Rosie Kellywood, a member of Local 953, welcomed everyone to the meeting. There has been an increase in discrimination charges filed with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), she said. “In 2004 the EEOC received 13,136 charges of sexual harassment and 27,696 charges of race discrimination. Since the mid-1990s the number of race discrimination charges filed has increased 125 percent.” She added that “the laws are not written for women but for the companies.”

Kellywood, a surface miner at the BHP-owned San Juan mine, was one of the unionists who initiated the idea for the first Changing Woman Conference. That event was held on April 18. About 50 people attended, including a good number of women who work in the region’s coal mines.

People at the meeting discussed organizing a longer conference in 2006 to give more time for workshops and informal discussion.

A woman miner from the BHP-owned La Plata surface mine said she learned a lot from last year’s conference and wanted to help work on the upcoming event.

“I have women co-workers,” said Norm Benally, who works at the San Juan mine. “I support them and their fight against discrimination. I would like to see co-workers wives’ get involved.” Two wives of Local 953 members were among the 10 people present.  
 
 
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