First African-American Woman Elected General Vice President of Machinists Union Talks About Moving Forward and Giving Back Diane Babineaux is no stranger to being first. She began her career in 1972 as a clerk/typist for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM)—one of nation’s largest labor unions, representing 720,000 workers across North America. She worked her way up through the ranks to the upper echelons of union management, becoming the first African-American woman to be named Chief of Staff in 2000. And just recently, she was elected General Vice President of the union, becoming not only the first African-American woman to hold that title, but the first woman ever. But don’t expect to see her bragging to everyone about it. “I tend to be one of the quiet storms,” Ms. Babineaux said in a recent interview. “I do my job and get things done without talking about it a lot.” A former Maryland Transportation Commissioner and long-time COMTO Maryland member, Ms. Babineaux has seen a lot of changes for minorities and women over the years. “There’s a significant difference now,” she said. “It’s good to see management finally recognizing that minorities and women play an important role in decision making.” She also thinks that women have a unique perspective on many of the issues faced by businesses and government agencies today. As a single mom for much of her career, Ms. Babineaux sees women’s experience as traditional caregivers and household managers as an asset to business. “We tend to see the bigger picture. We’re used to dealing with both work life and family life. I think that gives us a broader perspective.” Many of Ms. Babineaux’s duties as Chief of Staff include: researching, economic and political trends and communicating the impact on working families. She also has responsibility for expense management and budgetary controls, and manages and directs the Human Rights department, Women’s Department and the Young Machinist Program. This breadth of knowledge and experience gives her the ability to see how women and minorities can gain a foothold and thrive. “Our job is to make things better, especially for younger people,” she said. “You and I are only going to be here a short amount of time. We have to make sure we leave something behind that helps those who come after us. We have to set a roadmap for how things should be done.” At IAM, Ms. Babineaux has worked to ensure young women and minorities know the opportunities available to them by taking them to various meetings and encouraging them to set their sights higher. This, she said, is a critical part of her work, both at the union and in life. “Things were a struggle for me. I want it to be easier for other people. You have to remember where you came from. We all have obstacles; it’s all about what you do with those obstacles. You always have to reach back and help people.” Mentoring, she said, is an important part of this—in both mentoring to younger people and finding a mentor for your own career. “I tell people that a mentor can be anybody. It doesn’t have to be someone in your industry. It can be your grandmother. Anyone who is a positive force in your life can be a mentor.” But it’s also critical for older workers to see the value in mentoring the younger generation. Veteran workers, she said, need to “see that other people can do your job besides you. Delegation is so important, and that’s where a lot of organizations fail.” COMTO plays an important role in this, she said, by encouraging young people to aim higher, and by educating members, especially where politics is concerned. Ms. Babineaux stresses the importance of COMTO members being part of the political process to affect change. “You can’t just sit back and watch. You have to be involved in politics—local and national. That’s where things happen. That’s where things can change.” Change also comes from within organizations themselves, and people can be effective in their jobs by encouraging inclusivity and openness. Often, that takes time. At IAM, for example, she said it took a while for the organization to become more inclusive. “But now we’re thinking outside the box and we’re on the right track. We’re opening doors and keeping those doors open,” she said, but added that it’s an ongoing challenge that never ends. “You have to keep working at it. And you have to be accepting of change and open to criticism. That’s how things get better.” When asked about her high-profile career making her a role model for other young women and minorities, she said that she’s just one of many stories that help young people see that they can go farther. “I started out as a clerk/typist, worked my way up as a single parent, and now I’m General Vice President of the union. The more stories like mine out there that get told, the more young people will realize, ‘I can do this.’” COMTO National Chair, Robert Prince added, “Diane epitomizes the very essence of the COMTO mission. We are proud of her and her accomplishments.”
Posted on: Sat, 20 Jul 2013 05:19:39 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015