The Fifth Annual Women Building the Nation Conference (WBNC), co-sponsored by the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, will be held May 1-3, 2015 in Los Angeles, California. TheIron Workers International and IMPACT will, once again, sponsor scholarships for two female members from each IMPACT Regional Advisory Board to attend this year's WBNC.

These scholarships include registration, transportation and hotel accommodations for three (3) nights' stay. IMPACT will be accepting nominations for scholarship recipients until March 31, 2015. Please send an email to info@impact-net.orgwith the name, book number and reason for your nomination of any female member you believe would be a good candidate to represent the our trade at the conference.

As you may know, General President Wise accepted an invitation to speak at the WBNC last year and had the opportunity to experience the conference firsthand. He learned a great deal about the event and the incredible amount of information and support that is available to those who attend, and he came away feeling informed and committed to his support for this worthwhile conference. Seeing both the dedication our sisters have to the ironworkers and their craft and the inclusive and supportive nature of the event renewed his belief that every female member should be given an opportunity to attend at least once during their career.

The WBNC plays a key role in raising morale and increasing our ability to attract and retain ironworker sisters. Last year, there were 126 ironworker members who attended this informative and worthwhile event. We would like to see that number increase this year. Those who attend this Conference report that it helps inspire them to advocate for improvements in our trade and to take more responsibility – both on the job and in their locals.

We urge you to show your support for our sisters by encouraging the participation of women in your region. Thank you in advance for your commitment in furthering the success of women in our trade.

Sincerely,

Walter W. Wise & William Brown
IMPACT Co-Chairs

Scholarship Overview and Guidelines

Nominations will be accepted via email until March 31, 2015 at info@impact-net.org Scholarship recipients will be announced the first week of April 2015. An orientation packet will be sent via email to all recipients and their Local Union the second week of April, following the selection of scholarship recipients.

Eligibility:

Any active female Iron Worker Union member

Nominations:

Nominations will be accepted from Local Union leadership, JATC's, Employers or any active Iron Worker Union member and should include the name, book number, a brief bio and the reason you believe your nominee would be a good candidate to represent the Iron Workers at the Conference.

Covered Expenses:

Registration Fee –

·         The Iron Workers/IMPACT will register and pay the WBN Conference fee for recipients once the scholarships have been awarded.

·         A registration confirmation will be included in the orientation packet sent to recipients the second week of April.

Hotel accommodations for the duration of the conference (3 nights) –

·         The Iron Workers/IMPACT has reserved and will assume the cost of hotel accommodations for each scholarship recipient to include the room rate plus all taxes and fees.

·         A hotel confirmation number will be included in the orientation packet distributed to recipients once the scholarships have been awarded.

·         The scholarship does NOT include any additional services or items charged to the room. Any services or items charged to the room are the responsibility of the individual and must be settled at checkout.  Any charges not settled prior to departure will be billed to the individual by the hotel.

Transportation costs (Airfare or Mileage/Tolls/Parking)-

·         The scholarship will reimburse for the cost of either airfare or mileage incurred relating to transportation to and from the Conference to include any tolls or parking expenses.

·         Attendees should plan their travel to arrive prior to the Meet & Greet at 5:30 p.m. Friday evening with a departure on Monday morning.  The hotel has shuttle service to and from the airport.

·         For travel reimbursement it will be necessary to submit original receipts (retaining a copy for your records), scholarship recipient's name and the address where the reimbursement should be mailed. The receipts, name and address should be sent to: Patty Hughan, International Ironworkers Union, 1750 New York Ave, NW Washington, DC 20006

For more information, please contact Patty Hughan via email at phughan@iwintl.org  or via phone at 202-383-4844.