Women in Welding Blog Post

[Frank Chloupek]

Thought you might want to be aware of a blog post on our companion site IndustryWeek.

Welding Woos Women; Sparks Fly
This sounds like an uphill battle, especially after reading some of the readers' rants at the end of the article. But uphill or not -- and this should go without saying -- it's a battle worth fighting.

http://www.industryweek.com/blog/wel...men-sparks-fly

[Scott Young]

I think the CNBC article is out of touch with the real world. Most shops I know you have to be able to lift 50lbs or more. They overlook that the reason the starting pay is $15.00 is due to the fact there is an over abundance of wire squirters out there. When you eliminate all the entry level guys and gals you find people don't stay in the business cause it is a hard job and people have a tendency to want life to get easier not harder. Top pay I know of for an employed shop pay in the south will rarely be above $25.00/hr. That puts you at the bottom of the middle class financially if you work only 40hr/wk and 50wks/yr. You find it takes two paychecks to make any gains in life or go into another line of work. Become a specialty welder? Start your own business? Work a second job or overtime if it is available? The only reason I find tradesmen stay with this career is because they love it cause it sure won't make them rich. The shop welder will struggle and live modestly.

On the issue of women in the trade, I have seen some good ones and well some not so good. My advice for a woman wanting to get into the trade is to pull your own weight but don't endanger people trying to do so. If you can't do something ask for help. I am a larger/stronger than average male. Other men routinely ask me for help lifting or carrying something, but the other side of the coin my hands/arms don't fit in many places and I have to ask for other's help at times who can fit. I also am not the one you want crawling to the back of a tank through a manhole. I don't fit through some of the openings. It is a fact of life size and strength differs from person to person. Don't get hung up on asking for help. That said, if you want to be in the trades, pull your own weight and don't use your gender/size/strength limitations as a crutch. Men will respect you for doing your own work and also for asking for help and not getting an attitude cause you need help.

Be lady like! Yes, there is a double standard here. Men can be nasty, cruel, vulgar, inhospitable, moody, etc. I have seen a couple women try to fit in and be just as nasty, cruel, vulgar, butchy, etc. and all that happens is they lose respect of those they work with. They became a joke. It shouldn't be a double standard, but it is. The truth is the more mannered the men are the more respected they are typically. If you want respect, earn it and that goes for both genders.

Be professional. If you "play" or "dirty" talk trying to fit in, it will backfire. You may just be playing around, but someone will say something that will make you feel uncomfortable and sexual harassment is nothing to play around with. Don't entertain that banter. There was black welder and welder's helper who bantered back and forth. The black welder was ruthlessly cruel to the helper with comments on his short stature and race. The helper was very short and the welder took it too far playing with him. The welder commented that he being black would sport a package longer than the helper is tall, at which the helper commented, "Be glad the North won, cause I would laugh if you were owned by a short master." Yep, you guessed what happened. The helper was fired cause of racism, and the black welder was given a promotion to keep harmony. Never mind that the whole shop said the black welder instigated, egged, and he was the one that routinely reminded the helper his black male part was longer than helper was tall. The black welder routinely picked on the helper cause of his race, stature, and anything else. The only racism is against blacks and the only sexism/sexual harassment is against women. If a woman begins to play talk sexually with anyone, it is bad form in the work place. If you don't want sexual harassment then don't open the door.

I know my limited experience in welding is skewed to field work, job shops, industrial manufacturing, and industrial work overs. It is hot, nasty, and heavy work that will take all you have to offer most days. I am sure there are areas in welding where the climate, job conditions, and physical requirements are wide open to women. I just haven't seen many make it long in the areas I have welded. I know a couple women who in welding. They are highly respected and most of my opinions came from their example. They would also tell you, welding isn't a life career. They are doing it cause pays the bills. both of them would rather be in artistic fabrication and one-ofs custom building. "One day!" they say they will be able to afford to do what they want. I hope they do.

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Well thought out comments

[Markz Henry]

This sound like very stunning facts , that there are a women's in welding blog post..I visited the above link, that is remarkable..Thanks

[paul. m]

I have seen a few women over my 30 + years and can tell you they usually fall in one of two categories . One is they play the flirt and have the young guys falling over there selfs to help them do there job or , number two they try to do it all there self . The first is nothing but trouble ! because at some point there are going to be multiple offers to help and only one is needed , so you know were that goes ! And many shops will not hire women for this very reason ! The second if they can tough it out , works out much better and usually ends with offers to help without any thing expected in return . However in heavy job shops women usually end up miserable because of hot nasty welding shop conditions . The physical demands are tough on men and usually become unbearable for women , and yes even the [ butches ] give it up sooner or later ! I have never seen a women that lasted more than a couple years , and that was with a lot of help ! I have often thought that a bench tig welding job would be a good fit for a female , those jobs are usually smaller lighter parts and dont have to be handled as much .

[Bonzoo]

The female tradeskidz I've seen on the sites are all highly motivated due to their insistence in perfection.
Women have more patience than men (FACT) and will do better quality piece work and faster ( FACT).
There has been a couple who snuck around here over here that made me jealous once in a while but damn few men who could do it.
Yo Dott ?

Here's one I always got a kick out of before when could even install a shiiter.
Of course the dont know/aint done **** commentaries scream in form Satans basement....somewhere near a crack pipe
This kid is incredible:

[Bonzoo]

The female tradeskidz I've seen on the sites are all highly motivated due to their insistence in perfection.
Women have more patience than men (FACT) and will do better quality piece work and faster ( FACT).
There has been a couple who snuck around here over here that made me jealous once in a while but damn few men who could do it.
Yo Dott ?

[John Chrysostom]

Thought you might want to be aware of a blog post on our companion site IndustryWeek.

Welding Woos Women; Sparks Fly
This sounds like an uphill battle, especially after reading some of the readers' rants at the end of the article. But uphill or not -- and this should go without saying -- it's a battle worth fighting.

http://www.industryweek.com/blog/wel...men-sparks-fly

for what? feminism & getting sued 24/7! lol Their was always a reason for boys clubs and girls clubs because around mixed company bad sparks & lawsuits fly "White knighting" is dead it died in 2015ish White knighting ruined the boyscouts, gynocentism masked in chivalry is cancer " Blond in the belly of the beast" is a women & she would laugh at this post Marxist Feminism took women out of the home to destroy families in the west & lower birthrates, It also cut our pay & doubled our taxes. As Blond would say "Repeal the 19th amendment"

[SlowBlues]

I enjoy watching April Wilkerson's videos too bonzoo, she gets it done and has a great personality/attitude. If you read the comments on that carport she built they're mostly good for a laugh, though I would have added gussets myself I bet that carport will outlast every last commenter on that video by half a century lol The very few women I've worked with pulled their own without complaint or special expectation, and without needing any more help than the average male, they carried themselves with respect and we respected them in turn. I don't assume it's like that for everyone, but that's been my experience. If you're at work you should conduct yourself as a professional, and more importantly as a mature adult. I'm not a prude nor fancy by any means, I joke around quite a bit but there is a time, place, AND crowd for everything.

[irish]

With respect to the ladies in the welding fields just last week or so Jessie Comb ( not sure of last name spelled) , an rising star and great lass was killed in a speed race out west.

[JD1]

I know this is an old thread but first time I've seen it and Scott Young's comment (#2) was very well thought out and quite accurate. Excellent post.

[71 cudagirl]

Hi. New to your forum, this was the first thing I read. Lol. Paul is right, not just with welding but with most things, women flirt to get what they want. And can also get it with just asking. As a woman with my own business, I will tell you that I spoke to many people before I painted my first car. The second one ended up on the cover of a magazine. None of this would’ve been possible though without all of the guys that helped me in the first two years that I was learning. I paid attention to everything they said. The good, the bad, because inevitably I was going to have to find my own way that worked for me with everything they had said, put together. Same thing with welding. I watched a few videos and listened to my ex-boyfriend. I love welding. There’s some jobs become tedious like putting in the floors of a car for hours, others are quite gratifying because it is custom work. Now I’m going to be trying my hand at tig welding. I have the lincoln 400 and its been sitting in the living room calling to me..... In regards to the article and peoples opinions, honestly women have just overstepped their boundaries in so many ways. Growing up with 4 brothers and being in the junkyard and racetrack, I learned that I will never be tougher than a man. Nor would I want to be. I have spent most of my time in shops my whole life with all the shop talk and everything. Most women can’t handle it. They talk out of turn and want to be noticed. My dad used to always tell me to be quiet and listen and I will learn more. He was right. I actually don’t understand why women want to be better than a man because In all rights he supposed to be the man of the house, bringing home the main part of the money with a job he may hate, not complaining, make the final decisions, having pride in who they are inside. So much of that is changed with the way the world has changed. Independence has gotten ridiculous. Women do not behave well anymore, demanding without giving anything, especially respect. It irritates me. But the other thing is, men let them be that way. I wish more would just stop them right away, so they knew they had to be respectful of their environment. There’s always a way to make point, if its said with a moment of patience...lol.. I will say thankyou to all of you who help us learn what you are great at. I couldnt do what I love without all the help I have been given. HopefullyI learn alot more here with tig welding.

[MinnesotaDave]

Hi. New to your forum, this was the first thing I read. Lol. Paul is right, not just with welding but with most things, women flirt to get what they want. And can also get it with just asking. As a woman with my own business, I will tell you that I spoke to many people before I painted my first car. The second one ended up on the cover of a magazine. None of this would’ve been possible though without all of the guys that helped me in the first two years that I was learning. I paid attention to everything they said. The good, the bad, because inevitably I was going to have to find my own way that worked for me with everything they had said, put together. Same thing with welding. I watched a few videos and listened to my ex-boyfriend. I love welding. There’s some jobs become tedious like putting in the floors of a car for hours, others are quite gratifying because it is custom work. Now I’m going to be trying my hand at tig welding. I have the lincoln 400 and its been sitting in the living room calling to me..... In regards to the article and peoples opinions, honestly women have just overstepped their boundaries in so many ways. Growing up with 4 brothers and being in the junkyard and racetrack, I learned that I will never be tougher than a man. Nor would I want to be. I have spent most of my time in shops my whole life with all the shop talk and everything. Most women can’t handle it. They talk out of turn and want to be noticed. My dad used to always tell me to be quiet and listen and I will learn more. He was right. I actually don’t understand why women want to be better than a man because In all rights he supposed to be the man of the house, bringing home the main part of the money with a job he may hate, not complaining, make the final decisions, having pride in who they are inside. So much of that is changed with the way the world has changed. Independence has gotten ridiculous. Women do not behave well anymore, demanding without giving anything, especially respect. It irritates me. But the other thing is, men let them be that way. I wish more would just stop them right away, so they knew they had to be respectful of their environment. There’s always a way to make point, if its said with a moment of patience...lol.. I will say thankyou to all of you who help us learn what you are great at. I couldnt do what I love without all the help I have been given. HopefullyI learn alot more here with tig welding.

Very well said in my opinion - and welcome to the forum

You'll love tig welding