Hanna Hurst

Hailing from Alaska, Hanna is a courageous voice of change for women workers in mining and beyond. When Hanna first called ERA seeking legal help in 2013, she was one of only two women working underground at a gold mine that employed more than 300 people. She was experiencing sexual harassment, retaliation, disparaging comments from her supervisor (that women were only capable of performing low-level tasks, for example), and years of being denied equal opportunity for advancement, which was granted to less qualified male coworkers. She also received threats after reporting this behavior to HR. Over nearly 7 years working there as a miner, Hanna was repeatedly denied training and promotion opportunities. Hanna also faced harassment that she described as rougher than any she endured serving in the military in Iraq. ERA resolved her legal case, and the settlement terms brought lasting change to the mine expanding opportunities for women and improve working conditions for everyone. Upon leaving the mine, Hanna took a position as a safety inspector with the Department of Labor. Hanna also has been an amazing contributor to ERA’s 50th anniversary community building and annual Gala execution.