Photo: Union Carpenters and Contractors / Courtesy
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Union Carpenter Apprenticeships is paving the way for hard-working New Yorkers to the American dream.
I am a mother of eight children and life has not always been easy. For many years I lived in Section 8 housing, working minimum wage jobs to pay the bills while making sure my kids had food on the table. It was difficult to provide for my family, and with few opportunities to advance, I had to look for other options to ensure a stable future for myself and my children.
It wasn’t until I was 38 that my husband came home with a booklet on Construction Skills, an apprenticeship program that prepares for the union construction industry, and that changed everything. The program was vigorous. She came home so tired that she couldn’t even raise her arms. I saw many of my teammates drop out one by one, but I knew that for my family I couldn’t give up. I knew that learning was going to be a springboard for my career, but I never could have imagined the opportunities I would find after graduating and joining the New York City Carpenters Union.
Joining the Carpenters Union changed my life for the better. For the first time, I have a steady job, earn wages I can support my family with, have retirement security and my own health insurance. I can finally stop living paycheck to paycheck and support my children. I found the job that I was passionate about. There is nothing more rewarding than building my beloved city from scratch, and in 2010 I had the honor of being part of the team that built the World Trade Center. Seeing my work become a part of history and the iconic New York skyline is indescribable, but seeing the pride on my children’s faces is even better.
Looking back it’s hard to believe how far I’ve come. I was just a girl in the Bronx who couldn’t even imagine that women could work in construction, or that I could ever build a stable future for my children myself. I am now a certified shop steward, Local 157 steward, and vice president of the Union’s Women’s Committee. I have even been able to help my children pay for college, finance their own homes, and become my own homeowner.
My journey is exactly what learning is all about: creating pathways for the middle class.
This investment in learning programs cannot end. We must continue to celebrate and invest in this hallmark of the American Dream for generations to come.
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