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Carpenters recruit minority workers to replenish area workforce
By KERRY L. SMITH

   When it comes to hiring minorities, the Carpenters' District Council of Greater Saint Louis and Vicinity fares well compared to national statistics on blacks and Hispanics working in construction jobs.

   Marvin Sanders, business representative and organizer for the Carpenters, says the council continues to be successful recruiting minorities into the trade, but as with efforts to recruit and retain women in the field, it can be a formidable challenge to see minorities complete their apprenticeships, find work and stay in the union.

   The council's entire territory includes 33 counties across Southern Illinois and 44 in Eastern Missouri. Its total membership exceeds 22,000.

   "Typically we're hiring anywhere from six to 10 percent (minorities)," Sanders said. "We do much better at the intake level. The magic number we'd like to see as the minimum is 10 percent. It's a four-year (apprenticeship) program, and we're pretty fortunate if we retain about seven percent by the end of the eight terms."

   What the Carpenters' District Council finds is that the ethnic makeup of new recruits varies depending upon the geographic area.

   "If I'm in Southwestern Illinois, I will likely be talking to a huge percentage of African Americans, versus if I'm recruiting in Houston I would be speaking with a large population of Hispanics," said Sanders.

   At the Southern Illinois Carpenters' Training Center in Belleville, approximately 22 Hispanics are enrolled at this time, he said. Of a total of 500 apprentices enrolled, roughly 19 are black. Adding in the women enrolled at the Belleville center, the number of future journeymen who are either minorities or women totals approximately 10 percent.

   "We track the numbers of active members (of the Carpenters' Council)," Sanders said. "You can become inactive, for example, if your fail a math test or a drug test, so the number of active versus inactive members often fluctuates."

   National statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reveal that during year 2004, only 1.2 percent of all union carpenters were of Hispanic descent. One-third of 1 percent was black.

   According to officials at the Bureau of Labor Statistics, drywall installation is an occupation that attracts a heavy population of Hispanics. Of the total population of individuals working in this occupation nationally last year, 23.3 percent were Hispanic while only 3.2 percent were black. Blacks did comprise 8.3 percent of the cement mason/concrete finishing workforce nationally.

   As part of a broader study to determine fatality rates among Hispanics working in construction, several professors at Texas A&M University in 2004 discovered that Hispanics are indeed the fastest-growing minority population in the construction industry.

   "As the Hispanic population in the U.S. grows, so does the percentage of Hispanics in the U.S. construction trades," said Elizabeth Anne Bryson, one of the study's authors. "Hispanics already comprise 16.4 percent of the construction workforce in the U.S. today, and more than 50 percent of the construction workforce in Texas."

   Bureau of Labor Statistics data indicates that, as with construction workers overall, the majority of Hispanic construction workers are men. But even among women, the breakdown for Hispanics is atypical. Fewer than four percent of Hispanic construction workers nationally are women, compared with 10 percent of non-Hispanic women construction workers.

   A total of 14.3 percent of all brick/block/stone masons working union were of Hispanic descent. Approximately 5.3 percent were black.

   With regard to how and where the Carpenters looks for minority candidates, Sanders says the District Council recruits heavily in all the high schools.

   "We do about 150 career fairs a year, and our Belleville training center hosts about 30 of its own fairs each year," he said. "Recently we were invited to host a career night at a church in Granite City and we went. Whatever group or organization invites us, we'll come. We're very serious about recruiting."

   Outreach programs, career days, tours through the Belleville training center and more are part of the Carpenters' overall recruiting strategy.

   "We're open to anything we can possibly do to recruit apprentices…we're making a big, big effort," said Gary Eversmann, apprenticeship coordinator for the Carpenters and head of the Belleville-based training center. "In fact, we're up 120 students from three years ago. On top of that, the carpenters' program is the least restrictive of all the trades. With a letter of intent from a future employer, you're in."

   There used to be additional requirements for entrance into the apprentice program, according to Eversmann, but when the Carpenters' District Council consolidated four years ago, it became more applicant-friendly and now the letter of intent is all that is needed. Applicants undergo a drug test during the first week of training, he said, they take a math exam six months later and they are required to earn their GED no later than one year after the beginning of their training.

   Only about 25 percent of students who start college actually graduate these days, he said.

   "It's our objective to make sure we're reaching those individuals while they're still in high school to let them know there are other really good options, particularly for women and minorities," said Eversmann.

   Journeymen graduates of the Belleville program earn an average of $29 per hour, according to Eversmann. Even a first-year apprentice earns approximately $13.55 hourly. There are typically pay raises every six months, along with good health insurance and a pension plan, he added.

   Tim Garvey, executive director of the Southern Illinois Builders Association, said the Carpenters and other construction trades councils serving the region are sincere and enthusiastic in their efforts to replenish the workforce with skilled, hard-working individuals.

   "All I can tell you is that all of the participating apprentice programs have ongoing, often innovative efforts to attract both minorities and females, and they're successful at it," said Garvey.