S2 Bonus Standing Strong Against Workplace Violence: A Call to Action for the Construction Industry

Season #2 November 21, 2025

workplace violence, construction industry, women in construction, harassment prevention, gender equality, safety in the workplace, NAWIC, Be That One Guy campaign, empowerment, solidarity.

In a powerful episode of the Management Under Construction podcast, host Dee Davis confronts the harsh reality of violence against women in the construction industry. With a heavy heart, she reflects on the tragic loss of tradeswomen like Outi Hicks and Amber Czech, urging both men and women to stand together to create a safer workplace for all.

**Understanding the Issue**
Dee begins by highlighting a staggering statistic: nearly 90% of women who are murdered at work are killed by men they know. This alarming fact underscores the need for awareness and action within the industry. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the rate of homicide at work for women is nearly three times that of their male counterparts. This is not just a statistic; it is a clarion call for change.

**The Role of Men in Change**
Dee addresses her male colleagues with a heartfelt appeal: “Brothers in the industry, I do think of you as my brothers.” She emphasizes that while many men would never physically harm a woman, they must recognize that violence often begins with seemingly harmless behaviors such as inappropriate comments, jokes, and harassment. These actions contribute to a hostile work environment and perpetuate the notion that women are to be objectified rather than respected as coworkers.

To illustrate her point, she shares a personal story from her early career. When inappropriate talk about her was happening behind her back, a young apprentice stood up for her, effectively stopping the disrespectful behavior. This act of solidarity highlights the impact that one person can have in creating a safe and respectful workplace.

**Empowering Women to Speak Up**
Dee also addresses the women in the industry, urging them to report harassment and stand in solidarity with each other. She cites a disturbing statistic: 88% of women in the construction field have experienced sexual harassment. This pervasive issue cannot be ignored. Women must demand accountability from their harassers and refuse to be pushed aside or silenced. Dee reminds her audience that silence is dangerous—"silence gets us killed."

The podcast emphasizes the importance of community and support, referring to the concept of being a “battle buddy” within organizations like the National Association of Women in Construction (NAWIC). This support network is crucial for women to feel safe and empowered to stand against workplace violence and harassment.

**Taking Action**
Dee encourages everyone in the industry to participate in the “Be That One Guy” campaign, which provides resources for training and support on harassment prevention. She emphasizes the need for men to transform from bystanders to upstanders, actively participating in creating a culture where harassment is not tolerated. www.bethatoneguy.com

Conclusion:
This episode serves as a poignant reminder of the work that still needs to be done to ensure safety and respect for women in the construction industry. As Dee passionately declares, “We can’t have another Outi Hicks or Amber Czech.” The key takeaway is clear: it takes collective effort—men and women standing together—to foster a work environment where everyone can thrive without fear of violence or harassment.

#battlebuddy #bethatoneguy #weareoutihicks #weareamberczech #construction #womenintrades #nawic #womenintrades #tradeswomenbuildnations

Episode Transcript

Dee Davis (00:00)
violence against women begins with things like inappropriate comments about what she's wearing, whistling at her, making lewd comments or gestures, inappropriate jokes, pornography being passed around the site, sexual harassment or any kind of harassment.

Good morning and welcome to the Management Under Construction podcast. I'm your host Dee Davis and today is a special episode of the podcast. I am recording in November of 2025 and as many of you have heard by now, the construction industry has recently suffered a very tragic loss of yet another tradeswoman to violence in the workplace. The most recent loss of 20 year old welder Amber Czech

was sadly not the first in recent memory. In 2017, we also lost Outi Hicks, a 32-year-old single mother. Both women were brutally bludgeoned to death by male coworkers at their work sites.

I thank you for being patient with me. is a rather emotional recording and it's taken me more than a week to write this and record it.

Women are murdered by men they know nearly 90 % of the time. When a woman dies at

is most often homicide with the leading contributing factors including stalking, bullying, and sexual harassment. The rate of homicide at work for women is nearly three times that of our male counterparts, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics.

When I talk to men about workplace violence, the answer is always the same. I would never tolerate that on my site. But here's the thing. It doesn't start with violence. It ends with violence. This is a call to action for our brothers and sisters. I'm going to start with the call of action to our brothers.

Brothers in the industry, and I do think of you as my brothers. Men that would never hurt me and would have my back if I needed you.

I know this is who you are because in the nearly 30 years of working in this industry as a carpenter, then a project engineer and eventually a project manager, you've always had my back. You stood up for me when other men on the site were trash talking me.

What we need to understand and acknowledge is that violence against women begins with things like inappropriate comments about what she's wearing, whistling at her, making lewd comments or gestures, touching inappropriate jokes, sexually suggestive or nude stickers and calendars in the gang box or on the shop walls, pornography being passed around the site, sexual harassment or any kind of harassment.

threats and bullying. Because you are probably not a man who would ever physically hurt a woman, these things seem harmless and just the way it's always been or guys just being guys. But it creates a hostile work environment for the women on your crew and encourages men to think of women as nothing more than sexual objects.

that are there for their amusement and pleasure instead of a coworker who's there to do a job. Guys, this is not a bar or a dating site. This is work. We're there to do one thing and that's build things and get paid for our skills, just like you. We're calling on you to be the one that steps up and says no more. No more treating women as less than. No more inappropriate talk or actions among the crew.

Don't allow your own people to do it and don't tolerate it from other trades. When you come across an action or behavior, the way to determine if it's inappropriate is to ask yourself these questions. How would I feel if someone did that or said that to my girlfriend, boyfriend, wife, husband, sister, mother, daughter, grandmother, aunt? If the answer is that you wouldn't like it,

being done to them, then it's wrong. Whether you're a labor leader or a crew member, don't let it happen. Speak up, be the change. Allowing this to happen and saying nothing makes you complicit and responsible for the result. When I was a young project engineer on a job, there was apparently some trash talking going on by some of the guys behind my back.

One of the apprentices took offense to what was being said about me and apparently told them to knock it off that I was his aunt and he wasn't going to put up with that kind of talk about his aunt. Well, I wasn't his aunt, of course, but it effectively stopped the inappropriate talk. made it back to me.

Adrian, if you're listening, I've never forgotten how you stood up for me when it counted. Thank you.

Call to action for our sisters. Many incidents are not reported to unions, HR, or supervisors out of fear of retaliation by the abuser, the supervisor, or a lack of action against the offender. When something is done, the woman is usually moved to another site or laid off. Nothing's done to the perpetrator of the abuse, which only results in emboldening them and encouraging them to continue the behavior.

The US Department of Labor reports that 88 % of women working in our industry have experienced sexual harassment at work. 88%, that's most of us.

Sisters, this isn't going to go away until we stand up for ourselves. We must report these actions and we must stand in solidarity with our sisters and brothers that support us and demand action against the perpetrators. It is not us that needs to be removed from the situation, which is all too often the very cowardly solution that avoids any real confrontation with the guilty party.

and instead punishes us and relegates us to lesser roles and lesser work. The harassers must be held accountable for their unacceptable behavior and the safety situation that they are causing. it needs to be addressed like any other safety issue. We must stand together and support one another. There are thousands of us from tradeswomen to project engineers, project managers,

Owners, reps and support staff.

I know it's hard to be brave when your job, your livelihood is on the line, but silence gets us killed. We can't have another Outi Hicks or Amber Czech We just can't. We've got your back. You aren't alone. In NAWIC, the National Association of Women in Construction, we call this being a battle buddy. And this means we are there for you day or night.

We want what you want. To go to work, build great things, and get paid. We want to support our families and know that we're safe at work. Please help us stand up against workplace violence by not tolerating harassment in all its forms. To learn more about how to implement harassment training specific to our industry, participate in the Be That One Guy campaign.

set up by ironworkers after the death of Outi Hicks at www.bethatoneguy.com. The website has resources for upstanders, members, site supervision, leadership, contractors, and trainers. You can sign up on their website for training today.

Please, I know it's in you to be that one guy and change from a bystander to an upstander.

S2 Bonus Standing Strong Against Workplace Violence: A Call to Action for the Construction Industry

DOWNLOAD THE FREE GUIDE