The IAM’s Winpisinger Center recently welcomed its largest-ever Women’s Leadership class in IAM history. It was the final Women’s Leadership class to take place under current IAM Women’s & Young Worker’s Director Julie Frietchen before she moves into her new role as Director of the Winpsinger Center.
“It’s very exciting news that the numbers are growing every year in these programs,” said Frietchen, noting that at one point there was a waitlist for the class, which was full of IAM women from across the U.S. and Canada.
The Women’s Leadership program is designed to empower and educate IAM women to strengthen their leadership skills and build power in their workplaces and communities.
Frietchen has led the program for the last three years and spent years mentoring members to advance gender equity within IAM Union and the broader labor movement.
Throughout the week, participants engaged in workshops on organizing, collective bargaining, public speaking, communications, union leadership, political advocacy, and women’s history. They also built lasting connections, reaffirming the IAM’s commitment to ensuring women have a seat at the table and a voice in shaping their workplaces.
As part of an exercise for the communications portion of the course, the class created an original post to be be published on IAM Union’s social media accounts on Facebook and X (Twitter).
“Seeing this room filled to capacity with strong, leading IAM women is the best way I could imagine closing this chapter,” said Frietchen. “Every single person here represents the power and future of our union.”
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