Women working in Minnesota’s construction trades say they’re still coming to grips with a recent high-profile case of workplace violence. Union voices are calling for more conversations and other actions to ensure this sector is safe and welcoming for women.
In November, welder Amber Czech was murdered by a male co-worker at a food processing plant in Cokato.
Clara Schiller is a pipefitter, member of Pipefitters Local 455 and board member and instructor with the nonprofit Women Building Success. She emphasized there is renewed pressure to highlight the challenges women face working in the trades, including threatening and harassing behavior. “It’s absolutely something that is kept in mind when talking to people about getting into the trades. There’s not an expectation that these things will happen, but it is something that people should be aware of.”
In a 2021 survey from the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, more than a quarter of respondents said they are always or frequently harassed just for being a woman in the trades, and 44% had considered leaving the field.
Schiller believes despite progress in improving gender diversity, the industry still needs to boost recruitment and retention so women feel represented and in a safe enough environment to raise concerns. Schiller added she feels a better tone is being set when addressing the root causes as more women move up the career ladder in the trades.
“I’ve seen women become instructors at tech schools, and there’s business agents. All over the different trades, there’s people stepping into leadership roles.” However, she feels there are trailblazing opportunities still left on the table.
Schiller said another sign of hope was a flurry of statements from different industry groups strongly condemning last month’s fatal attack. The response from Women Building Success also noted that conflict resolution must be a taught and practiced skill in the workplace.
The suspect, 40-year-old David Bruce Delong, confessed to killing Czech, admitting to another co-worker he didn’t like her and had been planning to kill her for some time. He is charged with one count of second degree murder
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