After joining the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers (BAC) as a tuckpointer in 1990, Hector Arellano graduated from the Pointers, Cleaners, & Caulkers’ apprenticeship program. During his 40 years in the industry, Hector worked both as a foreman and a part- and full-time apprenticeship and training instructor for 18 years before becoming a business representative for the BAC in 2014. In 2016, Hector was appointed to his current role of BAC Administrative District Council I Vice President and Director of Pointers, Cleaners, & Caulkers.
The role of the BAC is to organize the labor workforce, and with the help of leaders like Hector, Administrative District Council 1 of Illinois acts as a liaison to bring forth suggestions to its members’ companies that better improve working conditions and worker safety. While membership does require a small fee, the benefits seem to far outweigh the cost.
“Union membership also provides its members free apprenticeship and continued training in new methods and procedures at no extra charge to the apprentice,” Hector said. “We provide a stable, well-versed and safety-oriented workforce.”
Other perks include medical and retirement benefits, which Hector said make for a stronger, more stable community overall.
Nearly 155 years old, the BAC is the eldest union in North America, representing about 7,000 members around Chicagoland ADC wide — and the number just keeps growing. There are many ways in which the BAC attracts new members, the most influential being word of mouth, newspaper ads and trade shows, in conjunction with CISCO, to promote the industry within local schools.
“Our members have been through extensive and trade-specific training,” Hector said. “Union-certified labor guarantees not only quality of the trade, but labor consistency and availability of workers within any of our trades, as well. Members have chosen to make a career out of their trade and are continually trained to improve.”
For more information about the BAC, Hector can be reached at [email protected] or by phone at (630) 941-2300.
