Carpenter Samantha Martin leads a new generation of women in the trades

When Samantha Martin entered the construction industry at 21, she was stepping into a world where women were still a rarity on most job sites.

The path from apprentice carpenter to union leader would require long days, physical labor and the confidence to prove she belonged in a field where many workers had never seen a woman do the job.

Twelve years later, Martin now serves as a council representative for the New York City District Council of Carpenters, helping organize workers and advocate for their rights across the city. But her career began the same way as thousands of other carpenters: arriving early on construction sites, learning the craft and finding her place in an industry still learning how to make space for women.

When Martin joined Local 45, she completed a four-year apprenticeship program that trained her in framing and drywall installation. Much of the work involved building the interior skeletons of rooms — measuring, installing studs and preparing walls for drywall.

As her skills developed, she moved into more specialized work, including quality control.

Construction work, she said, often involves a mix of physical labor and problem-solving. Different trades — electricians, plumbers, carpenters — must coordinate closely, and small miscalculations can create challenges for everyone else on the job.

“Nothing better than an electrician installing something exactly where the door has to go,” she said with a laugh. 

‘Little sis on the job’

Construction remains one of the most male-dominated sectors of the American workforce, but Martin says the environment she encountered when entering the trade was largely supportive. 

“I got pretty lucky,” she said. “Most of the jobs I landed on, I was like little sis. The guys looked out for me.”

Early in her career, mentorship played an important role in helping her find her footing. Veteran union members Steve Russo and Joe Reilly — the latter now president of Local 45 — encouraged her to become active in union life beyond the job site. Reilly brought her along to volunteer efforts organized by the union, including renovation projects and food drives. 

Through that work, Martin said she came to see that being a construction worker became imbued with a larger meaning. It also meant advocating for fellow workers and contributing to the community.

She says many women entering construction face an internal barrier that can be just as significant as any external obstacle. Self-doubt can weigh heavily on women who are stepping into an industry where they are still underrepresented. 

“As a woman in construction, your worst enemy is yourself,” she said. “You have that self-doubt in the back of your mind — ‘Do I truly belong here?’” But Martin said that once that doubt fades, the path forward becomes clearer. Women, she said, have every right to be there.

When moments revealing the gender dynamic did arise on job sites, Martin often found that direct conversations could resolve them quickly and that her coworkers were open to these conversations.

“You’ll hear some derogatory comments sometimes — it’s guy talk,” she said. “But the easiest way to reframe it is to ask: how would you feel if that was your daughter? Your sister? Your mother?” In many cases, she said, that shift in perspective was enough to change peoples’ behavior.

Organizing workers

Two years ago, Martin moved into a new role with the District Council of Carpenters, becoming a council representative on her 10-year anniversary of joining the union. Her work today focuses largely on organizing nonunion construction workers and helping bring projects under union contracts. That often means speaking directly with workers about their experiences — conversations that can reveal serious abuses in parts of the industry.

Without union protections, she said, construction workers can face inconsistent pay, unpaid overtime or misclassification that strips them of benefits. Those conversations with nonunion workers helped shape her decision to pursue organizing work.

NYCDCC's Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Paul Capurso, affirmed the integral role of women in the union and on the jobsite.

“Our union was built on solidarity, and that includes the women who put on the hard hat every day to help build New York City. We’re proud to support them and make sure they have every opportunity to succeed."

Martin’s work has recently earned her recognition as a Construction Champion and Tradeswoman Leader, along with an upcoming honor from Labor Press as part of its Women in Labor awards. Colleagues say her career reflects broader changes taking place in the construction industry.

“You’re seeing more and more women getting into the trade,” Martin said. “Women are saying, ‘why can’t I? why shouldn’t I?’”

The trades, she said, provided her a pathway into the middle class — and a community that looked out for its members.

“This career helped lift me into the middle class,” she said. “Now I get to help other people come up, too.”