Hello,
This blog has been in the makings for a couple of years now. Just didn't know how or when to begin. I am not very good with computers... give me a welder and that's a different story. In the shower the other night, (where I do my best thinking) I decided "What the Hell, let's give it a try". I did not realize just how easy it was, so here I am.
I have been in Welding for 22 years. Started when I was 16, it is the only thing I have ever known. Wouldn't know where to begin if I had to start over! Luckily for us Welders, Welders are always needed. Welding has been around for many, many years. The real reason for my Blog is to find out how many women are Welders today. I am tied of hearing.. This is odd, a female? I always reply "Yeah, we're out there, many more than you think". So how many are out there, And what's your story? Everybody has a story, and as a female Welder everybody wants to know your story. So, join my blog and tell your story, hear about other women's stories and a little more about mine.
Until next time.... Happy Welding. Von Miller
9 comments:
I'm not a female welder - but I do know one! And I trained as a welder - but that was back in the days when electricity hadn't been perfected....
Hi Veronica! Glad to see your blogging!
Hi,I've known Veronica for 20 yrs. She was a single parent when we met.When she first told me she was a welder I thought "Why?" Isn't that a mans trade job?Being a wife and mother of three boys she has come a long way.I'm so proud of her as I'm sure her mother (god rest her soul) was.She teaches welding now.If there's any woman who's undecided in which skill trade to enter I would say just give it a try. Don't be afraid to enter a Male dominated skill trade. You never know how far your skilled trade as a welder can take you. Best of luck Veronica. Your Pal Lizz
Thanks for the comments, It's good to know that I've been found!
Thanks to my long time friend Lizz, who has always been supportive of my field of work.
Many Thanks.....Von Miller
Halito Von Miller,
First off, let me say thank you and my helmet is off to you, and being a women welder for so many years. I wanted to follow in your footsteps and become a welding teacher as well.
I am a third generation welder. I went to job corps for welding in my younger days (18), but was young and naive and I think gave up way too soon in trying to find a job, as I was turned down by every employer in our area. After years of going from one field to another, most in male dominate fields I decided to go back to what I loved and was good at, so I then went to college at the age of 40 for welding. I went through a two year program in a year with a 4.0, and was WABO certified. To me welding is just another art form and I love to weld so much that if I could afford to do it for free I would.
I don’t know how often my story occurs in the welding field and pray it is not often. I went to work for a company that builds valves and loved what I did. In any job I have ever done, I have always been able to change the negative miss conceptions of my superiors and coworkers through hard work and determination. At first things started out ok, but then my world was turned upside down. My supervisor (male) decided he did not like me for some reason, I worked my butt off and even broke records but nothing I did was good enough for him. I was paid A LOT less then all the male welders, every welder that came in (I was the only woman) was put above me, my supervisor even took a kid that worked in shipping taught him to run a bead and put him above me. Long story short, I went through 2 years and 7 months of hell, things being written on my walls and table, writing in my welding helmet lenses, not given any of the opportunities the males where given, not given raises and ended up loosing my job even though I had the most seniority and valve experience other then my supervisor.
I filed a lawsuit against my employer and my supervisor. Now I could have done what a lot of people said, “You are in a male dominate field so you have to expect to be treated like that” so just move on, or take the easy way out and take hush money, but I just cant in all good continents do that. Not only because of the message that it would send my daughter, but for future women welders. Right now it is shame on them, but if I look the other way and do nothing it would be shame on me. The hardest thing is that this company has destroyed my name as a welder. I have been unemployed for over a year with not even one phone call for even an interview and I am contemplating getting out of the welding field because of it.
What I am wondering is with as long as you have been in this field do you know of any support groups for women welders who have gone through similar situations, as I am kind of lost and need a life line. Thank you for your time and listening to my story. Sincerely “She Wolf”
Hi! She Wolf!
Thanks for sending your story. Sorry you've had a tough go at it. 1st was wondering where you are located at? Sometimes location matters. I've been very lucky that in my story I have not been mistreated in that way. Yes, sometimes had to prove myself 10 times more than a male, but more times than not was treated fairly. It also helps being in a factory that is union. In a union company all employees have to be treated equal., reguardless of sex.
As for a support group? Don't really know of any... But maybe this blog and a blog on facebook that I found on the topic of women in welding. Those may help you and others.
How about the lawsuit? How is it going? I think you are very brave to file a suit against them. You should have been treated better, and I agree, shame on them!
I have regrets only once in my own career that a law suit should have been filed. But, I did not have the balls to do it. About 11 years ago a my bosses job came up, (he was leaving). I would often cover for my boss when he was on vacation or just out for the day. So, when they posted his job in the local newspaper, I had all the qualifiacations and 9 years company experience plus knew his job. Well, to make it short I was passed up for a military man and the fact that he was a local "hometown boy". Whatever that meant! The real kicker to the story, was that they wanted me to train him for the job!!!
But, To keep me happy the company gave me the Inspectors job and sent me to training to get my CWI. In the end it all worked out, thats what led me to the college I'm at now and a job that I love. Who knows where a lawsuit would have lead me. That's a question I can never answer since I let it go. That could go down as a shame on me!
Well, She Wolf, thanks for sharing....and post back!
Hi! Just to post that the reply to "SHE Wolf" was from Von Miller. I guess I was not totally logged in!! Still learning computers....Just give me a welder!!
Halito Von Miller,
Thank you so much for responding to my post, it is really appreciated. I live in Cowlitz Co. in Washington State; it is big in the logging industry. I have worked in many fields in my 46 years mostly in male “dominate fields” but as you said, I have always been able to prove myself by doing 10 times the work then the males, but this is the first time I have never been able to do that. It seemed the more I did and the harder I worked the worse it got.
I got along fantastic with all my fellow employees and the other supervisors, it was only this particular one that had a problem with me for some reason, and he seemed to have a silver tongue with the upper management and the owner of the business, I still can’t figure that one out. This business was none union, and the owner said if anyone ever tried to bring it in, he would close the doors, so no one ever spoke of it.
I was happy to find your blog, even if it’s just to talk to other women who love to weld as much as I do, as there are not many around my area because it is very close minded about women in this kind of trade. I also found the women in welding on facebook and posted on there. If my story can help stop someone from going through what I have, or at least let them know that they are not alone that would be awesome.
My lawsuit is at the very beginning stages, and my attorney said we probably won’t go to court until next year. The attorney that took my case is a small town lawyer; they got a big city lawyer. I feel kind of like David and Goliath, as I have little to no money, and he is a millionaire. The saddest part of this whole thing is that this all could have been avoided by just an apology. I didn’t ask for anything special, just to be treated the same as the men. Guess that was too much to ask for, LOL.
What I wrote in my previous note was not even a drop in the hat to what I was put through. I had my machinery messed with for over a year; voltage and wire speed turned up or down, got to where I was afraid to leave my booth. My supervisor would turn my tanks off, or shut the gas pressure off at the gauge. When it came out in the company investigation that he had done this the company said that he did it to make sure I knew how to calibrate my machinery. He also put fire crackers in my stinger, stole my food and tools out of my booth, he rammed the forklift into my welding booth walls and tool box, and slam his crane into mine with a full load on it, because our cranes over lapped by about two feet.
He gave me the worst and most dangerous equipment in the shop. I sustained 3 different back injuries due to his negligent's, and used to get electrical shocks daily from the equipment. Then there was the sexually explicit and degrading music towards women, jokes, texts, girly magazines left on the sink in the bathroom. Just “stupid” crap.
Continued: (sorry to much for one post)
I am sorry that you did not get the promotion that you had earned and deserved, but as they say when one door closes another opens, and thank the Great Spirit that a great one opened for you, as I was ecstatic to hear that you are a welding instructor. However, that doesn’t change the fact that is seems as though nothing has changed and that is unacceptable. As you did, I helped train most of the welders that came in the door just so they could move above me.
When my attorney told me that there where problems with my case and that the first was the fact that I am gay in the area that I am in, I expected that. But when he told me the second problem (something I have heard many times now) was it will be hard to find a jury that does not believe that because I am a woman in a male dominate field that I should expect to be treated like I was, it pissed me off.One of the most memorable lessons I learned as a kid, was when my Dad and I where out hunting and we where sitting in the truck waiting for it to get light. I told Dad about my interest in becoming a welder and his reply was “You can do anything you want to do, it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a women, as long as you set your mind to do it, you can do anything” this is something I have lived by my whole life. However, I did not realize that it could possible lead me to be a voice for women welders everywhere, and if this case is handled right, it could very well lead to that.
There are several businesses in my town that it is an unspoken rule that they “do not hire women”. I don’t know if discrimination against women is just my local area or if this is more wide spread, but from your story it sounds like it is not just local. I know that there are a lot more women getting into the welding, machining and mechanical fields. So this has got to change before they get out of school and into the industry. If my filing this lawsuit brings about this change then it will be well worth everything I have gone through. Again, thank you for your time and response to my post. Also, I am like you with computers, give me a welder, LOL. Sincerely She Wolf
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