Women in Construction Week Celebrates


 

Alise Martiny is the first woman to hold the position of Business Manager/Financial Secretary of the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council. Ms. Martiny has served in this position since 2012.  In addition, Alise is serving in her sixth term as an officer in her union.  She is the current Vice President of Cement Masons local 518, prior to that she served four terms as the union’s President.

 

Alise has worked in the construction industry for over forty years.  After graduating from a pre-apprenticeship program, she was accepted into the Kansas City Cement Masons’ Apprenticeship Program in 1980.

Alise has worked as a journeyperson on thousands of job sites.  She earned the admiration and respect of her co-workers for being a hard worker and a team player. 

She began utilizing her knowledge and skill in the trades and obtained the position of Apprenticeship Coordinator in 1993 and Business Agent for the Cement Masons’ and Plasterers’ Local Union 518 in 1999.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Who is the Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council?

The Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council represents Construction Trades within Kansas City and surrounding areas. The trades provide the Journeyperson, Staff and Apprenticeship Training Programs that get your career off the ground.

The Greater Kansas City Building Trades Council takes pride in providing its local trades and their memberships expertise in construction by:

  • Driving Economic Development in our Community.

  • Committing resources to Recruitment, Retention, Mentoring and Safety Training.

  • Marketing KC Trades, Apprenticeship Training and Journeyperson upgrading.

  • Increasing our competitiveness in a changing market.

  • Educational Cooperative Agreements with the Metropolitan Community Colleges and much more.

The Greater Kansas City Building & Trades Council works to improve the conditions for those organizations that Employ, Build and Train Commercial and Residential Projects on all scales.

Our Locals know what project needs, no matter what size it is.  Our forward-thinking Business Managers strive to create quality craftmanship and working solutions to meet our needs.

The Locals that we represent build Roads, Bridges, Race Tracks, Power Plants, Utilities, Manufacturing Facilities, Airports, Shopping Centers, Commercial Buildings, Hotels, Convention Centers, Water Treatment Plants, Chemical Facilities and Auto Plants.  

 

Q and A With Alise Martiny:

Do you have any children?  Grandchildren? Spouse?  And something people would be surprised to know about you.

(I am pretty boring.  I have no children and am not married.  I have been divorced almost 20 years, most of my time is spent towards work or family.)

When I am not working, I live on 37 acres with a small lake where I enjoy feeding deer, wild turkey, ducks, and cats.

Each Saturday, I fix dinner for my mom where my brothers come over and we watch Svengoolie.

 

Tell us about your organization's history. How it started. How long in business.

The Greater Kansas City Building Trades Council is a Council of the North American Building Trades Union.  We represent approximately 25,000 working men and women of organized labor in the construction industry.  The KC Council was established in 1938.

 

How long have you been with the organization?

13 years.  This is an elected position, and I am on my 3rd four-year term.

 

How did you get your start in the industry?

I heard an advertisment on the radio wanting to get more minorities and women in the construction industry and applied for the Cement Masons #518 Pre-Apprenticeship Program.

 

What are some challenges that you have faced?

It was hard to be respected for many years. With hard work and dedication, I have earned the respect of my peers.     

 

What advice would you give to ladies to get them interested in the trades.

Kansas City promotes diversity in our industry.  Look around, we have so many women like Bridgette and myself, that with hard work and dedication your dreams can be achieved.

 

We would like to thank Kamiasha Tyner of Dignified Digital for her professional photography on this article.

Like to know more about getting started in the trades? Go to our website's career page to learn more.