I was a pipefitter apprentice and I was being treated horribly on this one job I was transferred to specifically to fill the GCs required quota of having 1 female on our crew. I was told this. The rest of the crew were young guys with something to prove and the foreman was an old timer who ended up being good to me, but ignored me for a long time in the beginning. I was totally isolated and outcasted from their boys club. The guys were generally nice to me when we were 1 on 1 but as a group, they wouldn't talk to me or even look me in the eye. I was never trusted or given a chance with any tools although I had a few years hands on experience at that point. I wasn't partnered with a journeyman who I could learn from by just watching. It was clear that I was there to fill the quota and that was it. I like to work and if given the chance everyone who works with me comes to respect my work ethic. But day after day, 8 or 10 hours a day, I stood there watching my partner do a simple task I could have done. And believe me I tried to be assertive and proactive. But it was so discouraging and I became very, very depressed. It came to a head one day when my partner was out, and I was just thrown with these 2 other guys to "make cuts" for them. One of them, who was an apprentice in my year, told me my job was to follow him around and pick up his things he dropped from up on his 6 foot ladder.

I took someone's bad advice and called my training coordinator for help. He wouldn't listen to me and forced me to go to their bullshit counseling service and submit to drug testing. I was on his shit list for ever after this.

This doesn't sound very dramatic reading it over but I remember the way I felt on that job and I never want to experience it again. I was so hurt and offended every day. I began drinking heavily. It took me to a really dark place.