A Marlin Spring Power Woman!

In honour of Women In Construction Week, we’re pleased to share Francine’s story.

“After a few years of working from home I got back into the workforce by taking a job cleaning trains. I wasn’t feeling fulfilled at this job so after talking to my husband who had been with Local 183 for a while, I decided to get involved in the trades. I joined in March of 2022 and not much later got a job as a labourer.

I started this position with minimal experience in the construction industry and have enjoyed learning since day one. The company I work for, and my coworkers onsite have been extremely encouraging and supportive in giving me opportunities to learn and succeed. For this, I am incredibly grateful.

No day is the same for a labourer. I have done a little bit of everything - operating the backhoe and cherry picker, chipping concrete, striping footings, and ensuring the site is clean, safe, and maintained for all the workers on site.

It comes down to having confidence in yourself. Don’t look for anyone else’s validation, nor let anyone tell you that you’re not capable. We are truly full of so much more potential than we allow ourselves to believe sometimes and are deserving of great things. I remember getting a comment from someone on the job site saying, ‘why are you working here, why are YOU a labourer?’ and I replied ‘well why shouldn’t I be here? I love my job. I enjoy working hard, and I am very Capable’.

I absolutely love what I do! It’s exciting to learn, I really enjoy the unique challenges and the problem solving that we encounter on a regular basis. There are a lot of incredible benefits associated with being a member as well. For me, a pension was very important but just as important is the feeling of being supported by the greater representation. I work hard, so to be compensated well for that now, as well as later in life, the union was an easy decision for me.

I’m really proud of our position on site… we keep the train on the tracks in a way and help the entire project move forward.”

Francine goes above and beyond as is a valuable addition to team!