paGe 2 |
February 5, 2021 | noRthwest laBoR pRess
NORTHWEST
LABOR
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CORRECTION
local 701 is part of the columbia pa-
cific Building trades too! In our Jan. 15
issue, a list of unions affiliated with Colum-
bia Pacific Building Trades Council left out In-
ternational Union of Operating Engineers
Local 701. We strive for accuracy at the
Northwest Labor Press, and regret the error.
Hours: Mon-Sat 12-6 pm Closed Sunday
...tough as nails
From Page 1
has only positives to say about
the experience.
“There was a lot of love be-
tween everyone,” Nichols said.
“You had a bunch of very com-
petitive people. But we always
hugged it out at the end.”
Keoghan, the show host, was
funny, genuine, and easy to talk
to, Nichols said.
“This is a passion project of
his. His grandfather was a
tradesperson, and he just has a
lot of respect for the industry. He
wanted to showcase these jobs
that people don’t know exist.
These are essential jobs.”
“It’s great that people see you
don’t necessarily have to get on
that college track,” Nichols said.
Nichols would know. After a
childhood in Waltham, Massa-
chusetts, she went to Hampshire
College, and graduated in 2006
with an English degree, and
about $30,000 in debt.
“I graduated with no idea
how I was going to make a liv-
ing,” Nichols said. She worked
in landscaping, and loved it, but
wages were low. After moving
to Portland with her future hus-
band in 2011, she found Oregon
Tradeswomen Inc. and its pro-
gram introducing women to ca-
reers in the skilled trades.
“They opened my eyes to la-
bor unions. I ended up joining
the Cement Masons and within
a couple years I had paid all that
debt off. I had health insurance.
I own a house now. I just can’t
preach enough.”
Nichols loves sports and
heavy lifting and was drawn to
the cement mason trade by the
physicality of it. The local saw
something in her too.
“The guys at the hall said,
‘We’ll put you to work Monday
if you want to do this.’ I said,
‘Sign me up!’”
The next Monday she was
out pouring station platforms for
Stacy & Witbeck on the Mil-
waukie light rail project. The
$17 an hour apprenticeship
wage—55% of journeyman
pay—was the most money
she’d ever made. Within a
month, health insurance kicked
in, after she’d been eight years
without health insurance.
Now she hopes to inspire oth-
ers to join. On the set of Tough
as Nails, she brought her Local
555 baseball hat, and wore it
every chance she got.
“It was so fun,” Nichols said
of the show. “It was really a
once in a lifetime experience.”