April 5, 2020 • 19 mins
Ron Stefaniak, Apprenticeship Program Director for the Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons International Association (OPCMIA), Cement Masons Local 526 shares his insight on becoming a union cement mason and the impact this decision has had on his life with Chris Martin and Jon O'Brien on the Building PA Podcast.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the building PA podcast.
I am sitting here with, uh, JohnO'Brien my partner.
My name is Chris Martin.
I'm with Atlas marketing.
Good morning.
How's it going?
Good, good morning.
And I am with Ron Stefanik.
Well, I should say we are withStefanik.
Who's the apprenticeshipcoordinator with the plasterers
(00:21):
and cement masons, correct?
I apologize.
Yep.
So Ron, tell us a little bitabout yourself and how you got
here.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I was taught by the greatest generation.
That was my uncles who came backfrom the second world war and
they were such an influence onme because they were my heroes.
So naturally I listened to thestories every night at that
dinner table.
Um, even though mom wanted me togo to college, I did go to
college and I got my degree, butthat inside of me still said I
(00:55):
wanted to do construction.
So lo and behold, after allthese years, 40 years as a
cement Mason, but totally 51years, because I started out of
the labor out of Katanning in1952.
So that's where I'm at at thispoint in my life.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
That is so I love how you, you talk about the greatest
generation and, and, and how yougot here in terms of the
influence from your uncles.
That's great because we knowthat that is very typical in the
construction industry.
Um, so what, what made youchoose to become a cement Mason?
Okay.
So
Speaker 2 (01:33):
The thing about it is , um, at the time that I
graduated or whatever, that'swhen the Pittsburgh in the steel
industry was in a downturn and,and we didn't have the
Renaissance yet, like we hadtoday.
So it was very easy for me to, Istarted off with, uh, with an
office job with Babcock andWilcox, and I, I knew that
(01:56):
making out checks and doing timesheets, wasn't my cup of tea.
I had to be out there with theexcitement, uh, sounds
construction and a beep beepbeeps and all that kind of
stuff.
So I followed my heart and Ifallen.
Um, my mum passed away and mydad was still in the industry.
And I said, no greater thing tobe able to work with your
(02:16):
father.
So that's, that's why I evolvedinto that.
Uh, the cement makes it, my dadwould have been electrician or
whatever.
I would have followed them thatway because he was my hero.
And that's why I chose to staywith the, uh, you know, the
concrete end of it.
So it, because of my father
Speaker 1 (02:35):
And, and, and I liked that too, because all the unions
that we work with and say withJohn and the KCA and everything,
everybody has that family story.
And that's the nice thing aboutthe union side of, of
construction is, is that, thatbrother, that bond, that, that,
Hey tomorrow, I'm going to putmy arm around you.
We're going to show you how todo this.
(02:55):
So you're not going to fail.
And, and I, and I can, you know,as
Speaker 2 (03:00):
The apprenticeship coordinator, that's part of what
you're doing, you know, on adaily basis.
Exactly, exactly.
Um, how, how long did it takeyou to become the apprenticeship
coordinator?
Well, um, it was actually, uh,okay.
About 30 years I was in thefield.
(03:22):
Okay.
And, uh, so I've been anapprentice coordinator for going
on nine, actually going on 10years.
So if you, if you take the 10from the, the 40 years of
concrete and simple math, thatthat's, that's about what I was
out and field for about 30years.
Um, doing, doing floors, doingchimneys, doing well, you name
(03:43):
it exposed me to a lot ofdifferent things over the years,
so who better to teach the, uh,the, the next generation, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, and as long as the passionis still there, as long as the
passion, and then there's suchan opportunity for these young
people today, that it'sunbelievable.
And I want to make sure that,you know, I always say on my
(04:07):
tombstone, I want it to be Ron,did everything he could to
perpetuate unionism on planetearth and on, I'll be happy that
these young kids followed mypath.
Right.
That's great.
Great.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Very good.
Speaking of a young kids, um,that's, let's reach out to them
and let's talk, that's focusedon them for a little bit.
So like what what's, what canthey expect if they wanted to be
a cement Mason?
Like what's a cement Mason donowadays, what's the training,
like, uh, just kinda touch onthem a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Okay.
So we look at, you have to, youhave to be like an active type
person and, um, we don't makeyou take a test, but we, when I
interview, I want to see thatsort of, I, I need that look in
your eyes that says, yeah, I'man outdoors person.
I played a team sport becauseconcrete is a team activity.
(05:00):
It's just like playing footballor whatever.
I'm looking for somebody that isnot afraid of a challenge every
day.
You're going to get challengedwith the wind, the rain, the
snow, um, and, uh, the batchingplant and all these things you
have to, you can't be that kindof place, a complacent person
(05:20):
that says, Oh, you know what,um, you know, I don't want that
kind of challenge.
So I look at all these differentthings.
Um, some of them are students,aren't ACE students.
They're C B students, but thatdoesn't hold them back from not
being dynamite workers, becausea lot of them really didn't like
school, you know?
(05:41):
And now I don't hold thatbecause some of my best workers
are C and D students.
So, so, uh, I want to make sureI give them that opportunity.
Maybe I don't see, maybe theydon't see something right away,
but I get them out in the fieldand all of a, that light bulb
comes on and it's like, andthat's already happened to me.
So, uh, so we give them everyopportunity to spread their
(06:05):
wings and flying at thebusiness, especially now when we
all need workers that arewilling to work and, um, and,
uh, get a sustainable income,families is standing income for,
uh, you know, and so that,that's what we look for.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So is there anything a highschool student could do now
while they're in school toprepare to become a cement
Mason?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well, yeah.
Would we interview, um, Inormally have, uh, uh, uh,
somebody from one of the, eitherthe, um, heavy highway or the
builders, uh, trade that comesover and what we look at, we
look at attendance, we look at,you know, uh, that's a big thing
(06:51):
because that shows thatdemonstrates the, um, the, the
ability to want to learn.
And if I get an apprentice outthere and if he's bucking me all
the time and he doesn't want tolisten, well, then he's not
gonna learn.
So that's, I, I tell them, um,naturally it's good to, um, you
(07:11):
know, have good math skills inscience skills, but that's not,
that's not a big thing in ourbusiness because, you know,
we're going to electrician toRyan workers.
We're, we're making calculationsall the time.
We're more or less the type ofguys that are like, um, you
know, I got girls in our customcross-country skiers, and I got
guys that are traders in a gymthat was very active people that
(07:36):
can sit still.
That's what, that's what I wantto see.
Uh, as a young person, you know,no complacency because there's
no, there's no room forcomplacency when that paving
machine starts going, you gotta,you have to be able to run with
it and know that you're thatkind of person, that this is my
challenge for today, and this iswhat I want to do, and I'm not
(07:57):
going to get beat up, you know?
So that's what we're really,
Speaker 3 (08:04):
What have you seen over the, over your 10 years as
the training director, as far asthe type of the type of, uh,
people that are entering theprogram, people looking to get
into the program, have you seena shift at all as the economy
has changed over the last 10years?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Absolutely.
Uh, first of all, we preach,kill my, like my mum used to
say, till we're blue in theface, cleats you kid.
So we preached to the guidancecounselors in the high schools,
and we say, listen, um, youknow, everybody wants their
child to go to college, but yetthere's students out there that
(08:44):
Rowan college material that wantto work with their hands.
And so please encourage them ifthey don't want to go to
college.
I don't want them sitting athome watching reruns of going in
dial-in in her mom's basement.
And I want them to know that thebuilding trades 16 of us there
aren't workers, boiler, America,cement, masons, on and on, and
(09:05):
whatever that they're going tobe able to come in there and
we're going to, we're going toembrace them and tell them, yes,
we need warm bodies.
We need people.
And you're the, if you're thetype of person that wants a
work, we're going to show youhow to make family-sustaining
wages.
And it's a very warm situationthat, um, you know, all the
(09:26):
ethnic groups of females orwhatever, everybody has an
opportunity.
Unlike it's ever been in my 40years, it's never been like this
.
It's like, you know, when we're,we're begging them, people that
say, come on, you know, and jointhe trades.
And, uh, so that's, that's, it'sso exciting.
And right now it's, it's off thechart.
(09:47):
As far as like these Crackerplants, heavy highway, there is
a there's we need to do so manybridges in so many ways, like
two years ago, um, Pennsylvania,if he did we'd repair 600
bridges in so much time.
So, so all of a sudden themoney's there and we're going to
deal with
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It's a very, very exciting timefor the industry, for sure.
So, uh, yeah, you find, youknow, a high school, high school
grad he's motivated, he'sexcited.
He wants to work out in thefield.
What's what's he to expect thefirst year when it comes to
training.
And I heard a little rumor, youguys earn while you learn, so
(10:29):
you might want to throw that inthere too.
Uh, but yeah, what, what's thefirst year to expect?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Okay.
The first year kids, what we dois we take, put them through a
pre-apprenticeship for twoweeks.
Pre-apprenticeship, uh, we makesure they have OSHA 10, so
they're safe.
We make sure they have CPR, a Dand uh, first day, um, we take
them out that week.
We show them how to pound pinsset forms.
(10:55):
We're not gonna, they're notgoing to be home, run hitters in
two weeks, but they're not goingto be like a deer in the
headlights either.
They're good, but we get theirtoe in the water.
So then after two weeks, we putthem on the auto work list.
And then our contractors, oursignatory contractors, we
encourage them.
Here's young people.
Uh, we need to get them to work.
(11:16):
And, uh, so, uh, as June andJuly and August comes and we,
we, we place these apprenticeswith, uh, the signatory
contractors, whether it be heavyhighway or building trade, and
then that's their opportunity tolearn in real time, not just in
a classroom setting, but in realtime, all the sights and sounds,
(11:39):
and smells and everything that'sinvolved in being on the job.
That's the beauty ofapprenticeship.
And in that pre-apprenticeshipperiod, a two week period, are
they mostly in the, theclassroom versus
Speaker 1 (11:54):
On the job?
Which again, on John's question,what can they expect there?
Speaker 2 (12:00):
What we, what we do is we'll about the first week
we, we, we make them safe.
Okay.
We get them in a classroom.
Then the second week we'll go tolike, um, um, there might be a
contractor out there that needsa section of driveway poured at
his facility.
Um, we have, uh, we have, uh, aplace down in Millville,
(12:23):
Pittsburgh, mobile that, um, hebatches, he has a batching
trucks and he'll batch us 20yards of concrete or whatever.
And we'll pour a section there.
He always has something to poor.
So that second week we actuallytake them on a job set forms and
create real time, you know?
(12:44):
Uh, and, uh, so the date so thatthey have a real idea of, um,
uh, just not, we first startthem out in wet sand, just like
you do.
And at the beach, we start themoff at wet sand and, and show
them exactly how to straightedge, how to edge and
everything.
And then, and then the next stepis you.
And then like, like that's whatwe do the second week.
(13:07):
We'll find him something to pour.
And, um, and sometimes we'lleven do community stuff like,
um, uh, dugouts and littleleague field, or a set of steps
or something like that,something that, um, uh, for a
nonprofit, for profitorganization.
Perfect.
Perfect.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Yeah.
With that said, what are some ofthe requirements that if I'm, if
I'm a high school senior hearingyou talk or saying, Hey, wait a
second.
I really want to do an adultblog to this.
What do I need to do to, to getinvolved?
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Okay, first of all, we cover 33 counties.
So we're not going to send youto one place to where you can
get on a bus and go to work forthe next 30 years.
So we tell you, you have to havea driver's license, very, you
know, and then you have to haveaccess to, uh, an automobile.
Sometimes these young people,they don't have any money yet.
(13:59):
So grandma has a car, agrandfather has a car, as long
as we, as long as we have somesort of ownership that says,
yeah, you know, an owner's card,it says they have the ability to
go to work, um, social securitycard.
Absolutely.
They have to have it.
Um, we can take yourapplications before they're 18
(14:21):
and get all the preliminariesdone, but we can't send them to
work till they're 18.
So that's a, you know, we cantrain them, we can get them
ready, but then that, then byJune, the first after we get
done with pre-apprenticeship in,uh, April, then they have to be
ready.
And, uh, and, uh, you have tohave a high school diploma or
GED.
(14:42):
And, uh, and so, uh, we tellthem, work on this.
So it's all out of the way.
So there's no roadblocks orobstacles to us getting you into
the, uh, the workforce.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
And like you said, it's a great time to get in.
So I don't know why youwouldn't,
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Let me leave you with this thought.
Um, so two, you asked, so Iasked myself, why did I decide
to do this?
I remember, I remember when Iwas in Catholic school, the nuns
wanted me, they said, I likeddark and you wanted to be an
artist.
Well, now I tell my, these youngpeople that when I'm going to,
(15:21):
um, career fairs and stuff likethat, I say our portrait is on
the ground.
Okay.
My portrait is that concretecomes out of the truck and it
looks like mother's oats orwhatever at the end of the day,
there's, there's, there's yourportrait.
And, uh, and so that's theexcitement of being, I look at
myself as an artist.
(15:41):
Um, if I'm going to do yourdriveway or if I'm going to do,
um, you want to see some wordsstreet, go to Las Vegas and
you'll see, uh, you'll see,pervious concrete, you'll see,
uh, colored concrete, you'll seepolished concrete.
And that's just one example of,um, the beauty of what we could
do with something to I've got ata truck in the morning.
(16:03):
So that's what always floated myboat as far as, um, taking
something and developing aportrait.
And, uh, so it's, it's that wow,that I do that at the end of the
day, you know?
And, uh, and if you have theright team and mother nature,
um, uh, support you as far asthe beautiful day, no rain, no
(16:26):
wind, all that kind of stuff.
Then everything gets falls inline and it's like, then you're,
you know, you're happy, youknow, you're yeah.
On a scale of one to 10, wealways shoot for a 10.
And so all those differentthings have to line up mother
nature in a batching plant, uh,the correct amount of team work,
you know, and so on and soforth.
(16:46):
And then it's like, yeah, I didmy homework and everything's
great.
So that's it, every day is achallenge every day.
And you have to have that kindof person that's willing to
accept that challenge.
Just like it's like the Steelersare playing somebody, you put
your home on the new, you gottabe ready to go.
That's the way our industry is.
And, um, yeah, I really lovewhat you just said though, about
(17:07):
how you were at you coming outof high school, you were in art,
you liked art.
You were really there, and youcan apply that to the cement
masons and your line of work.
So any, any high school, seniorhigh school, junior out there,
boy or girl, she can relate tothat.
And I think that's important tohelp some of the younger kids
(17:28):
now understand that you're notgoing to go out on the job site
and just be this nonstop hammernails, and doing all these
things.
There's an art form to it.
There is a beauty to it.
So thank you for sharing that.
I think that's great.
That's really good.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
No, the market's good.
And the cement masons arelooking for a future artist.
So look them up
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Like that.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
And if you're interested in becoming a cement,
uh, artists reach out to ourfriend here, Ron Stefanik, uh,
how, how can we, how can kidsget ahold of you?
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Okay.
Um, first of all, um, we have awebsite it's OPC Mia, five to
six.org.
Okay.
And you can also look on thebuilder's Guild or apprentice
order, but the builders Guild ofWestern Pennsylvania, it's very
elaborate.
And they, they, and theyhighlight all the trades.
(18:23):
So, so if I get a young personthat maybe not sure of wanting
to be at cement, Mason, I justsay, listen, we want you in our
union family.
So, and we want you to followyour heart.
So make yourself happy and pickone of the trades.
If I'm not one of them, I stillfeel you're in good hands
(18:44):
because there's no bad picks inthe builders, go to Western
Pennsylvania, none.
You know what?
You're in.
Good hands.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
That's true.
True.
That is true.
Great advice for, uh, our young,our young folks who are
considering a construction trade.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Well, thank you for joining ustoday on the building PA podcast
and Ron, thank you for stoppingby.
I appreciate it.
Thanks a lot, Ron, and tune intoour next podcast.
(19:13):
Uh, again, that's building PApodcast and have a great day.
Thank you.
Welcome to the building PA podcast.
I am sitting here with, uh, JohnO'Brien my partner.
My name is Chris Martin.
I'm with Atlas marketing.
Good morning.
How's it going?
Good, good morning.
And I am with Ron Stefanik.
Well, I should say we are withStefanik.
Who's the apprenticeshipcoordinator with the plasterers
(00:21):
and cement masons, correct?
I apologize.
Yep.
So Ron, tell us a little bitabout yourself and how you got
here.
Okay.
Speaker 2 (00:31):
I was taught by the greatest generation.
That was my uncles who came backfrom the second world war and
they were such an influence onme because they were my heroes.
So naturally I listened to thestories every night at that
dinner table.
Um, even though mom wanted me togo to college, I did go to
college and I got my degree, butthat inside of me still said I
(00:55):
wanted to do construction.
So lo and behold, after allthese years, 40 years as a
cement Mason, but totally 51years, because I started out of
the labor out of Katanning in1952.
So that's where I'm at at thispoint in my life.
Speaker 1 (01:13):
That is so I love how you, you talk about the greatest
generation and, and, and how yougot here in terms of the
influence from your uncles.
That's great because we knowthat that is very typical in the
construction industry.
Um, so what, what made youchoose to become a cement Mason?
Okay.
So
Speaker 2 (01:33):
The thing about it is , um, at the time that I
graduated or whatever, that'swhen the Pittsburgh in the steel
industry was in a downturn and,and we didn't have the
Renaissance yet, like we hadtoday.
So it was very easy for me to, Istarted off with, uh, with an
office job with Babcock andWilcox, and I, I knew that
(01:56):
making out checks and doing timesheets, wasn't my cup of tea.
I had to be out there with theexcitement, uh, sounds
construction and a beep beepbeeps and all that kind of
stuff.
So I followed my heart and Ifallen.
Um, my mum passed away and mydad was still in the industry.
And I said, no greater thing tobe able to work with your
(02:16):
father.
So that's, that's why I evolvedinto that.
Uh, the cement makes it, my dadwould have been electrician or
whatever.
I would have followed them thatway because he was my hero.
And that's why I chose to staywith the, uh, you know, the
concrete end of it.
So it, because of my father
Speaker 1 (02:35):
And, and, and I liked that too, because all the unions
that we work with and say withJohn and the KCA and everything,
everybody has that family story.
And that's the nice thing aboutthe union side of, of
construction is, is that, thatbrother, that bond, that, that,
Hey tomorrow, I'm going to putmy arm around you.
We're going to show you how todo this.
(02:55):
So you're not going to fail.
And, and I, and I can, you know,as
Speaker 2 (03:00):
The apprenticeship coordinator, that's part of what
you're doing, you know, on adaily basis.
Exactly, exactly.
Um, how, how long did it takeyou to become the apprenticeship
coordinator?
Well, um, it was actually, uh,okay.
About 30 years I was in thefield.
(03:22):
Okay.
And, uh, so I've been anapprentice coordinator for going
on nine, actually going on 10years.
So if you, if you take the 10from the, the 40 years of
concrete and simple math, thatthat's, that's about what I was
out and field for about 30years.
Um, doing, doing floors, doingchimneys, doing well, you name
(03:43):
it exposed me to a lot ofdifferent things over the years,
so who better to teach the, uh,the, the next generation, right?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And, and as long as the passionis still there, as long as the
passion, and then there's suchan opportunity for these young
people today, that it'sunbelievable.
And I want to make sure that,you know, I always say on my
(04:07):
tombstone, I want it to be Ron,did everything he could to
perpetuate unionism on planetearth and on, I'll be happy that
these young kids followed mypath.
Right.
That's great.
Great.
Speaker 3 (04:20):
Very good.
Speaking of a young kids, um,that's, let's reach out to them
and let's talk, that's focusedon them for a little bit.
So like what what's, what canthey expect if they wanted to be
a cement Mason?
Like what's a cement Mason donowadays, what's the training,
like, uh, just kinda touch onthem a little bit.
Speaker 2 (04:37):
Okay.
So we look at, you have to, youhave to be like an active type
person and, um, we don't makeyou take a test, but we, when I
interview, I want to see thatsort of, I, I need that look in
your eyes that says, yeah, I'man outdoors person.
I played a team sport becauseconcrete is a team activity.
(05:00):
It's just like playing footballor whatever.
I'm looking for somebody that isnot afraid of a challenge every
day.
You're going to get challengedwith the wind, the rain, the
snow, um, and, uh, the batchingplant and all these things you
have to, you can't be that kindof place, a complacent person
(05:20):
that says, Oh, you know what,um, you know, I don't want that
kind of challenge.
So I look at all these differentthings.
Um, some of them are students,aren't ACE students.
They're C B students, but thatdoesn't hold them back from not
being dynamite workers, becausea lot of them really didn't like
school, you know?
(05:41):
And now I don't hold thatbecause some of my best workers
are C and D students.
So, so, uh, I want to make sureI give them that opportunity.
Maybe I don't see, maybe theydon't see something right away,
but I get them out in the fieldand all of a, that light bulb
comes on and it's like, andthat's already happened to me.
So, uh, so we give them everyopportunity to spread their
(06:05):
wings and flying at thebusiness, especially now when we
all need workers that arewilling to work and, um, and,
uh, get a sustainable income,families is standing income for,
uh, you know, and so that,that's what we look for.
Speaker 3 (06:21):
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
So is there anything a highschool student could do now
while they're in school toprepare to become a cement
Mason?
Speaker 2 (06:30):
Well, yeah.
Would we interview, um, Inormally have, uh, uh, uh,
somebody from one of the, eitherthe, um, heavy highway or the
builders, uh, trade that comesover and what we look at, we
look at attendance, we look at,you know, uh, that's a big thing
(06:51):
because that shows thatdemonstrates the, um, the, the
ability to want to learn.
And if I get an apprentice outthere and if he's bucking me all
the time and he doesn't want tolisten, well, then he's not
gonna learn.
So that's, I, I tell them, um,naturally it's good to, um, you
(07:11):
know, have good math skills inscience skills, but that's not,
that's not a big thing in ourbusiness because, you know,
we're going to electrician toRyan workers.
We're, we're making calculationsall the time.
We're more or less the type ofguys that are like, um, you
know, I got girls in our customcross-country skiers, and I got
guys that are traders in a gymthat was very active people that
(07:36):
can sit still.
That's what, that's what I wantto see.
Uh, as a young person, you know,no complacency because there's
no, there's no room forcomplacency when that paving
machine starts going, you gotta,you have to be able to run with
it and know that you're thatkind of person, that this is my
challenge for today, and this iswhat I want to do, and I'm not
(07:57):
going to get beat up, you know?
So that's what we're really,
Speaker 3 (08:04):
What have you seen over the, over your 10 years as
the training director, as far asthe type of the type of, uh,
people that are entering theprogram, people looking to get
into the program, have you seena shift at all as the economy
has changed over the last 10years?
Speaker 2 (08:19):
Absolutely.
Uh, first of all, we preach,kill my, like my mum used to
say, till we're blue in theface, cleats you kid.
So we preached to the guidancecounselors in the high schools,
and we say, listen, um, youknow, everybody wants their
child to go to college, but yetthere's students out there that
(08:44):
Rowan college material that wantto work with their hands.
And so please encourage them ifthey don't want to go to
college.
I don't want them sitting athome watching reruns of going in
dial-in in her mom's basement.
And I want them to know that thebuilding trades 16 of us there
aren't workers, boiler, America,cement, masons, on and on, and
(09:05):
whatever that they're going tobe able to come in there and
we're going to, we're going toembrace them and tell them, yes,
we need warm bodies.
We need people.
And you're the, if you're thetype of person that wants a
work, we're going to show youhow to make family-sustaining
wages.
And it's a very warm situationthat, um, you know, all the
(09:26):
ethnic groups of females orwhatever, everybody has an
opportunity.
Unlike it's ever been in my 40years, it's never been like this
.
It's like, you know, when we're,we're begging them, people that
say, come on, you know, and jointhe trades.
And, uh, so that's, that's, it'sso exciting.
And right now it's, it's off thechart.
(09:47):
As far as like these Crackerplants, heavy highway, there is
a there's we need to do so manybridges in so many ways, like
two years ago, um, Pennsylvania,if he did we'd repair 600
bridges in so much time.
So, so all of a sudden themoney's there and we're going to
deal with
Speaker 3 (10:07):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
It's a very, very exciting timefor the industry, for sure.
So, uh, yeah, you find, youknow, a high school, high school
grad he's motivated, he'sexcited.
He wants to work out in thefield.
What's what's he to expect thefirst year when it comes to
training.
And I heard a little rumor, youguys earn while you learn, so
(10:29):
you might want to throw that inthere too.
Uh, but yeah, what, what's thefirst year to expect?
Speaker 2 (10:33):
Okay.
The first year kids, what we dois we take, put them through a
pre-apprenticeship for twoweeks.
Pre-apprenticeship, uh, we makesure they have OSHA 10, so
they're safe.
We make sure they have CPR, a Dand uh, first day, um, we take
them out that week.
We show them how to pound pinsset forms.
(10:55):
We're not gonna, they're notgoing to be home, run hitters in
two weeks, but they're not goingto be like a deer in the
headlights either.
They're good, but we get theirtoe in the water.
So then after two weeks, we putthem on the auto work list.
And then our contractors, oursignatory contractors, we
encourage them.
Here's young people.
Uh, we need to get them to work.
(11:16):
And, uh, so, uh, as June andJuly and August comes and we,
we, we place these apprenticeswith, uh, the signatory
contractors, whether it be heavyhighway or building trade, and
then that's their opportunity tolearn in real time, not just in
a classroom setting, but in realtime, all the sights and sounds,
(11:39):
and smells and everything that'sinvolved in being on the job.
That's the beauty ofapprenticeship.
And in that pre-apprenticeshipperiod, a two week period, are
they mostly in the, theclassroom versus
Speaker 1 (11:54):
On the job?
Which again, on John's question,what can they expect there?
Speaker 2 (12:00):
What we, what we do is we'll about the first week
we, we, we make them safe.
Okay.
We get them in a classroom.
Then the second week we'll go tolike, um, um, there might be a
contractor out there that needsa section of driveway poured at
his facility.
Um, we have, uh, we have, uh, aplace down in Millville,
(12:23):
Pittsburgh, mobile that, um, hebatches, he has a batching
trucks and he'll batch us 20yards of concrete or whatever.
And we'll pour a section there.
He always has something to poor.
So that second week we actuallytake them on a job set forms and
create real time, you know?
(12:44):
Uh, and, uh, so the date so thatthey have a real idea of, um,
uh, just not, we first startthem out in wet sand, just like
you do.
And at the beach, we start themoff at wet sand and, and show
them exactly how to straightedge, how to edge and
everything.
And then, and then the next stepis you.
And then like, like that's whatwe do the second week.
(13:07):
We'll find him something to pour.
And, um, and sometimes we'lleven do community stuff like,
um, uh, dugouts and littleleague field, or a set of steps
or something like that,something that, um, uh, for a
nonprofit, for profitorganization.
Perfect.
Perfect.
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (13:22):
Yeah.
With that said, what are some ofthe requirements that if I'm, if
I'm a high school senior hearingyou talk or saying, Hey, wait a
second.
I really want to do an adultblog to this.
What do I need to do to, to getinvolved?
Speaker 2 (13:37):
Okay, first of all, we cover 33 counties.
So we're not going to send youto one place to where you can
get on a bus and go to work forthe next 30 years.
So we tell you, you have to havea driver's license, very, you
know, and then you have to haveaccess to, uh, an automobile.
Sometimes these young people,they don't have any money yet.
(13:59):
So grandma has a car, agrandfather has a car, as long
as we, as long as we have somesort of ownership that says,
yeah, you know, an owner's card,it says they have the ability to
go to work, um, social securitycard.
Absolutely.
They have to have it.
Um, we can take yourapplications before they're 18
(14:21):
and get all the preliminariesdone, but we can't send them to
work till they're 18.
So that's a, you know, we cantrain them, we can get them
ready, but then that, then byJune, the first after we get
done with pre-apprenticeship in,uh, April, then they have to be
ready.
And, uh, and, uh, you have tohave a high school diploma or
GED.
(14:42):
And, uh, and so, uh, we tellthem, work on this.
So it's all out of the way.
So there's no roadblocks orobstacles to us getting you into
the, uh, the workforce.
Speaker 3 (14:54):
And like you said, it's a great time to get in.
So I don't know why youwouldn't,
Speaker 2 (15:00):
Let me leave you with this thought.
Um, so two, you asked, so Iasked myself, why did I decide
to do this?
I remember, I remember when Iwas in Catholic school, the nuns
wanted me, they said, I likeddark and you wanted to be an
artist.
Well, now I tell my, these youngpeople that when I'm going to,
(15:21):
um, career fairs and stuff likethat, I say our portrait is on
the ground.
Okay.
My portrait is that concretecomes out of the truck and it
looks like mother's oats orwhatever at the end of the day,
there's, there's, there's yourportrait.
And, uh, and so that's theexcitement of being, I look at
myself as an artist.
(15:41):
Um, if I'm going to do yourdriveway or if I'm going to do,
um, you want to see some wordsstreet, go to Las Vegas and
you'll see, uh, you'll see,pervious concrete, you'll see,
uh, colored concrete, you'll seepolished concrete.
And that's just one example of,um, the beauty of what we could
do with something to I've got ata truck in the morning.
(16:03):
So that's what always floated myboat as far as, um, taking
something and developing aportrait.
And, uh, so it's, it's that wow,that I do that at the end of the
day, you know?
And, uh, and if you have theright team and mother nature,
um, uh, support you as far asthe beautiful day, no rain, no
(16:26):
wind, all that kind of stuff.
Then everything gets falls inline and it's like, then you're,
you know, you're happy, youknow, you're yeah.
On a scale of one to 10, wealways shoot for a 10.
And so all those differentthings have to line up mother
nature in a batching plant, uh,the correct amount of team work,
you know, and so on and soforth.
(16:46):
And then it's like, yeah, I didmy homework and everything's
great.
So that's it, every day is achallenge every day.
And you have to have that kindof person that's willing to
accept that challenge.
Just like it's like the Steelersare playing somebody, you put
your home on the new, you gottabe ready to go.
That's the way our industry is.
And, um, yeah, I really lovewhat you just said though, about
(17:07):
how you were at you coming outof high school, you were in art,
you liked art.
You were really there, and youcan apply that to the cement
masons and your line of work.
So any, any high school, seniorhigh school, junior out there,
boy or girl, she can relate tothat.
And I think that's important tohelp some of the younger kids
(17:28):
now understand that you're notgoing to go out on the job site
and just be this nonstop hammernails, and doing all these
things.
There's an art form to it.
There is a beauty to it.
So thank you for sharing that.
I think that's great.
That's really good.
Speaker 3 (17:44):
No, the market's good.
And the cement masons arelooking for a future artist.
So look them up
Speaker 2 (17:50):
Like that.
Speaker 1 (17:51):
And if you're interested in becoming a cement,
uh, artists reach out to ourfriend here, Ron Stefanik, uh,
how, how can we, how can kidsget ahold of you?
Speaker 2 (18:01):
Okay.
Um, first of all, um, we have awebsite it's OPC Mia, five to
six.org.
Okay.
And you can also look on thebuilder's Guild or apprentice
order, but the builders Guild ofWestern Pennsylvania, it's very
elaborate.
And they, they, and theyhighlight all the trades.
(18:23):
So, so if I get a young personthat maybe not sure of wanting
to be at cement, Mason, I justsay, listen, we want you in our
union family.
So, and we want you to followyour heart.
So make yourself happy and pickone of the trades.
If I'm not one of them, I stillfeel you're in good hands
(18:44):
because there's no bad picks inthe builders, go to Western
Pennsylvania, none.
You know what?
You're in.
Good hands.
Speaker 1 (18:51):
That's true.
True.
That is true.
Great advice for, uh, our young,our young folks who are
considering a construction trade.
So thank you.
Thank you.
Well, thank you for joining ustoday on the building PA podcast
and Ron, thank you for stoppingby.
I appreciate it.
Thanks a lot, Ron, and tune intoour next podcast.
(19:13):
Uh, again, that's building PApodcast and have a great day.
Thank you.
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