Sprinkler Fitters Local 483 Training Center

Organized Labor

Alando Barnett, Apprentice
After college, my godfather asked me if I wanted to come and work in the trade. The company he worked for was nonunion, but then the company went union and that was the best thing that ever happened to me. I must have drawn the lucky stick. I have a family of three kids, and I can support them and now I can take them places. Before it was hard. I'm making more as an apprentice learning to do things right than I was making on the job working non-union. The union has really taken care of me. I got hurt on the job. I tried helping somebody else and pulled a disk in my back. The union helped me out with therapy and took care of me until I could get back to work. I like that the classes we take have academic credits. I can see getting my fire science degree eventually and becoming an inspector. I also think about becoming an instructor. I used to teach autistic kids.