Sheetmetal Workers International Association Local Union 104

Organized Labor

Paul Lim, Foreman, ARB Mechanical
This is one of the faster fabricating shops in San Francisco and we are one of the largest. I like being a foreman. I've been through a lot of other shops and seen how they do things and compared notes. That how you stay competitive. The main trick is to let your journeymen do things the way they know how to do them. You give them the freedom to explore their own methods. That way, not only do they get faster, and more productive, but they feel good about the product that goes out the door and excited to be part of the trade. After the fittings go out in the field, if something goes wrong, I find out about it right away. We don't scold people. Anyone can yell at someone, but if you teach them, they learn from their mistakes and get faster. You have to enjoy the discovery of learning to do something new, and the enjoyment of learning to use new machinery and use it in different ways. I like to give everybody the opportunity to try different parts of the shop. I don't want to pigeonhole them. We want everyone here to be well-rounded. That way, should times get lean, and they have to move on, they'll have a better opportunity to be hired elsewhere. At the same time, they'll appreciate what we had to offer and come back here and work for us once more.