Having missed one opportunity to become an Operating Engineer as a young man, Dave Thom was not going to let his second chance pass him by.
Dave had been friends with now Local 793 Executive Board member Rick Kerr when they were teenagers together at school, but turned down the chance to follow his friend into the Union. Fortunately, when Rick floated the idea again 12 years ago, Dave took his old pal up on his offer and signed up.
“Being part of this Union has opened more doors than I could ever think of. It has allowed me to keep my farm and expand stuff that I never got to do.
“With 20/20 hindsight, I sometimes wish I could go back and take that job as a tower crane guy at 18 – it would have made my life completely different. But life has a path you must take – I wouldn’t have met my wife if I had joined the Union then!”
Now with nearly 11 years as a member under his belt, Brother Thom, currently operating a man and material hoist for Pomerlau retrofitting 40 Elgin St. Senate offices in Ottawa, says life is better now than ever before.
“I never had a benefit and never had a pension in my life, this is my first ever. Wow, it’s good! I have a son, daughter and a son-in-law in the Union and their pensions are growing and they still have 20 or 30 years to go, so they are in great shape, too.”
While obtaining financial stability is vital for any working person, Brother Thom says one of the most important benefits of being a Union man is the support he’s able to access.
He said, “If I pick up the phone, I’ve got support from the area office, and even if I need emotional support, I can call any of my member buddies, and I get it 100 per cent. That’s the biggest positive for me.”