RECRUITMENT SUCCESS Vanessa Steward, Business Agent for Local 16 By Cari Bilyeu Clark
There were very few female sheet metal workers in 1995 when Vanessa Steward of Portland, Oregon, walked into a trade show. The newlywed and new mom was looking for something different to put her hand to that would also guarantee a good wage. “My parents were cobblers, so making patterns and creating something was not new to me,” Steward says. She had been steered toward electrical work, but did not want to be an electrician. “I had taken a sheet metal class in middle school, and when I saw the sheet metal booth, I thought, ‘That’s it!’,” she says. Steward completed her apprenticeship training and loved the work. “I especially liked getting the opportunity to create custom products.” One memorable job required her to make a black iron frame for a stained-glass décor piece that was installed in Las Vegas. “Making something from nothing and putting it in the air... I loved that.” 8 » Partners in Progress » www.pinp.org
