BUSINESS AND TRAINING
22
Ms Identifying
Some Women of 130;
from left: Shawntel
Williams, Zakiyyah F
Askia, Sharon Cooney,
Ingrid Wennerberg,
Cristina Barillas, Sarah
Stigler, Raven Guy,
and Lolita Hughes.
Women of 130 bond to empower each other as they navigate
careers in a traditionally male-dominated profession.
By Ben Ryan
It’s 18:30 on a Thursday and eight women are
gathered in a warehouse on the Near West Side
of Chicago. This isn’t a social gathering (although,
it kind of is). This isn’t night school (but it kind of
is). This isn’t a support group (but again, it kind of
is). This is the Women of 130, a group started by
Chicago plumbers Cristina Barillas, Sarah Stigler,
and Lolita Hughes in an effort to recruit and retain
women at UA Plumbers Local 130.
“We know how it was when we started in the
apprenticeship programme,” says Barillas. “Let me tell
you, there is nothing like having somebody support you
when times get tough.”
A Latina “Cook County child,” Barillas, 47, grew up
in Rogers Park on the Far North Side of Chicago.
Before being accepted to UA Local 130’s plumbing
apprenticeship programme, she worked as a make-
up artist at Marshall Fields. She enjoyed the work.
Easy to get along with and very truthful, she has the
June 2019 Volume 25 I Number 4
right personality for it. However, she didn't see herself
retiring as a make-up artist.
“It just came to a certain point in my life when I realised
I'm not going to be working forever,” she says. “I'm
eventually going to have to retire. I realised that I had to
be more responsible. I had to be more focused with a
career that would last forever.”
That's when she started looking into different
avenues. A friend of Barillas’, a plasterer who
knew she liked working with her hands, suggested
looking into the trades — the plumbers local was
looking for new apprentices. She took the advice and
registered for plumbing and electrical apprenticeship
programmes in Chicago. Two years later, Barillas was
accepted into UA Local 130’s competitive plumbing
apprenticeship programme.
“I knew that being a woman in the trades was frowned
upon, and I remember the reception my mom gave me
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