In this blogcast, Burnes Center Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Wendy Chun-Hoon, Director of the Women's Bureau in the Department of Labor; Anita Bruno, founder and CEO of Rhode Island Women in the Trades; Jeannine Giguere-Gagnon, retired union carpenter and RI Women in the Trades representatives; and Sinade Wadsworth, New York City union carpenter and RI Women in the Trades representative to discuss the Women's Bureau's WANTO grant program, the upcoming Rhode Island Labor Standards conference, and the importance of providing education and support to women in construction.
You don't want to miss the latest Power At Work blogcast!
** Register for the Rhode Island Labor Standards Conference on March 9th in Providence, RI here.
** Director Chun-Hoon's 2022 Speech at Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference can be viewed here.
** You can access the Women's Bureau's Equity Toolkit here.
** You can access the Women’s Bureau’s factsheet on gender-based violence and harassment in the world of work here.
** Learn more about OSHA and the Women’s Bureau’s March 5th webinar on addressing gender-based violence and harassment in the construction industry here.
Listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Overcast.
Wendy Chun-Hoon serves as the 20th director of the Women’s Bureau, appointed by President Biden on February 1, 2021. She has held senior positions in Maryland state government and private philanthropy, overseeing large-scale, results-driven initiatives for worker and family economic justice. For the past 10 years, Wendy’s led Family Values @ Work, a national network of grassroots coalitions that have won more than 60 new paid leave policies bringing new rights to 55 million workers and their loved ones and are organizing to win greater access to child care, and fair wages and employment conditions for workers. Recognizing the ways in which her own family would be excluded from new policies for paid time to care, Wendy spearheaded the development of the Family Justice Network, building cross-movement organizing among paid leave advocates, communities of color, groups working for reproductive and disability justice, equality for LGBTQ individuals, and organized labor that has made inclusive family recognition a hallmark of the paid leave movement. Under Wendy’s leadership, FV@W’s staff and board grew and are now majority women of color. She was also instrumental in bringing together dozens of organizations to form a coordinated national campaign known as Paid Leave for All.
Anita Bruno is a visionary leader and a staunch advocate for women in the construction trades. As the President, CEO, and Founder of Rhode Island Women In The Trades since March 2019, she has been instrumental in developing policies and programs aimed at empowering women and ensuring they have fair and equal access to opportunities within the construction industry. Under her leadership, the organization has focused on providing support to a diverse group of women, including those who are unemployed, underemployed, single mothers, women of color, LGBTQ+, and other marginalized groups, helping them achieve economic empowerment and upward mobility. Before founding Rhode Island Women In The Trades, Anita honed her skills on the ground as a Union Carpenter Journeywoman with Local 330 in Warwick, Rhode Island, from April 2012 to March 2020. Through her work, Anita Bruno has not only contributed significantly to the construction industry but has also paved the way for countless women to build successful careers and advocate for their rights and opportunities.
Jeannine Giguere-Gagnon is a retired union carpenter from Carpenters Local 330. She was the 1st woman elected to the executive board of the RI Carpenters Union. As a member of the executive board, Jeannine helped to advocate for the removal of offensive, pornographic calendars from job sites and started the first Womens' Committee in the RI Carpenters Union at a time when it was challenging for women to stay in the trades. Jeannine was a job steward for several positions in her career, helping to make sure union contracts were complied with. She also worked for Building Futures for a year as part of a grant to help recruit female apprentices into the construction trades.
Sinade Wadsworth started her career as a union carpenter in New York City journey began with Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW), a program dedicated to empowering women in skilled trades. From pre-apprentice to registered apprentice at the carpenters training center, she's risen to become a journey-level Carpenter, Council Representative/Organizer for the New York City District Council of Carpenters, and now serves as an Executive Director of Foreign Relations for developers in the tri-state area.
