Women and Unions and Representative Shirley Chisholm

But beyond the "barrier breaking" symbolism, now that it's nearly 30 years later, what have Ms. Chisholm's efforts achieved? This last weekend, my local of the International Longshoremen's Association local celebrated our "Women Pioneers": union sisters. approximately 48 to 65 years old who had come to the docks, sponsored by Congresswoman Chisholm, in that first wave. The local, and in fact the entire Port of NY/NJ, now boasts a substantial number of female longshoremen, but the seven sisters we were honoring all came from the 12th Congressional District of Brooklyn and there might well be NO women on the docks if not for them.

I found this bit of history while searching the web on another topic which brought me to Fire on the Mountain.

What I liked about this piece of info is that it reminds me about the women that founded Hard Hatted Women in Ohio.

Women work in the trades. But to get them in, it meant that women had to break barriers that men of all colors, shapes and creeds created. Thanks to Hard Hatted Women, Representative Chisholm and women willing to work good paying jobs no matter what the field; it's these players who've made it possible for women to support their families and take their own lives into their hands.

Thank you to all women who've come before me. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!!