What does a typical plumber look like?
A 40 or 50-year-old man with a single-syllable name?
What if the plumber coming to the job at your building happened to be a woman, would you be surprised? I would likely need a double take if I realized that the plumber in my building was a woman, and I would be pleasantly surprised.
Women make up only 2.7 percent of the plumbing, pipelaying, pipefitting, and steamfitting workforces, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, so finding a woman working in the plumbing industry would come as a surprise to many people. It really is incredibly uncommon.
March is Women’s History Month and before it comes to a close, I am bringing you stories from the plumbing industry’s minority.
In ten years, approximately 79 million workers will reach retirement age, while only 41 million people will be entering the workforce at the same time. Encouraging more diversity in the trades will help to find more workers to rise up and take the place of those who are aging out of the workforce.
It’s not all dirty work
If you have not previously been involved in the industry, you might not know as much about it as you think. The job does not have to be dirtier than getting splashes of water on you at times.
“My life as a plumber was an accident. I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and I wanted to attend law school,” Judaline Cassidy, a plumber and founder of Tools & Tiaras said to Commusoft. “I grew up with my great-grandmother and she passed away, so I was unable to attend the university. The trades was the next best option. I realized that with electrical, you can get shocks and with plumbing, you get wet. So I was like, ‘Plumbing, here I come’. I really wanted to argue cases on behalf of people who couldn't defend themselves, but the minute I started doing plumbing I fell in love with it, and I am still in love with plumbing.”
Anyone, man or woman, is capable of preforming the duties required in plumbing.
“People often think it’s dirty work,” Jessie Cannizzaro, owner of Milestone Plumbing Inc. said to Contractor, “which it doesn’t have to be, or that it requires heavy lifting, which is less of a concern now that many DWVs are PVC or ABS.”
The new kid on the block
A tightknit team is intimidating for anyone to join, and if you are different from them then it is even more difficult to settle into the new environment. Handling something that is new and different requires work from both sides though.
“You’re always going to have some resistance,” Cannizzaro said to Contractor. “One inspector came in and I had everything done to code. He just had this attitude that was very critical of the way I was going about testing. He came down hard on me and asked to see my plumbing license. I’ve never, ever been on a jobsite and had to show that, except to this one gentleman. I still remember that guy’s first name and would recognize him; it definitely left an impression.”
Women starting in the industry need to let their hard work do the talking. If you encounter resistance, then you can show them that you are capable of preforming the job the same way, or maybe even better, than anyone else.
My life as a plumber was an accident. I grew up in Trinidad and Tobago and I wanted to attend law school,” Judaline Cassidy, a plumber and founder of Tools & Tiaras said to Commusoft. “I grew up with my great-grandmother and she passed away, so I was unable to attend the university. The trades was the next best option. I realized that with electrical, you can get shocks and with plumbing, you get wet. So I was like, ‘Plumbing, here I come’. I really wanted to argue cases on behalf of people who couldn't defend themselves, but the minute I started doing plumbing I fell in love with it, and I am still in love with plumbing.”
“I made the leap of faith in January to start with Best Plumbing Specialties,” Valerie Costa a Best Plumbing Specialties sales representative said. “Over the past 3 months, I’ve been more than welcomed in this industry.”
Just like the rest of the plumbing industry, it is difficult to find women to fill the sales roles at Best Plumbing Specialties. There are only a handful of women working in the field as sales representatives, making them the minority.
“At first, I was fearful of what people would think of me seeing a woman sell plumbing supplies,” Costa said. “Not only do I show up with the kit boxes, I also show up with my Milwaukee backpack filled with tools and fun gadgets for my customers to see and try.”
At Best Plumbing Specialties, the sales team operates with an old-school approach where the sales representatives must physically meet with facilities managers to tell them about the company and offer a free catalog. This approach implemented decades ago, has successfully provided Best Plumbing Specialties with strong customer relationships and a solid reputation.
“All of my Customers have made me feel at ease and assured me that they were the same way when they first started in the industry,” Costa said. “Knowledge will come in time. The same can be said for the sales force at Best Plumbing. I’ve built up some strong friendships with the guys and they have always made me feel like I was meant to do this. I look forward to my future here at Best and succeeding as a minority in this industry.”
As more and more plumbers reach retirement age, women can consider joining the trade and use the need for new plumbers to their advantage. At times women will encounter resistance, but it will not happen all the time and when it does then can be a good time to prove that a great plumber is not defined by their gender.