UNION PLUMBER. FEMINIST. FOUNDER. DISRUPTER.
Judaline Cassidy is a union plumber, feminist, speaker, and founder with a tool belt full of purpose and a heart built for impact. Born and raised in Trinidad and Tobago, she was one of the first three women accepted to study plumbing at the John Donaldson Technical Institute, now the University of Trinidad and Tobago. She was smashing barriers before she ever held a wrench in the United States.
In 1989, she immigrated to New York City with grit in her bones and big dreams in her carry-on. By 1996, she made history as one of the first women accepted into Plumbers Local 371 in Staten Island, and later, the first woman elected to the Examining Board of Plumbers Local Union No. 1 NYC. Today she proudly serves as an officer on the union’s Executive Board, pushing for representation and inclusion from the inside out.
With over two decades in the trades, Judaline isn’t just skilled. She’s in love with the craft. From blueprints to blowtorches, plumbing gave her confidence, stability, and the kind of strength no one could take away. That’s exactly why she founded Tools & Tiaras Inc. in 2017: to expose young girls to the trades before society tries to convince them otherwise. Through weekend workshops and summer camps, girls as young as six have soldered copper, bent conduit, built toolboxes, and discovered they too can break barriers and build dreams.
As Judaline says, “Jobs Don’t Have Genders®.” That’s not just her slogan. It’s her life’s work. A rallying cry for every girl who’s ever been told she doesn’t belong in the room, the union, or the trades.
In 2026, the construction industry made it official. Engineering News-Record named Judaline its Award of Excellence winner, the magazine’s highest annual honor, and one of its 2025 Top 25 Newsmakers. She joined a legacy of industry titans, the first woman plumber and tradeswoman-led nonprofit founder ever to receive the distinction. Her work has also been featured on CBS News, The Drew Barrymore Show, BBC America, PIX11, NJ12, and CNN’s 2020 Champions for Change. Other major accolades include L’Oréal Paris Women of Worth (2023), CNN Champion for Change (2020), Regina V. Polk Women Labor Leadership Alumna of the Year (2019), Women Builders Council Outstanding Women Award (2018), and 92Y Extraordinary Women Rising Star (2018).
A longtime member of Plumbers Local Union No. 1 NYC, Judaline launched the union’s first Women’s Committee and served as its inaugural president. She is a board member of the Gloria Steinem Foundation, where she continues her mission of uplifting women and girls across every walk of life.
Her trademarked mantra, “Jobs Don’t Have Genders®,” is more than a phrase. It’s a keynote, laying pipe, or handing a little girl her first screwdriver, Judaline is living proof that purpose, power, and pink safety goggles can absolutely co-exist.
Geoff Bilau
Last modified: July 14, 2026