The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) recently held its largest Women’s Leadership class to date at the Winpisinger Center. This session marked the last Women’s Leadership class led by Julie Frietchen in her role as IAM Women’s & Young Worker’s Director before she transitions to become Director of the Winpisinger Center.
Julie Frietchen commented on the program’s growth, stating, “It’s very exciting news that the numbers are growing every year in these programs.” She also noted there was a waitlist for this year’s session, which included IAM women from both the United States and Canada.
The Women’s Leadership program aims to provide IAM women with training and resources to develop leadership skills and increase their influence in their workplaces and communities. Frietchen has overseen the program for three years and has been active in mentoring members to promote gender equity within the union and across the labor movement.
During the week-long course, participants attended workshops covering topics such as organizing, collective bargaining, public speaking, communications, union leadership, political advocacy, and women’s history. The program also emphasized building connections among participants and reinforcing IAM’s commitment to ensuring women have representation in workplace decision-making.
As part of a communications workshop, attendees collaborated on an original social media post for IAM Union’s accounts on Facebook and X (Twitter).
