New York Recruits Women for 9/11 Hardhat Jobs By Marianne Sullivan, WeNews
Demonstrating her work for the crowd at Pace, Cynthia "Torie" Aldrich from the New York City District Council of Carpenters, said she is convinced it is a good time for women to enter the skilled trades.
Aldrich was one of the early women to enter the construction field. She began her first job as a carpenter in New York City 21 years ago.
"I finally got the job I wanted," she said. Having worked as a bookkeeper, Aldrich decided she wasn't cut out for life behind a desk. "I was a jeans and t-shirt kind of girl."
Today, Aldrich sports a t-shirt that reads "A women's place is in the union." She says that over the years, women have become less skeptical of entering the field and more and more are following in her footsteps. Those are good steps to take, she says. Now 50, Aldrich is a home-owner in Pennsylvania. Most importantly, she says, "I love my job."