By Angela Cacace for M.O.B.™ Editorials
“Opening the doors to welcome a more inclusive environment would definitely be beneficial to solving the skilled trades gap,” says Kelly Ireland, a journey status plumber out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Kelly has been plumbing in Philly for the last 8 years, but as a fourth-generation plumber, her roots run deep in the trade.
“Out of his ten kids, I am the only one who followed in my Dad’s footsteps”, she proudly remarks. “When I was a kid, I used to feel ashamed that he didn’t wear a suit to work, but now, I am so proud and he’s proud that I am a plumber too”, she says of the changing misconception surrounding trades careers. “It’s become this cool hip thing now.”
Kelly, proudly standing at 4’11”, argues that women bring a fresh perspective and have plenty of skills to bring to the table that don’t rely on brute strength. “Technology is on our side”, she says, “but don’t get me wrong, some days I need to muscle it and get it done.”
“The bigger the tools, the bigger the pipe, the better,” she laughs, “but you don’t have to be a big muscly man. You should be able-bodied, but even still, there’s a smart way to work so you don’t have to work too hard. Some days, stepping back to pay attention to detail is what you have to do, and I think that is something women are good at.” Kelly’s assessment of women’s trending participation is on par with some impressive numbers from the Department of Labor. It reports that since 2012, the industry has added 275,000 women workers which is a 38% increase and over twice the growth rate for women in the United State’s labor market.
“It’s awesome,” exclaims Kelly, “You look at what they’ve got going on in places like Boston, their plumber’s union increased their number of women by 40% in the last few years and it’s all because they put initiatives in place to make women feel welcomed.” The success she has followed in cities like Boston has Kelly thrilled to be a part of Philly’s new initiative to help women navigate non-traditional careers with their program, WINC (Women In Non Traditional Careers).
However, this kind of initiative is unfortunately not present at her local plumbers union in Philadelphia. “It’s a shame that the door is closed for so many,” says Kelly, “It’s the most heartbreaking thing for me to know that women could love doing this work but can’t because of the barriers put in their way.”
For this reason, Kelly often is left feeling isolated from her Union, knowing that they don’t share her sense of urgency to expand their recruitment outside of what has been typical within their brotherhood. “Nepotism is not always a bad thing, but when it leads to entitlement and a lack of passion or appreciation for the work, it really hurts the image of people in the trades,” Kelly remarks. Additionally, being in the trades provides a unique position to address many social issues, “racism, sexism, and homophobia are rampant,” she says. It’s something she has been fighting against since day one on the job. “I’ve gotten into battles in open job sites because I will lose my temper with racism,” says Kelly. “I find myself battling racism more than sexism because as a white person, I think it is my responsibility to address it and call it out. It’s not black people’s responsibility after four hundred years to still be asking white people to stop.” Kelly does however find herself in the intersectionality of discrimination. There have been occasions where she is calling out racism while battling homophobia and advocating for her own rights as a member of the LGBTQ community.
Despite the endless amount of energy that Kelly pours into battling discrimination on site, she still loves working. “Friday is my least favorite day. I love Monday because everyone is ready to get to work!” she exclaims. “Work is fun! There’s a sense of accomplishment and such fulfillment. The weekend rolls around and I have to deal with real-life responsibilities,” she laughs. One of her responsibilities, however, she enjoys very much, being a Mom to her two children.
“Admittedly, I never wanted to be a Mom,” says Kelly, “when I found out I was pregnant, I remember saying, ‘Why would I ever want to bring kids into this miserable world?!’ but now I know, it’s not about bringing them into a horrible world, it’s about making a world that your kids deserve.”
It’s a challenge that aligns with Kelly’s overall work ethic. She loves any job that involves working with her hands, and relishes in perfecting her craft. Kelly recalls, “I used to be a baker, and I enjoyed the challenge of figuring out how to make the best bagel!” This can-do attitude has worked out well, especially as a plumber.
Commercial plumbing has been her area of expertise and she takes great pride in telling her kids, “Your Mom built that!” One such build included the 1,566,000 square foot Comcast Center in Philadelphia. And although she loved the challenge of a skyscraper build, Kelly has made a point to diversify her skill set and has enjoyed mastering them all. “I left the large commercial plumbing job for a smaller company because I was going to be able to learn a whole new side of plumbing,” she recalls. And although she was able to gain quite a bit of experience working for a smaller company, Kelly has been struggling to find work since January. Scarcity in work available through her union has led her to a new side of plumbing, residential. “I was really insecure about it at first but now I think of it as an adventure and another thing to figure out.” No amount of obstacles will stand in her way of doing what she loves. She is determined to keep her hands dirty plumbing even if that means going to work for herself. And although she is not a fan of the business side of work, she is exploring her options and learning more about what it would mean if she is forced to go out on her own. For the love of her trade, she has nothing but goals for its future and looks forward to the possibilities of creating a company that could embody the diversity she dreams of within the plumbing industry and her community.
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