Story Feature: Rachel
Quote:
“Nolite te bastardes carborundorum” ("Don’t let the bastards grind you down.") - Margaret Atwood
Highlights from Rachel’s Story:
As an Operating Engineer Apprentice and crane oiler with Local 12 Operating Engineers, Rachel didn’t originally expect to find herself in the trades. Growing up her father was a truck driver and her mother worked in insurance. “My dad being a truck driver was the most blue collar exposure I had growing up. I never thought about the trades as a career either, because college was always what I was expected to do, which I do enjoy learning, so that’s where I went” Rachel shared. She earned a bachelor’s degree in social work from Arizona State University, and she thought her path was set, but life had other plans after she had found herself burnt out from social work and with a recent job loss.
Rachel talked about her dad and brother tinkering on a Peterbilt truck and welding in the garage which is what inspired her to try welding. “My brother was still in high school, and he was doing the WestMEC program for diesel mechanics. They were working with the welder in the garage. I said, ‘I want to try’. They showed me how to strike an arc, and I got it on my first try.” This encounter with welding sparked a new direction and Rachel transitioned from social work to welding, drawn by the challenge of something new with tangible rewards. “I get satisfaction from crossing off boxes,” she laughs, recalling the progression from flat welds, vertical welds to overhead welds. She pushed herself to pass every process with determination, and after ten years welding, Rachel craved change and she found herself joining the apprenticeship program at the Operating Engineers Union.
Her shift to the Operating Engineers Union came with unexpected hurdles at first. “I joined the Operating Engineers union thinking I would like be running a loader or some kind of like dirt equipment. I want to try it all, really.” Rachel shares that there were a few first placements where she was the only woman on the job site, and some contractors often ignored her or treated as a quota hire. “I was excited to learn… but these jobs weren’t supportive in that sense,” she says. Her first assignment placed her in a water truck, and she was navigating the new machinery as well as subtle hostility. “I bit my tongue for months because I didn’t want to be seen as a complainer,” Rachel shares. Eventually, when she voiced her frustrations to the apprenticeship coordinators, they helped find the change she needed.
Her persistence paid off when she was dispatched to a crane company at the massive TSMC project, where she got to see one of the world's largest cranes. “One of the most memorable moments came when she was invited up into the cab of the 31000 Manitowoc luffer crane at TSMC. Rachel marveled at the sweeping view of the site and the intricate array of screens and controls that surrounded her. ‘It was incredible to see everything from up there,’ she recalls. ‘It made me realize just how far I had come.’” As an oiler, she checks fluids, maintains the crane, and serves as the operator’s eyes and ears on the ground, ensuring safety. “The days can be long, and while the tasks are quick to pick up, it’s often the lack of structure and last-minute scheduling that make it challenging.” she admits. Rachel advocates for clear training and mentorship, often choosing to be the one guiding newer hires with patience and encouragement.
Rachel openly discusses her struggles with imposter syndrome. “I sometimes still feel like I don’t know anything” she says, though her peers trust her competence and ability to keep growing. She credits her company steward, whom she calls her “work dad,” for being a patient mentor and pushing her to study for rigging and crane certifications. Rachel desires to create a better environment for apprentices and to be a resource for others and eventually becoming a union steward to help create a better path for women entering the trades.
Rachel shares her advice for those seeking the trades, “Have a backbone and stand up for yourself. Advocate for your space.” Rachel emphasizes the importance of professionalism and self-respect. “We have to stop walking on eggshells to avoid being labeled as a problem. We belong here.”
Despite the challenges, Rachel remains fueled by the desire to inspire more women to enter the trades and disrupt outdated expectations. She believes women bring essential skills and leadership to the industry. “If I ran a company, I’d implement proper training from day one,” she says. “I’d love to see more women at the table helping make these decisions..”
Goals/Achievements:
Rachel’s journey is a bold path carved through courage, persistence, and unwavering resolve. Her next personal goals include earning her rigging and CCO crane certifications to operate independently and possibly travel for work, including expanding the opportunity to eventually operate tower cranes. “There is no backup plan,” Rachel says firmly. “I’m here to stay, and I want to make sure the next generation of women has it just a little easier than I did.”
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