Meet three of the tri-state area’s superheroes — veterans and members of Long Island City-based Steamfitters Local 638, as they weld, pipe and construct the metropolis, one project at a time.
Alejandro Francis, who served in the Marines as a corporal from 2010 to 2014 in North Carolina and was deployed twice to Afghanistan, says the work structure in construction is strikingly similar to that of the military.
“Over here, we have a fitter in charge, a deputy, a foreman, the foreman’s partner, the super, the supervisor, the boss,” he says. Plus, in both careers, you’re not allowed to work alone.
“You have to do everything with your partner. It’s similar in the military, because you can never go anywhere alone in case something happens to you. That other person can get help, same here.”
Francis currently works at a heating company on the Upper East Side, and is immersed in year four of a five-year apprenticeship with Local 638, learning how to design, build, install, maintain and repair steam and water piping, fire sprinklers and heating and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in commercial, residential and industrial buildings in New York City and Nassau and Suffolk Counties.
Thanks to New York’s Helmets to Hardhats, established in 2003, Francis already had interviews scheduled with the president of the local union prior to completing his military service.
Anne Trenkle, executive director of the program, which provides direct entry into apprenticeships, says it fast-tracks veterans pursuing this highly sought-after field. Otherwise, the wait can take several years to penetrate it.
“Trades normally recruit people every two to three years, so they would have to wait for that time frame,” says Trenkle. This way, veterans go through the training program in an express lane, plus training is paid for.
“It’s is a win-win, and the veterans can collect their GI Bill — they get paid for every hour they work, four days a week, and the union’s paying for their training,” she adds. (Each union has their own training center; they attend school one day a week.)
It’s a trade that’s in demand. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, pipefitter, steamfitter and plumber jobs are projected to increase 21 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than the average for all occupations.
Every six months, pay increases as you increase in rank and gain more experience — something from which Jason Price of Staten Island is reaping benefits.
Formerly in the Marines alongside Francis, Price says, “My apprenticeship taught me a lot about piping.”
Currently working on the NYU Kimmel Center, this former infantry rifleman and squad leader in the Marines served in Bahrain, South Korea and Japan, yet always wanted to be a construction worker, even as he aspired to serve the country first.
“I knew they had programs to help you with schooling afterward, so it was an opportunity . . . As a Marine, we fought for the American dream, and now we’re given the career to live the American dream.”
As Price points out, while both paths feel purposeful in completing a mission, danger is possible. “In the construction field there are life-threatening situations as well. The union brings that cohesion — camaraderie is key to keep everybody safe.”
Sean O’Connell from Monroe, NY, a fellow Steamfitters Local 638 journeyman, served in the Marines for four years starting in 2000 and was in one of the first units to cross the line of departure in Iraq. He’s currently working on the Trade Center and previously worked on restoring Madison Square Garden, a treat for this Rangers fan.
For him, cohesion means fighting for the same goal.
“Everyone’s doing a certain thing that combines to the whole picture,” he says. “[Like] in the Marines, everyone has each other’s back.”