February 2025
I’m just back from California where I went to do more research for my current book project. In Fresno I interviewed two plumber apprentices, in Santa Clara I observed a sheet metal worker at her job, and in Livermore toured a union training center where sheet metal workers learn their trade. Tradeswomen work in industries with stringent safety regulations, and PPE is mandatory. Hard hat and hi-vis vest, for instance. But within those strictures, I saw tradeswomen asserting themselves with personal style.
Crystal, for instance, is an apprentice plumber and her tools are pink. These are not light weight tools, the kind you might use for a simple project at home. No, these are real plumber tools, for laying pipe and installing toilets. When she first became an apprentice, Crystal’s hair was dyed green. The image of green hair and pink tools conjured a memory of the preppy palette that was popular in the early 1960s. Does anyone else remember Lilly Pulitzer clothes?
But looking preppy is not Crystal’s goal. In her 35 years, she has experienced difficulties including lack of financial stability, drugs and men who have absented themselves from the children they fathered. But now, the plumbing trade has allowed her to redefine her life, giving her access to a training program, union wages and benefits for herself and her kids. Last week, Crystal’s hair was purple, with hints of orange, no longer green. But pink tools are a constant. Her way of saying yes, a woman can do this job.
In Santa Clara, I went to a job site where a large data center is under construction. I was there to see Cecilia, a sheet metal worker. A few weeks earlier I had interviewed her by phone, but seeing her in action was essential to understanding her job. She works for a subcontractor and when I arrived both her company’s project manager and the general contractor made sure I followed the rules about PPE, just as employees do. I was wearing steel toe boots, safety glasses and Andrew’s bright yellow bicycling jacket, but that wasn’t enough. I was given a hard hat and a vest, both with the sub-contractor’s logo, so everyone would know who was responsible for me. There were probably 200 workers on site, from many different trades, and maybe 5 of them were women.
Cecelia wore the requisite attire, but with an interesting twist. Under her vest, she had on a black and white plaid shirt. She also wore a face covering, black with large white stars, to keep her nose and mouth free of grit and dust. The face covering came off for lunch and when we posed for pictures, but look closely at the figure in the scissor lift – that’s Cecelia looking stylish, with shirt and face covering in contrasting patterns of black and white. Plus, she sported black-framed safety glasses.
At the end of the day, I went into the project manager’s office to return the vest and hard hat. The manager’s name is Margaret and she was sporting a leopard patterned sweater under her vest. And the amenities in her office included a mini-fridge and microwave oven, both pink.
I don’t think hi-vis yellow is my best color, or that safety glasses are flattering. But I did get affirmation that I was doing something right. In the morning, before I was allowed to enter the work site, I had to wait for Margaret to escort me through the security check point. As I waited, a woman hurrying to work stopped to admire my boots. I told her they were made by Caterpillar and I bought them in downtown Boston. “Cool,” she said. “I like them. I’m going to try to find them online.” Who knew I was capable of making a fashion statement in the trades?
A quick reminder: On March 12 I’ll be at Parkside Bookshop in the South End along with Robin Foster. We’ll be talking about the women featured in our books, all of whom broke barriers in earlier eras. I hope you can be there and help us celebrate Women’s History Month. If you do plan to attend, could you please let me know? The bookstore is a small and charming space, and I’d like to give them an idea of how many chairs to put out. See you there.
