• Posted: May 5, 2021
• better careers, Chicago Federation of Labor, Hispanic female electrician, Organized Hispanics Making Strides, YouTube video

 

You’ve heard it before and it might be your story too. The answer to the question, “why did you join the trades?” is often answered with a nod to the good pay, excellent benefits, or because of the opportunity to work with your hands. While these reasons played a role in Priscilla Muñoz’s path to becoming an electrician, they weren’t primary. 

“It was more than that for me. It was the new experiences, the education, and the opportunity to grow as a person. The benefits were the cherry on top of everything,” said Priscilla.

When she decided to join the apprenticeship program in April 2007, Priscilla was transitioning from a career as a bank manager. Because of her less-than-traditional career path, her family questioned whether this was something she really wanted for herself. When she assured them this was the path she wanted to pursue, they were supportive and Priscilla was more determined than ever to become a successful electrician. And that she did. 

Currently, Priscilla is proudly working on trains through her role with the Chicago Transit Authority. 

“The department that I’m in, we’re actually the go-to guys for the entire system. So if the technicians at the different terminals can’t fix something on the train, electrically speaking, we’re the firefighters of the whole train.” 

But you won’t often find Priscilla finishing her demanding workday to go home and stream the latest TV drama. She’s the president of Organized Hispanics Making Strides, a social group that focuses on volunteering and being a safe place to ask questions that members might feel uncomfortable asking elsewhere. She is also a delegate for the Chicago Federation of Labor, serving on her local’s examining board. When asked why she feels it’s important to invest her time in serving the next generation of electricians, her answer is simple.

“I feel that the IBEW believes in me as a worker and as a person. So I want to give back. I want newcomers to know that we want the best for them. We want them to grow as a worker so we can continue this thing going forward.”

As a Hispanic female electrician, Priscilla acknowledges she has a unique perspective and that overcoming stereotypes sometimes means working harder to gain the respect of her colleagues. Her perspective shapes how she approaches her work as she hangs her reputation on one thing. 

“I had one of my journeymen tell me, ‘do you want to be known as the girl who works hard and knows her stuff or something other than that?’ So from that moment on, I told myself I’m going to be the one that knows what I’m talking about.”

Now wherever Pricilla goes, people recognize her for being the hardworking electrician that knows her stuff.