As a heavy equipment operator for the city of Dayton, Ohio, Kelly Yeaney says women who choose this line of work often feel they must prove themselves to their male counterparts. 

“When you’re working around 25 men, it really matters how well you back up that truck,” says Yeaney, a member of AFSCME Local 101 (Council 8). “You definitely have to carry your weight.” 

But although Yeaney works in a male-dominated field, one thing she doesn’t have to worry about is equal pay for equal work. As a member of AFSCME, she is covered by a union contract that treats every worker the same. 

“Thanks to our union contract, you can do snow plows, use the front-end loaders, and you’re paid equally. Your gender doesn’t matter,” Yeaney says. “There’s no little-boys club. My union contract closes the gap on pay, but we need to keep working, and we need equal pay for everyone.”