ADR Hub Celebrates HerStory
In honor of Women’s History Month, the Scheinman Institute on Conflict Resolution Employment Labor ADR Hub recently hosted a virtual panel of dynamic women who are neutrals and advocates entitled, “We Make Herstory.” The forum was moderated by the Hub’s co-directors, the Institute’s Ellen Gallin Procida, Director Labor-Management Relations Programs, Public Sector and Katrina Nobles, Director of Conflict Programs.
The panel consisted of Marlene Gold, Pam Silverblatt, Monu Singh, Randi Weingarten and Gwynne Wilcox. Marlene Gold is a labor arbitrator and mediator with a national labor arbitration and mediation practice. Pam Silverblatt is the Senior Vice Chancellor for Labor Relations at the City University of New York. Monu Singh is the Deputy Chair of Dispute Resolution for NYC’s Office of Collective Bargaining. Randi Weingarten is the president of American Federation of Teachers. Gwynne Wilcox is a partner at Levy Ratner, a union and employment law firm and a member of the Scheinman Institute Advisory Board.
The webinar discussed a variety of topics including the professional journeys of these women, the challenges they’ve overcome, and current struggles, for women, looking to advance in the conflict resolution profession.
When discussing mentoring other women, and making opportunities for women at the table in the labor movement, Silverblatt expressed the importance of encouraging women to take risks, to go after the job, to take the job that they may be hanging back about, and to take the job that they may be saying, “Oh, I’m not qualified.” Marlene Gold further emphasized this. She encouraged women by saying that when they see a void, jump in.
The panelists discussed how women within such a male dominated field should believe in themselves and seek help if needed as there will be people within the field willing to mentor other women.
The speakers also talked about the importance of unions and issues for women within the workplace that have been enhanced in the previous year due to the pandemic. Randi Weingarten indicated that to create the freedom for women to thrive, one must “create it through opportunity and justice, and unions are a real big piece of it.”
Monu Singh discussed how the covid crisis had taken its toll on women in the workplace. “Like any system when you put pressure on it, you start to see the weak points more clearly. Given what has gone on with the pandemic, it's not a big secret that women have really suffered quite a bit professionally.”
Gwynne Wilcox stressed the need to mobilize. “This is not a time to continue to talk, and we really need action. And that action, comes from collective bargaining.”
Learn More and Watch the Discussion.