“I Like the Pride”: From non-union mason to proud BAC member
Before he became a member of Local 4 New Jersey (ADC of New Jersey), Michael Fasulo worked in the non-union sector performing concrete and brick restoration. He liked the work — but what he didn’t like were the wages and conditions. While he knew that the BAC existed, and he was interested in the union, he “thought it was impossible to get into. But one day I decided to give it a shot. I called the hall, they told me to come down for an interview, and the rest was history.”
LEARNING THE ROPES
When Fasulo first started his BAC apprenticeship, there was a transition period. “The union just showed me faster ways to accomplish something,” he said. “Something as simple as laying a brick… I was doing it wrong for so many years.” After completing a four-year apprenticeship, Fasulo is now a journeyman, and having worked his way up to foreman, he looks back at his apprenticeship with the firsthand knowledge that “mentoring the younger members is extremely important.” “A lot of these young apprentices are coming in with a mindset where they’re scared or apprehensive,” he continued. “Just to eliminate that fear — in and of itself, that is huge.”
SAFETY FIRST
The main difference Fasulo has seen between the non-union and union sectors isn’t surprising, but it’s a matter of life and death. “First and foremost, the biggest difference is safety,” he explained. “Coming from the non-union sector, I don’t want to necessarily say that my prior boss didn’t care about safety, but there’s just more of a priority for it here,” he compared. “Protection and adhering to the rules are foundations of BAC,” said Fasulo. “I’ve never seen a boss of mine cut a corner. It’s a really well-oiled system.”
THE UNION EXPERIENCE
BAC provides a sense of community that non-union masons just don’t have. “Being a part of a union is being a part of a brotherhood and a sisterhood,” Fasulo described. Fasulo feels that being a member of BAC is “being part of something bigger than yourself,” he explained. “I just like the sense of belonging, as corny as it sounds, I like the pride of being a part of a union who backs you, who fights for your safety on the jobsite, who fights for a fair wage for you, who fights to secure us work, and who fights to make sure your family has medical benefits.” “Joining BAC was the best career decision I ever made.”
Editors Note: As this article was finalized for press, the Journal learned that Brother Fasulo has recently been appointed to serve as a Field Representative for the ADC of New Jersey by ADC Director John Capo.