Women in Construction Week: Meet Beth Kleene (IBEW 567) & Billie Kelliher (LIUNA 327)

It’s Natitional Women in Construction week where we highlight women in the building trades and raise awareness about the many opportunities women have to learn valuable skills while getting paid by enrolling in a registered union apprenticeship. We spoke with two Maine women apprentices about what it’s like working in the trades and why more women should consider pursuing union apprenticeships.

IBEW 567 apprentice Beth Kleene of Portland said many women are deterred from working in construction because it’s been a male-dominated industry for so long even though there are plenty of women who would make excellent electricians, carpenters, laborers, ironworkers and more.

“As a former college art instructor, metal and wood shop fabricator, and set-builder, I personally know so many mechanically-inclined women that would make excellent electricians,” said Kleene. “Attracting and retaining qualified minority and female candidates will move us in the right direction and strengthen our organization as a whole.”

She added that the Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (JATC) program is a great opportunity for many young women, especially those just finishing high school or community colleges, and who want a lifelong career with excellent benefits. 

“I can say from experience that the job-site learning structure of the apprenticeship program is a really great way to learn a trade and I would be so excited to see more diversity in the union ranks,” she said.

Laborers Local 327 apprentice Billie Kelliher of Skowhegan says she finally feels free after working for non-union companies that didn't respect the value of her labor.

“I used to work a lot of temporary positions in factories and management would give you every excuse not to give you full time status because it was cheaper to just hire another temp person,” said Kelliher. “No matter how hard you worked, it didn’t matter because you could just be replaced."

She said that when you’re a union apprentice, you’re not expendable and you can learn valuable skills that allow you to work anywhere.

“My union apprenticeship has given me a chance to grow and move upward while earning good wages and excellent benefits,” she said. “Being a union apprentice gives you the ability to put both your feet on the ground, create roads for yourself and grow a foundation. It has everything I’m looking for in a job.”