North America’s Building Trade Unions (NABTU) and Chicago Women in Trades (CWIT) will bring together more than 1,500 tradeswomen representing multiple crafts in the building and construction industries to the Women Build Nations (WBN) conference. Taking place in Chicago from October 13-15, the conference will address timely issues, and help women learn and network.

Women Build Nations conference is for women of all ages and all skill levels who work, or aspire to work, in the construction trades.

The conference will offer over 35 workshops and plenary sessions that will be facilitated by tradeswomen and feature union leaders, apprenticeship coordinators, contractors and elected officials. They will cover topics such as recruitment and retention, leadership development, policy and politics and issues beyond the tools.

The Iron Workers (IW), which introduced paid maternity leave benefit with 6 months of pre-pregnancy and 6 weeks of post-pregnancy maternity leave benefit to ironworker women last year, will be among many organizations represented at the conference. Many of the tradeswomen including ironworkers attending the conference worked on the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place where the event will be held. Many of them also worked on the Marriott Marquis Chicago and the DePaul Stadium located within a few blocks of the WBN conference venue.

Visit www.chicagowomenintrades2.org/.