It’s really a pity that Women Unlimited is not a nation-wide organization. If it were though, it would kind of undermine this mission statement:
Maine has the best contractors, workers, and Department of Transportation in the nation.
Our job at Women Unlimited is to bring these three forces together to build a diversified, well-trained road-and-bridge construction industry that continutes to be the envy of the other forty-nine states.
Women Unlimited provides on the job training to “minorities, women, and disadvantaged persons” to help them move up and branch out in the world of construction by helping them to attain “journey person” status.
Read about Terri Peaslee-Steinmeyer and how Women Unlimited has helped her and other women like her to achieve their dreams below:
Conference affords options for entry into building trades
BY MECHELE COOPER
Staff Writer03/29/2009
AUGUSTA — For Terri Peaslee-Steinmeyer, hooking up with Women Unlimited meant a $4-an-hour difference in her paycheck and the potential for advancement in the construction field.
The 40-year-old Waterville woman is a traffic coordinator for Pike Industries. Based in Fairfield, she and her crew are responsible for erecting and removing signs, cones and barrels at construction sites.
Peaslee-Steinmeyer was among many women who have benefited from the organization and attended the Maine Tradeswomen’s Conference on Saturday at the Senator Inn & Spa in Augusta.
The two-day conference provided information on the trades and nontraditional career options. Beginning with a career-options fair Friday, the event continued Saturday with workshops and keynote speakers.
Peaslee-Steinmeyer said she worked in retail all her life. Her hourly wage in the last job she held was $12.
“This is my sixth season (with Pike Industries) and I’m making over $15 an hour,” Peaslee-Steinmeyer said. “I was married, then divorced. We have six kids — yours, mine and ours — and (I) was told and told to go to Women Unlimited. I finally did in 2004 and put my application in for jobs. I was hired and had on-the-job training for highway construction and continue to grow with the company.”
She said President Barack Obama’s economic stimulus package is getting her back to work early.
“I start Wednesday,” she said.