Active labour: Women in Trades conference panel to discuss pregnancy and maternity leaves in construction

Lorraine Cook , an Operator/Electrical Technician for Manitoba Hydro
For many women, one of the biggest challenges they face in their careers is balancing their work with their families, particularly during pregnancy. “I was eight and a half months pregnant, and I was doing shift work and working nights. It was lots of work and it was tough too, being pregnant and walking and doing rounds.”
Lorraine Cook (pictured), an Operator/Electrical Technician for Manitoba Hydro in Gillam knows from experience that pregnancy on its own is physically demanding and brings about countless changes. She can also attest to how much more challenging it can be for women doing physical work in the trades.
Employers can remove some of those challenges though, as Manitoba Hydro did for Cook back in 2004 and 2006 when she gave birth to her second and third children. The company accommodated her needs by moving her to a work site closer to home in the final weeks of her pregnancy and during maternity leaves through employment insurance top up payments.
While Cook’s experience as a pregnant woman on a jobsite was an overall positive one, there is room to grow for the construction industry in Manitoba. That growth is more essential than ever right now to make the trades both an equitable and enticing place for women to work, according to Jacquelyn Oduro, Director of Manitoba Heavy Construction Association (MHCA) WorkSafely, Education and Training.
“We need to look at how we can make the work environment more welcoming to women to grow their involvement,” said Oduro. “Some women might not even consider construction because they’re wanting to start a family, and they aren’t sure how it would work with them being on a jobsite. If employers show that they have a plan and a safe work environment, it shows that workers are being considered and that they want them to be safe regardless of their gender or circumstance.”
To bring this conversation to the forefront, Oduro and Cook will be participating in a panel discussion on pregnancy and maternity leaves in construction at the 2024 Manitoba Women in Trades Conference hosted by the Manitoba Construction Sector Council (MCSC) at the Victoria Inn Hotel and Conference Centre in Winnipeg on November 21. They’ll be joined by Samantha Martin, a Red Seal carpenter at Bockstael Construction, and Alanna Marklund, a Red Seal welder now working as the representative for Youth, Diversity and Indigenous Relations for United Association Canada (UA Canada) in Ottawa, which represents 10 Red Seal trades in plumbing and piping.
Marklund has also experienced what it’s like to be a pregnant woman in the trades. She was a welding instructor at the time she had her first child, and despite having a lot of support, it was the unknowns that created such a challenge.
“Even my doctor didn’t know what all the accommodations or risks were,” said Marklund. “Employers need to be aware of what it takes to have a skilled tradesperson that is pregnant on site. It’s knowing the hazards and the rights of a pregnant worker, and supporting them, whether through modified duties or allowing time off for appointments.”
Creating a safe and accommodating work environment is only one of the elements that needs to be considered. Maternity leave benefits need to enable mothers to provide for their families, too.
Piping trades union UA Canada is one organization leading the way in that regard. They offer up to 24 weeks of pregnancy benefits for members, as well as a parental and maternity leave top-up that coincides with employment insurance. If a pregnant member needs to be away from work due to hazards, UA Canada’s pregnancy benefits pay the equivalent of EI and allow them to save their maternity leave time for after they’ve given birth, giving them more time with their child. With a greater than 90% retention rate for women that have used those benefits, they are clearly appreciated.
Sharing these stories and successes is an important building block for the construction industry.
“I think it’s all about awareness,” said Marklund. “The more we can talk about this, the more we can normalize it. If we’re wanting to see more women in the trades, we’re going to see more pregnant women in the trades.”
For Cook, the awareness these discussions create will lead to more progress in an industry where she’s found a home for over 20 years, and where she knows there is a home for many more women, too.
“It can make women feel supported. It can make them feel that everything is going to be okay, and that people are behind them and rooting for them to succeed.”
Interested in hearing more discussion on pregnancy and maternity leaves in the trades? CLICK HERE to learn more about and register for the 2024 Manitoba Women in Trades Conference.