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Walter Kurtz, Bricklayer, 11 years
My father was in the trade. He saw me sitting around the house, so he brought me out to a job. Now I do everything: brick, stone, and block.
I like to lay brick. It’s usually in a residential neighborhood, and it’s a little more easy-going than commercial job sites with all the forklifts and everything else going on. I like the calmness.
Bricklaying has been good to me, and the union benefits have helped my family. I can travel anywhere and get work, as long as there is a union, that is.
The union jobs are a lot safer. They make sure the scaffolding is set up right and all the other safety measures are in place. I came out here from Phoenix, where the union isn’t as strong. I’ve seen guys get hurt. I worked on one job where someone died because a brace wasn’t hooked up. Once you join the union, you don’t want to leave.
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