Painters and Drywall Finishers
District Council 16
Organized Labor
September 2009
Salvador Provencio, Painter I've been painting since I was a little kid. I got a work permit in high school when I was 16 and have been painting every day since then. I like working hard and getting dirty. I like the flow of the paint and the beautiful way things look when I’m done. I came to the Bay Area five years ago from Stockton. My dad is in the union, and he convinced me it was the way to go. I tried to get in for two years and finally I made it. I have four kids, so being in the union and making more money and getting better benefits really helps. The other main difference is how the guys in the other trades look after you. If some of their stuff is in your way, they’ll help you move it. There’s a feeling of having something in common. On a non-union job you are on your own. My father’s working down the street. We’ve worked on the same job together. He’s a good painter. I watch him and pick up things. We never bump heads when we work.