On behalf of myself and the 20,000 men and women in the NYC Carpenters Union, I offer my sincerest gratitude to those fighting or who have fought for our country this Veterans Day.
Within our very own union, there are many brothers and sisters who can proudly be called a Veteran. I am thinking of one such brother from Local 45 — Carlos Cornejo, a foreman with Curtis Partition. Carlos joined the Marines and, through working with Helmets to Hardhats, joined our union and became one of our brothers. His commitment to others never stopped. When he was a third-year apprentice, Carlos volunteered with the District Council’s humanitarian mission to Puerto Rico to rebuild homes after Hurricane Maria. Carlos is just as dedicated to his tools and to his craft, which is why we continue to work with organizations like Helmets to Hardhats to connect veterans to good paying jobs in our union.
Union carpenters like Carlos, who once served their country, now serve the New York City community and beyond – building bridges, tunnels, roadways, schools, and other critical infrastructure we all depend on. As Americans and union members, we owe a tremendous amount of gratitude to our veterans and it is an honor and privilege to see them build solid, stable, and successful futures in our union.
On this day where we salute the bravery of every person who has selflessly made our freedom their duty, I encourage you to thank a veteran. I also urge you to keep all of those currently in uniform in your thoughts and prayers so that they may return home safe and unharmed to their families and loved ones.
Happy Veterans Day and God bless!