Hard working? Ready for winters outside? Able to handle what Quinn calls "some raw language"? Then the line starts here.

hard hats, heavy metals, and everyday worksites

Both Mary Grace Quinn and Jeannine Giguere are union carpenters. But what does that really mean do you ask? For one, it means that they are hard workers on construction sites who most afternoons "get tired at the end of the day." But perhaps more importantly, it means that they each enjoy their jobs.

Neither Giguere nor Quinn began their careers as carpenters; on the contrary, they both explored what might otherwise be classified as office work. How did they become interested in carpentry? Do they make decent salaries? And what difference does it make being in a union? These are some of the questions that She Shines posed during recent conversations with Giguere and Quinn.

"You're working very hard. The parts are heavy, the shelving is heavy. You get tired at the end of the day." - Jeannine Giguere

 "It's not easy! You have to get down and dirty. A lot of it can be scary." - Mary Grace Quinn

photos by Agapao Productions

How or when did you become interested in carpentry, Mary Grace Quinn? Quinn remembers always being "an outdoorsy adventure type," including as a Girl Scout since the age of 7. As a matter of fact, she credits the Girl Scouts with helping her develop the confidence she acquired that led her into the trade. The Providence native and Cranston West High School graduate later took a few clerical jobs including a post at Blue Cross/Blue Shield, but later found that working in an office "wasn't where [she] wanted to be."

Quinn ended up finding a program operated by the Department of Environmental Management (DEM) that provided hands-on work experience in "forestry, fisheries, and wildlife" cleaning spilled dams and managing forest areas among other tasks. "That was when I first got experience with carpentry tools," she explains. "We had great leaders and instructors," she reminisces.

How or when did you become interested in carpentry, Jeannine Giguere? "I never intended on becoming a carpenter," is the shorthanded reply that Giguere will tell you upfront. But she may not be the only one who was surprised at her career choice. "I'm really small, so people don't think of me as a carpenter." How small? "I'm four foot ten and 120 pounds."

Like Quinn, Giguere, who is a native of Woonsocket, has experience outside of construction. But the social work and office jobs did not keep her hooked for very long either. Taking stock of where she was, explains Giguere, she realized "I had always liked working with my hands," and she wanted a well-paying job. In response, she decided to approach the various unions to put her name on their work and apprentice lists. "It was the carpenters who called me," explains Giguere.

Are carpenters well-paid? What, if any, are the union benefits, Jeannine Giguere? With ten years as a carpenter under her belt, Giguere enjoys her work and is clearly able to articulate why. "I love it because you get to see what you're building," she explains, referring to the physical, hands-on work. "It's there; you get to take pride in it." But in addition to the joys of seeing results, Giguere also touts membership within a union as a function of her employment that she likes. Like Quinn, Giguere holds membership in Local 94.

"I do a lot of volunteering," she explains, and "from the beginning I went to meetings." "A few years ago during elections I put my name on the list," says Giguere, "so I am on the executive board now." She's even now a delegate for Rhode Island in the New England Regional Council.

And yes, answers Giguere, the pay is good. Assuming a person starts from the very beginning, as a first year apprentice in the four year program (who is completing all of his or her requirements), you will earn almost $14.50 an hour – half of what the full hourly rate is. And after four years of full compliance with requirements and prerequisite hours, you begin to earn the full rate of pay in addition to other benefits and coverage.

Are carpenters well-paid? What, if any, are the union benefits, Mary Grace Quinn? Like Giguere, Quinn offers membership in Local 94 as a job perk for her. "[T]hey're really proactive" with keeping up with advancements, says Quinn, "no more than half of a step behind training the workforce to be there and get there."

But both Giguere and Quinn recognize union benefits that can't be felt or spent. "I really feel that I've been considered as an equal in many respects by my peers at work," says Quinn upon reflecting on her membership. "Some people have better years and better hours than others. But the person who puts in 1800 hours helps balance out the person who was only able to work 800."

Reza Corinne Clifton is a freelance journalist with six years of
experience through multiple platforms including radio, print, and online. Her articles have been published in places like Blackenterprise.com, RIFuture.org, and The Providence American, and she is the creator and publisher of RezaRitesRi.com, an award-winning website examining and promoting diversity. She is also a radio producer at WRNI and WRIU.