The Texas Construction News staff writer
Downtown Houston is buzzing with solidarity and union pride this weekend as the 16th annual Tradeswomen Build Nations conference brings nearly 6,000 unionized tradeswomen to the George R. Brown Convention Center.
Running from Friday through Sunday (Oct. 9 to 11), the three-day gathering is co-hosted by TradesFutures and North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). It stands as the world’s largest annual gathering of women in the skilled trades. Texas labor leaders—including Ryan Pollock, Paul Puente, and Leonard Aguilar—joined national figures for the conference kickoff, welcoming delegates representing every construction craft from across the United States and Canada.
The event features high-profile keynote speakers, including AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler, NABTU President Sean McGarvey, and NASA astronaut Marsha Ivins, alongside hands-on educational workshops, leadership panels, and mentorship programs. A signature highlight of the weekend is Saturday morning’s colorful Banner Parade, where thousands of tradeswomen march through downtown Houston to celebrate their growing footprint and impact on modern infrastructure.
According to organizers and reports via PR Newswire / TradesFutures, the conference underscores a broader nationwide push to strengthen workforce development, recruit diverse talent into apprenticeship programs, and build safer, more inclusive job sites across Texas and beyond.
