1 00:00:00,520 --> 00:00:02,800 Speaker 1: This is my margin trowl. And you always know a 2 00:00:02,840 --> 00:00:05,080 Speaker 1: finisher because we've we've got him in our back pockets 3 00:00:05,080 --> 00:00:07,080 Speaker 1: sticking out. And it's such a small tool, but you 4 00:00:07,160 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: just use this all the time when you're pouring concrete, 5 00:00:09,320 --> 00:00:12,320 Speaker 1: ees to scrape your forms, use it to get in 6 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: little corners that maybe your other trials are too big for. 7 00:00:15,480 --> 00:00:17,880 Speaker 1: So you can always tell a finisher by the margin trowl. 8 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: When Liz Nichols was in her twenties, she knew that 9 00:00:23,520 --> 00:00:28,080 Speaker 1: she wanted two things financial stability and to start a family, 10 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:31,520 Speaker 1: but she had no roadmap to help her achieve those goals. 11 00:00:32,040 --> 00:00:35,000 Speaker 1: That is until the day she met a guide who 12 00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: would show her a new world of work. In this 13 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:41,440 Speaker 1: episode of I'm the Job, brought to you by Express 14 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:46,159 Speaker 1: Employment Professionals, we'll hear a story about shattering expectations in 15 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: order to find meaningful work. If you want to find 16 00:00:49,680 --> 00:00:52,559 Speaker 1: your next job, or if you're a company hoping to 17 00:00:52,640 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: grow your workforce, Express Employment Professionals is for you. Find 18 00:00:57,400 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: more information at express prose dot com. Um Now producer 19 00:01:02,120 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: Chris Siegel has the story of Liz Nichols. It's early 20 00:01:06,959 --> 00:01:10,360 Speaker 1: in the morning, I'm in Northwest Portland, in a neighborhood 21 00:01:10,360 --> 00:01:14,160 Speaker 1: where new developments are springing up like dandelions. I parked 22 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: behind a beat up old truck, a nine Toyota that 23 00:01:18,160 --> 00:01:21,320 Speaker 1: belongs to my friend Liz. How's work going so far? 24 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:26,720 Speaker 1: This morning? While most of Portland is waking up, Liz 25 00:01:26,720 --> 00:01:29,399 Speaker 1: has been at work for a couple hours. She greets 26 00:01:29,440 --> 00:01:32,800 Speaker 1: me in her loose, dirty jeans and union hoodie. Under 27 00:01:32,840 --> 00:01:36,479 Speaker 1: her chin, she has what's called a particulate respirator. It's 28 00:01:36,520 --> 00:01:40,319 Speaker 1: like the construction workers version of a surgical mask. Liz 29 00:01:40,400 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: is a journeyman cement mason, and today she's working in 30 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,720 Speaker 1: a half finished building. There's some sheet metal guys, some 31 00:01:46,800 --> 00:01:50,480 Speaker 1: electricians running wire. But yeah, there's we got just different 32 00:01:50,480 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: trades people were kind of working around. As a woman 33 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:56,960 Speaker 1: in the trades, Liz has certainly taken an unusual path. 34 00:01:57,640 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: Only three percent of people working on constructions sights are women. 35 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:05,000 Speaker 1: That means for every one hundred plumbers or carpenters or mechanics, 36 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,680 Speaker 1: only about three of them are women. But since she 37 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 1: was a child growing up in Massachusetts, she's always been 38 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: a bit of a contrarian. This one time, my father 39 00:02:14,480 --> 00:02:17,400 Speaker 1: took me in my siblings to the fire station and 40 00:02:17,440 --> 00:02:20,239 Speaker 1: Waltham because one of my mom's cousins was a firefighter, 41 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,880 Speaker 1: and it was a bunch of guys, and I remember 42 00:02:24,440 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: very clearly as nine or ten, asking if there were 43 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:32,399 Speaker 1: any women firefighters, and they said there had never been 44 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 1: a woman firefighter in the history of wealthy and firefighting. 45 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: And at that moment I wanted to be a firefighter 46 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,280 Speaker 1: really badly. But the expectations that were placed on Liz 47 00:02:43,840 --> 00:02:47,200 Speaker 1: by her family, by society and culture, they had her 48 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,119 Speaker 1: pointing in a different direction. You go to college and 49 00:02:50,280 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: then magically you figure it out. You go to college 50 00:02:53,200 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: and you come out and people will pay you good 51 00:02:55,240 --> 00:02:59,280 Speaker 1: money to do things. And so I didn't I think 52 00:02:59,320 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: twice such as go to college, go to college. I 53 00:03:02,320 --> 00:03:07,080 Speaker 1: wasn't very academically motivated or talented in high school. And 54 00:03:07,120 --> 00:03:09,480 Speaker 1: now that I know, there's all these great jobs out 55 00:03:09,520 --> 00:03:12,040 Speaker 1: there that you don't need a college degree. Four. If 56 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: I could go back in time, if I had a 57 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:16,080 Speaker 1: time and sheet, I would not have attended college. Liz 58 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: was an English and history major, and while she dreamed 59 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:22,000 Speaker 1: of a career in writing, she struggled to pass her classes. 60 00:03:22,639 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: She couldn't stay focused, She'd fall asleep during lectures and 61 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,799 Speaker 1: then have trouble catching up. But she learned one thing. 62 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: The summer before my senior year of college, I worked 63 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,080 Speaker 1: on a fruit and vegetable farm on Martha's vineyard, and 64 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:38,280 Speaker 1: it was awesome and it was sort of my first 65 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: taste of manual labor. And I loved it. I loved 66 00:03:40,840 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: working outdoors. I you know, loved feeling strong and muscular 67 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,680 Speaker 1: from busting ass all day. It was a minor miracle 68 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:53,480 Speaker 1: that she made it through college, she tells me. An 69 00:03:53,480 --> 00:03:57,960 Speaker 1: adviser of hers basically dragged her to graduation day. After college, 70 00:03:57,960 --> 00:04:00,800 Speaker 1: she got by on a combination of gardening and landscaping 71 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,280 Speaker 1: jobs and serving coffee. It wasn't going to make her rich, 72 00:04:04,480 --> 00:04:06,920 Speaker 1: but she was content. She had a good life and 73 00:04:06,920 --> 00:04:12,640 Speaker 1: a loving partner. But then I was suddenly it was 74 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: in my late twenties, and I knew I wanted a kid. 75 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: And that was sort of the aha moment of like, 76 00:04:18,800 --> 00:04:22,240 Speaker 1: I need health insurance, I need benefits, I need a 77 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,520 Speaker 1: wage that will support a family. I've always loved sports, 78 00:04:26,600 --> 00:04:31,280 Speaker 1: so I found a physical therapy assistant program and uh, 79 00:04:32,120 --> 00:04:33,840 Speaker 1: it was a two year program and you'd come out 80 00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:37,719 Speaker 1: making forty dollars a year, which sounded like so much 81 00:04:37,839 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: money to me at the time, and I thought, Okay, yeah, 82 00:04:40,880 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: that's something I can do, and I took one anatomy 83 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:48,760 Speaker 1: and physiology class. She thought maybe this time she'd be 84 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:52,680 Speaker 1: successful at school. But I ended up trying in my 85 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:58,120 Speaker 1: car one day after class and realizing that it's you know, 86 00:04:58,160 --> 00:04:59,640 Speaker 1: it wasn't that I was immature, it wasn't that I 87 00:04:59,640 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: was late. Easy is that I'm just not I just 88 00:05:02,440 --> 00:05:04,480 Speaker 1: don't do well in an academic setting, and that's not 89 00:05:04,520 --> 00:05:08,440 Speaker 1: how I learned. And I dropped the class and then 90 00:05:09,760 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 1: really started to panic. To Liz, there was no way 91 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:16,719 Speaker 1: forward the life where she starts a family, where she 92 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: has financial stability. She couldn't see that life. She spent 93 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:24,479 Speaker 1: about a year in this cycle, comfortable but feeling like 94 00:05:24,520 --> 00:05:26,479 Speaker 1: there was a hole and she could be doing more. 95 00:05:27,640 --> 00:05:30,400 Speaker 1: But when she least expected it, a short, white haired 96 00:05:30,440 --> 00:05:33,320 Speaker 1: woman named Dolores would walk into a coffee shop Lizza 97 00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: is working at and change everything. There was a regular 98 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: customer who was an electrician, and she was a woman, 99 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:44,480 Speaker 1: and I was talking to her one day and she 100 00:05:44,600 --> 00:05:48,599 Speaker 1: told me about Oregon tradeswoman and she talked about how 101 00:05:48,640 --> 00:05:51,400 Speaker 1: being an electrician had changed her life and the quality 102 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,520 Speaker 1: quality of life. She was able to provide for her 103 00:05:53,600 --> 00:05:58,359 Speaker 1: two children and her partner. And this was someone telling 104 00:05:58,400 --> 00:06:02,320 Speaker 1: me she um worked in construction and made eighty thousand 105 00:06:02,360 --> 00:06:06,120 Speaker 1: dollars a year and had health insurance and would receive 106 00:06:06,160 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 1: a pension when she retired. And it just sort of 107 00:06:08,240 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: like bells were going off, and I was like, that's 108 00:06:10,279 --> 00:06:12,360 Speaker 1: what I want, that's what I want to do. Dolores 109 00:06:12,400 --> 00:06:15,640 Speaker 1: brought the change Liz was searching for. After a Google 110 00:06:15,680 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: search for Oregon Trades Women, Liz was sold a world 111 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: of meaningful work was starting to open up to her. 112 00:06:22,120 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: Jobs like welder or electrician, or crane operator or wind 113 00:06:26,120 --> 00:06:28,839 Speaker 1: turbine technician, where all of a sudden, jobs that she 114 00:06:28,839 --> 00:06:33,039 Speaker 1: could see herself doing. Shortly after the coffee shop conversation, 115 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,719 Speaker 1: she signed up for the training with Oregon Trades Women. 116 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,160 Speaker 1: I met Liz a few years ago when she went 117 00:06:38,160 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: through our program. That's Amy Jane Neil, she runs the 118 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,719 Speaker 1: training program at Oregon Trades Women. The mission of Oregon 119 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:48,160 Speaker 1: Trades Women is to serve women and girls to think 120 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:51,679 Speaker 1: about careers and skilled trades. And that's their executive director 121 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: Kelly coopcheck. I met Kelly and Amy at their office 122 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,160 Speaker 1: on a busy street in northeast Portland, located half a 123 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:01,520 Speaker 1: block from my favorite hardware store. When Liz arrived at 124 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: Oregon Trades Women, she had a lot to learn. Day 125 00:07:04,400 --> 00:07:06,960 Speaker 1: one was like, let's look at a tape measure. If 126 00:07:06,960 --> 00:07:09,119 Speaker 1: someone says five and three, eight's like, you can find 127 00:07:09,240 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: five and three. It's on the tape measure really quickly 128 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:14,280 Speaker 1: and hitting a nail with a hammer and not missing 129 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: the nail. You know, there's lots of no tap tap tapping. 130 00:07:17,840 --> 00:07:19,720 Speaker 1: I don't want to hear the tap tap tapping, Like 131 00:07:19,920 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: swing and hit that nail. But Amy and Kelly recognize 132 00:07:23,520 --> 00:07:25,239 Speaker 1: that for a woman to make it in the trades, 133 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:27,920 Speaker 1: she needs to have training with a variety of tools 134 00:07:28,360 --> 00:07:30,960 Speaker 1: and not just the physical ones they use on the job. 135 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: Men are better equipped for this male dominated industry to succeed. 136 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:38,120 Speaker 1: So our program sort of bridges that divide. So we 137 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:42,160 Speaker 1: equip our students, graduates of our program with tools to 138 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: to fit into this male dominated culture and to succeed. 139 00:07:46,960 --> 00:07:50,760 Speaker 1: Throughout the program, Amy saw Liz transform and she was 140 00:07:50,800 --> 00:07:53,080 Speaker 1: a really different person than that she is now. She's 141 00:07:53,120 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 1: got the same heart She's got the same drive, but 142 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: her level of confidence, her understanding of her own value worth, 143 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:05,800 Speaker 1: and she's ripped now she's strong. After the training, Liz 144 00:08:05,920 --> 00:08:08,680 Speaker 1: was excited to work. The next step for her was 145 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:12,640 Speaker 1: finding an apprenticeship, only she didn't know what apprenticeship program 146 00:08:12,680 --> 00:08:16,520 Speaker 1: to join. It just so happened that the Cement Mason's Union, 147 00:08:17,080 --> 00:08:20,480 Speaker 1: the tradespeople who make our sidewalks and building floors possible, 148 00:08:20,960 --> 00:08:25,120 Speaker 1: was hosting an apprentice recruitment training, so she thought why 149 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:28,720 Speaker 1: not and signed up. I spent a week at this 150 00:08:28,920 --> 00:08:32,640 Speaker 1: met Mason's training center where we know built forms and 151 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:36,960 Speaker 1: we poured concrete, and I was just trying to impress everyone. 152 00:08:37,000 --> 00:08:38,839 Speaker 1: I just really, you know, I didn't know what I 153 00:08:38,880 --> 00:08:40,560 Speaker 1: wanted to do, but I know I knew that I 154 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: wanted everyone to want to hire me. So I was, 155 00:08:43,880 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: you know, filling up the wheelbarrow twice as full as 156 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: everyone else and running them back and forth. And at 157 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:52,160 Speaker 1: one point during the class, I smashed my thumb with 158 00:08:52,200 --> 00:08:55,679 Speaker 1: a sledgehammer and was bleeding everywhere and just kept working 159 00:08:55,760 --> 00:08:59,199 Speaker 1: and they didn't notice until I just very casually asked 160 00:08:59,240 --> 00:09:01,360 Speaker 1: for a band it and they saw that my thumb 161 00:09:01,480 --> 00:09:05,040 Speaker 1: was just like black and blue and bleading. Her hard 162 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: work and grit didn't go unnoticed by the leaders of 163 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:10,440 Speaker 1: the union. At the end of the training, they pulled 164 00:09:10,440 --> 00:09:14,880 Speaker 1: her aside and they offered me a job. They said, 165 00:09:15,000 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: we want you in our apprenticeship. You can go to 166 00:09:18,120 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: work Monday if this is what you want. The door 167 00:09:21,080 --> 00:09:25,199 Speaker 1: was finally opening for Liz, a rewarding job with good pay, 168 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: the pieces of the puzzle that she needed to start 169 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:31,199 Speaker 1: a family. She accepted the job with the Cement Mason Union. 170 00:09:31,679 --> 00:09:34,720 Speaker 1: And then once I had an apprenticeship and it was 171 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: scheduled like Okay, you're going to work Monday, that was 172 00:09:37,600 --> 00:09:39,760 Speaker 1: sort of like I'm gonna walk on the job and 173 00:09:39,760 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: they're gonna know I'm a fraud. They're gonna know, like 174 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: I've never done anything like this. It's time for Liz 175 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:47,840 Speaker 1: to go to work. How does she fare on the job? 176 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 1: Find out after a short break. You're listening to independent 177 00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,600 Speaker 1: producer Chris Siegel and the story of Cement Mason Liz 178 00:09:55,720 --> 00:09:59,000 Speaker 1: nichols Um. The job is brought to you by Express 179 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,520 Speaker 1: Employment for Esstionals. One company is on a mission to 180 00:10:02,520 --> 00:10:05,520 Speaker 1: put a million people to work each year. Sounds like 181 00:10:05,559 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: a big number, doesn't it not to Express Employment Professionals 182 00:10:09,320 --> 00:10:13,280 Speaker 1: seeking a skilled labor position or administrative ortment, and maybe 183 00:10:13,320 --> 00:10:16,600 Speaker 1: you're an executive looking for a career that fits. We 184 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,000 Speaker 1: take pride in connecting the right people with the right company. 185 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: Express Employment Professionals is on a mission to put a 186 00:10:23,040 --> 00:10:26,120 Speaker 1: million people to work each year. Let us help. We'll 187 00:10:26,160 --> 00:10:28,520 Speaker 1: open doors for you to go to express pros dot 188 00:10:28,559 --> 00:10:31,320 Speaker 1: com to find a location near you. Now back to 189 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: the story of Liz Nichols. Before the break, she had 190 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,760 Speaker 1: finished cement mason training and was gearing up for her 191 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:43,160 Speaker 1: first day at work. I get nervous standing around, like, um, 192 00:10:43,280 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: you always want to be doing something and grab something 193 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:49,480 Speaker 1: clean something. Liz feels right at home amongst the various 194 00:10:49,480 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: trades people putting together this building. While talking with me, 195 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:56,840 Speaker 1: she continually scans for jobs to do. I ask her 196 00:10:56,920 --> 00:11:01,680 Speaker 1: questions in between mixing concrete, sweeping and priming the floor. So, 197 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: how does work. Do you see a job and you 198 00:11:03,320 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: just do it? Or were you like assigned to do 199 00:11:05,720 --> 00:11:09,160 Speaker 1: that room? Um? Today, it's kind of we all know 200 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:11,760 Speaker 1: what needs to get done, so I thought needed to 201 00:11:11,760 --> 00:11:15,079 Speaker 1: be primed and just jumped on it. At one point, 202 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,439 Speaker 1: she leaves me mid sentence to carry a couple fifty 203 00:11:17,440 --> 00:11:20,680 Speaker 1: pound bags of cement over to the mixer. But when 204 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,439 Speaker 1: she first started as an apprentice, work wasn't always this smooth. 205 00:11:25,240 --> 00:11:28,760 Speaker 1: There's this one day we were pouring a section of 206 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:34,840 Speaker 1: street and there was rebar in the concrete. So you're 207 00:11:34,840 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: walking on the rebar, you're bouncing on the rebar, and 208 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:39,760 Speaker 1: we're pouring the concrete, you know, a couple of feet deep, 209 00:11:40,280 --> 00:11:42,719 Speaker 1: and at some point the rebar has covered, so you're 210 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:44,960 Speaker 1: just walking in the concrete. You can't see where your 211 00:11:45,000 --> 00:11:48,680 Speaker 1: feet are going, and you're balancing on this rebar. And 212 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:52,680 Speaker 1: I was wearing this backpack vibrator, so we have these, 213 00:11:52,720 --> 00:11:56,120 Speaker 1: you know, vibrators as this long wand and it, you know, 214 00:11:56,200 --> 00:11:58,920 Speaker 1: you dip it into the concrete. You're consolidating the concrete 215 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,280 Speaker 1: around the reb bar, and it's you know, it's like 216 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: this fifty pound backpack I'm wearing. Yeah, this is going 217 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 1: where you think it's going. And I just tripped and 218 00:12:10,120 --> 00:12:14,439 Speaker 1: fell backwards, just wiped out, laying there like a snow 219 00:12:14,480 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: angel on the concrete. And my foreman came up and 220 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:20,360 Speaker 1: he put his arm out to pull me up, and 221 00:12:20,400 --> 00:12:23,200 Speaker 1: I just pulled him down into the concrete and now 222 00:12:23,200 --> 00:12:26,120 Speaker 1: we're boling in the concrete and you know, someone else 223 00:12:26,160 --> 00:12:28,200 Speaker 1: has to come and they help us. So I'm just 224 00:12:28,400 --> 00:12:31,400 Speaker 1: soaked through. And my boss was like, you know, just 225 00:12:31,440 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: go home. You're covering to night. So I, you know, 226 00:12:34,840 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: got in my car and I'm just so humiliated. And 227 00:12:38,600 --> 00:12:41,319 Speaker 1: I spent all weekend like they're gonna fire me, They're 228 00:12:41,320 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: gonna think I'm an idiot, this and that. Despite her 229 00:12:44,200 --> 00:12:47,040 Speaker 1: belief that she would soon be out of work, Liz 230 00:12:47,120 --> 00:12:49,440 Speaker 1: was in for a surprise first thing Monday morning when 231 00:12:49,480 --> 00:12:53,319 Speaker 1: she returned to the job site and a guy from 232 00:12:53,320 --> 00:12:54,960 Speaker 1: another crew came up and said, hey, I heard your 233 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: fall on the concrete and proceeded to tell me his 234 00:12:57,640 --> 00:13:00,680 Speaker 1: first falling in the concrete story. And then I realized 235 00:13:00,720 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 1: it was this write of passage. As an apprentice, she 236 00:13:04,040 --> 00:13:06,520 Speaker 1: was the new person on the job, but on top 237 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:09,040 Speaker 1: of that, she'd be on construction sites where she'd meet 238 00:13:09,040 --> 00:13:12,360 Speaker 1: guys who had never worked with a woman. She received 239 00:13:12,360 --> 00:13:15,480 Speaker 1: a lot of attention. I definitely felt more like I 240 00:13:15,520 --> 00:13:18,600 Speaker 1: was under an X ray, like just walking across the 241 00:13:18,679 --> 00:13:22,360 Speaker 1: job site and feeling like every single person is staring 242 00:13:22,440 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: at me. Sometimes it just makes me feel like I'm 243 00:13:26,080 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: a unicorn or and some like mythological creature and some 244 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:32,520 Speaker 1: of the things that she heard while at work. Let 245 00:13:32,520 --> 00:13:34,320 Speaker 1: me do that for you. Hey, you look good when 246 00:13:34,360 --> 00:13:36,160 Speaker 1: you're doing that. What does your husband think of you 247 00:13:36,200 --> 00:13:38,640 Speaker 1: doing this work? Oh? I heard about you. I would 248 00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,360 Speaker 1: never let my wife do this. Oh I'm joking. I'm joking. Oh, 249 00:13:42,400 --> 00:13:45,559 Speaker 1: you can take a joke. I had a foreman once. 250 00:13:46,040 --> 00:13:48,719 Speaker 1: Uh tell me, like, sure, you can handle this work now, 251 00:13:48,760 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: but your body is going to break down faster than 252 00:13:50,480 --> 00:13:54,959 Speaker 1: our bodies because you don't have testosterone. And if you 253 00:13:55,000 --> 00:13:57,320 Speaker 1: look at the science, like women live longer than men, 254 00:13:57,679 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 1: you know, it's just like we're is he even pulling 255 00:14:00,840 --> 00:14:04,199 Speaker 1: that out of So we got into it a little bit. 256 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:07,040 Speaker 1: We've got into a fight about that one. What she 257 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:10,000 Speaker 1: could use in those type situations is support from some 258 00:14:10,040 --> 00:14:12,640 Speaker 1: of the guys on the crew. The next day, one 259 00:14:12,679 --> 00:14:14,360 Speaker 1: of my corkers came up to me and said, Hey, 260 00:14:14,360 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 1: you know what he said to you yesterday. That wasn't right. 261 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:19,000 Speaker 1: None of us feel that way. And when I went 262 00:14:19,040 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 1: home that day, I just kept thinking, why didn't you 263 00:14:22,640 --> 00:14:24,520 Speaker 1: tell him? Why in the moment, why didn't you stand 264 00:14:24,560 --> 00:14:26,280 Speaker 1: up and say that if you want to be on 265 00:14:26,360 --> 00:14:29,160 Speaker 1: my team. Be on my team. Hopefully the next time 266 00:14:29,360 --> 00:14:33,720 Speaker 1: he witnesses something like that, he'll feel more comfortable saying, hey, 267 00:14:33,960 --> 00:14:37,800 Speaker 1: that's not right. She pushed back against this foreman. But 268 00:14:37,880 --> 00:14:40,320 Speaker 1: Liz doesn't always feel like she can speak her mind. 269 00:14:41,000 --> 00:14:44,440 Speaker 1: If you let things roll off your shoulders, people like 270 00:14:44,560 --> 00:14:47,680 Speaker 1: you more like the crew accepts you. She's cool. Oh no, no, 271 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:49,520 Speaker 1: she's cool out here that time. Oh she's cool. You 272 00:14:49,520 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 1: can you can say stuff in front of Liz, and 273 00:14:51,760 --> 00:14:55,960 Speaker 1: it leads to this awkward place where I want to 274 00:14:56,000 --> 00:14:57,400 Speaker 1: be accepted and I want to fit in and I 275 00:14:57,440 --> 00:14:59,080 Speaker 1: want to feel like one of the crew. But you know, 276 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,440 Speaker 1: where do you draw the line of like, actually, you 277 00:15:01,480 --> 00:15:04,760 Speaker 1: can't say that to me. You can't just pass it 278 00:15:04,800 --> 00:15:08,520 Speaker 1: off as a joke. Experiences like these they touched Liz 279 00:15:08,640 --> 00:15:11,640 Speaker 1: now more than ever after a recent development in her life, 280 00:15:12,240 --> 00:15:15,320 Speaker 1: her dream of having a baby, well, she's accomplished that. 281 00:15:16,000 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: She gave birth to her son, Shamus nichols Kirk near 282 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:26,200 Speaker 1: the end of her three year apprenticeship. M my baby. 283 00:15:26,880 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 1: I thought I was gonna have a daughter, and I 284 00:15:28,240 --> 00:15:31,680 Speaker 1: thought I was going to raise this little tomboy hellion, 285 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,840 Speaker 1: And I realized if I had a daughter, I would 286 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: dress her, you know, I address her in blue, I 287 00:15:38,520 --> 00:15:40,800 Speaker 1: address her and green. I would very proudly have like 288 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: this gender neutral girl and try and teach her to 289 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:47,000 Speaker 1: be an empowered woman. And and I had a son. 290 00:15:47,840 --> 00:15:50,760 Speaker 1: She had a son who she knows will eventually grow 291 00:15:50,840 --> 00:15:54,040 Speaker 1: up to be a man. She doesn't have the manufacturers 292 00:15:54,080 --> 00:15:57,560 Speaker 1: instructions on how to raise a sensitive, thoughtful son, so 293 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: she looks back to her experience on the construction site 294 00:16:00,440 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: for ideas. I'm going to try and teach him to 295 00:16:04,640 --> 00:16:07,680 Speaker 1: speak out if he sees something that makes him uncomfortable, 296 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:10,640 Speaker 1: to not be um the guy who comes up to 297 00:16:10,720 --> 00:16:13,720 Speaker 1: me the day after something happens and says he's sorry, 298 00:16:13,880 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 1: and you know it's not right. I want Shamus to 299 00:16:17,560 --> 00:16:19,840 Speaker 1: be the type of person who, in the moment says, hey, 300 00:16:19,840 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 1: that's that's not right. As Shamus grows up, she wants 301 00:16:23,640 --> 00:16:26,560 Speaker 1: to teach him the value of hard work. I really 302 00:16:26,600 --> 00:16:33,640 Speaker 1: want him to it's crying right now. Uh. I want 303 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: him to know that my job is hard but satisfying, 304 00:16:38,640 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: and that I can provide the life that I'm providing 305 00:16:40,920 --> 00:16:44,080 Speaker 1: for him through that hard work. There was an occasion 306 00:16:44,120 --> 00:16:46,840 Speaker 1: for Liz where her two lives, her life as a 307 00:16:46,880 --> 00:16:50,400 Speaker 1: worker and her life as a mother, came together. She 308 00:16:50,520 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: was at the end of her apprenticeship and needed to 309 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: take a test to graduate and become a journeyman cement mason. 310 00:16:56,440 --> 00:16:57,920 Speaker 1: I took it this July and I was still on 311 00:16:58,000 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: maternity leave, so I actually to bring Shamus with me 312 00:17:01,680 --> 00:17:05,159 Speaker 1: to the hall, and the apprentice instructor and all of 313 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:09,080 Speaker 1: the office guys babysat for me while I was taking 314 00:17:09,119 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: the exam. So I was building forms and pouring concrete 315 00:17:13,200 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: and finishing, and then you know, all these guys were 316 00:17:15,800 --> 00:17:20,200 Speaker 1: just mooning over my baby Liz. Past the exam. They 317 00:17:20,200 --> 00:17:22,959 Speaker 1: have a door that they have all the new journeyman's signed, 318 00:17:23,280 --> 00:17:26,199 Speaker 1: and I got to hold Sheamus while I was signing 319 00:17:26,240 --> 00:17:30,399 Speaker 1: the door, and it was this wonderful, full circle moment 320 00:17:30,480 --> 00:17:33,240 Speaker 1: of I got into this trade because I wanted to 321 00:17:33,320 --> 00:17:36,439 Speaker 1: have a baby one day and to journey out holding 322 00:17:36,480 --> 00:17:39,840 Speaker 1: my child. That this job and this you know, living 323 00:17:39,880 --> 00:17:43,560 Speaker 1: wage made possible. It was just a really cool moment. 324 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: That's Liz Nichols, a journeyman cement mason and mother, living 325 00:17:49,240 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: and working in Portland, Oregon. That was independent producer Chris 326 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,359 Speaker 1: Siegel with the story of Cement Mason, Liz Nichols, and 327 00:17:57,440 --> 00:17:59,880 Speaker 1: that's all for this edition of On the Job from 328 00:17:59,880 --> 00:18:04,200 Speaker 1: a Express Employment Professionals. Find out more at Express prose 329 00:18:04,280 --> 00:18:07,479 Speaker 1: dot com, and you can listen to every podcast this 330 00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:12,160 Speaker 1: season at Express prose dot com slash podcast. This podcast 331 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,439 Speaker 1: is produced by your host, Steve Mencher for Mensch Media, 332 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,439 Speaker 1: I Heart Radio and Red Seat Ventures. You can subscribe 333 00:18:19,440 --> 00:18:22,400 Speaker 1: on I Heart Radio and iTunes, where we hope you'll 334 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:24,919 Speaker 1: leave a nice review which helps other folks find us, 335 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,439 Speaker 1: and of course you can listen and subscribe wherever you 336 00:18:28,520 --> 00:18:32,040 Speaker 1: get your podcasts. See you next time, On the Job.