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Elisa Smith, Trade Show Installer, 10 years
What’s my favorite thing? Building strange, large exhibits. One time I built a waterfall that had a Jeep floating around in the air in the middle of a desert scene. I think it was a Chrysler Jeep. There’s a lot of camaraderie around building things, and we all work well together.
I was doing catering and odd jobs. Then a friend told me about this. I came out as an extra, started working, and got enough hours to join the union. My mom was a machinist and my dad a cook. My mom’s job was non-union and she got paid $10 an hour. If it had been union, she would have gotten $20. So that was all the incentive I needed to know I wanted to join a union.
I enjoy working together with people. Unions are supposed to be democratic and that means everyone participating and helping out. I try to go to all the meetings and if something is going on, I’ll volunteer to help out. Organizing parties, feeding people, if it needs to be done, I’ll step up. Like I tell my union brothers and sisters, lots of hands make for lighter work.
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