Apprentice Spotlight
Stephen porter
Laborers Local 423
It’s often said that happiness is a journey not a destination, for Stephen Porter, our featured Apprentice, it has been quite the journey becoming a Laborer. Stephen, 32, was introduced to the opportunity of becoming a Laborer from his good friend, who has been a 423 member for over 12 years. Prior to his apprenticeship, Stephen earned his degree in psychology at Vermilion College, located in Minnesota. Upon graduating he returned to the Buckeye state and began teaching children with special needs at Columbus City Schools for 5 years.
logan johnson
Laborers Local 574
Many believe that a person’s future success begins at traditional four-year college. For a period of time, one of those people was our standout apprenticeship certification program student, Logan Johnson. Logan’s journey to become a Laborer was a winding one, although both of her parents are in the construction industry. After working a couple of jobs while in high school in an ice cream shop and a computer store, Logan began the college process. To pay for her education, she began flagging. She continued to flag for 2 years with a non-union company before making the switch the the Ohio Laborers.
matt
knoepp
Laborers Local 423
Everyone has a story to tell. How did you get started in Laboring, what did you do before, what are your hobbies, what makes you interesting? But few people have a story like Matthew Knoepp’s. His is a story that should garner respect and gratefulness from every American, but you probably would not know it from an encounter with him. On the surface, he comes across as a hardworking, polite young man,not unlike many other Apprentices.
lance
smith
Laborers Local 530
What’s the purpose of a Union? To give employees a voice. To make the lives of employees better. To uplift. To instill pride and confidence. To make sure the job gets done right. To provide contractors skilled labor. To make society as a whole a better place. Unions mean different things to different people. For Zanesville, Ohio native Lance Smith, joining LiUNA enabled him to turn his life around. Before joining the Apprenticeship Program and Local 530 in May 2013, Lance was struggling to make ends meet, but he was able to turn that around and provide for his family.
