Carpenters’ Brotherhood Local Union No 22

The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America
Local Union No. 22 has been representing people in the carpentry trades & the construction industry in San Francisco since 1882.
Carpenters Local 22 purpose is job placement, job training, job site protections & a sense of fraternity for local carpenters, joiners, drywallers, framers, modular installers & building inspectors.
Apprentices & journeymen are required to attend free scheduled training at the Pleasanton Training Center.
Meetings are held during the first Tuesday of each month. Food & drinks are provided along w/​a raffle & handing out of Union-​logoed items at the end of each meeting.
The meeting tend to be very rote w/​lots of internal politics sometimes overshadowing the task of helping out of work members secure jobs. Given the contracting market, the building trades have been hit very hard, but it seems that the local’s priorities are skewed.
Another concern I have is w/​how race is used to divide & divert members. Many of the Black members are blaming the Spanish-​speaking folks for «taking their jobs», when it’s the EMPLOYERS who are doing the hiring & the union doing little or nothing to enforce union shops’ hiring mis-​practices.
Besides, most of the undocumented Spanish-​speakers seem more eager to work by showing up early, working hard, & taking orders.
Unfortunately many American-​born workers feel a sense of mis-​placed entitlement & are lazy. They can be found either constantly eager to talk on their cell phones, anticipating their next break, looking to sneak away for a smoke, or getting ready to go home way before it’s time.