Auriello Ordelon says that his job as a scaffolding installer with Cement and Concrete Workers Local 6a doesn’t just make him proud as a worker, it makes him proud as a father.
“I like to be part of the union,” Ordelon said. “When I say I was helping to build a building and do something, I feel happy that I’m doing something. That way in the future, I can tell my daughter, ‘Look, your daddy worked on this hospital.’”
With around two more years to go in his apprenticeship, Ordelon has set himself apart with his perseverance, pride in his work and his attitude. His dedication is being honored at LaborPress’s Apprentice Awards.
“It’s good that if you work hard that other people see what you’re doing,” Ordelon said.
Odelon came into the union apprenticeship at age 43 after moving from Mexico to New York city over 20 years ago and working to support his family in other careers through the years. Before he learned about the construction industry apprenticeship program, he was working in a supermarket, which had a decent salary, but no benefits or training.
“Nobody told me before about the union until I met my friend and I saw all the benefits that he had. So that’s what I told him to give a hand to introduce myself in the union,” Ordelon said.
Recently he spent an extended stint working on a new New York Presbyterian Hospital building in Long Island City, which filled him with a sense of accomplishment. In his role as a scaffolding installer, Ordelon takes pride in the safety training that separates union from non-union construction sites. When you’re working on a building that stands over 50 stories tall, safety precautions are what keeps your family from worrying about you.
The apprenticeship has taught him how to suspend the scaffold in accordance with a list of important safety regulations. He can take pride knowing that he’s keeping his colleagues safe and that he is contributing something important to the city.
“I applied for this job because I like it and I want to be something good for my family. I want my daughter to be proud of her dad,” Ordelon said.
