Flyer

Sharing the e-mail, fundraiser, or flyer on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram etc is Much appreciated.

 

If what you can do is talk your union, apprenticeship or company out of some Tee's, hats, stickers, safety gear (gloves, glasses, earplugs, reflective gear) or First Aid supplies, and Trade Educational Material, we are grateful if you could mail them in or drop them by.

Women are cleaning out their tools, bags, boxes, garages and sheds and asking others to do so. They are putting collection buckets on jobsites and at union locals as well as pickle jars to collect change. They are shopping at tool stores for sales, Goodwill, the dollar store and where ever they can make a few bucks stretch a bit further.

Please feel welcome to join the insanity and pitch in what you can.

 

Why reach out to help on the other side of the world, when there are so many in the US to help?

 

The percentage of women in the trades in the US has remained stagnant over the last 40 years. Moving from 2.5% in 1978 to 2.75% in 2019. One quarter of one percent in 40 years.

In the last few years we have seen women stepping up, being heard, leading, making change, and finding ways that have never done before.

 

In the Philippines the Magna Carta for Women say’s that 5% of every government budget be used to achieve equality for women.

Australia a country with a population the size of California, has in the last decade has dedicated more government grant funding into the issue of women in trades, than is granted for the entire USA.

Canada a country with a population the size of California, has in the last decade has dedicated more government grant funding into the issue of women in trades, than is granted for the entire USA.

 

Papua New Guinea is one of the only countries in the world, along with the USA that does not have government mandated maternity leave. It does have a massive effort towards vocational training and teaching modern construction techniques.

In November Tradeswomen Building Bridge will again go to India. A country that started working on Maternity leave with the Factories Act in 1948 (12 weeks leave w/ full wages). In 2017 they upped it to 26 weeks. Providing crèche (day care) is now mandatory for employers with more than 50 employees. That includes construction sites, as construction workers are 50% women.

 

Connecting with tradeswomen around the globe gives new perspectives, fresh ideas, and different solutions to be shared and brought home. It is an empowering educational leadership opportunity to represent as one of the International Tradeswomen Delegates, and help find ways to make this happen.