Recent Master’s Graduate from the University of Texas at Austin
in Human Dimensions of Organizations
I am a labor advocate working to help prevent wage theft and help workers recover owed wages in the public sector. While my primary experience is with construction, where wage theft is a multi-billion dollar problem, wage theft exists in every industry. For those I cannot help directly, I have a network of resources and help refer affected individuals to the organization or agency best aligned to help.
I have identified and investigated perpetrators of wage theft, using various resources to cut through the layers used to mask illegal business practices, and helped victims navigate the complaint and recovery process with the Texas Workforce Commission, Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, and even the District Attorneys of several counties.
I enjoy using my combined education, life experience, and work experience to educate others about wage theft and worker exploitation and help organizations build workplace cultures that foster connection and engagement. I recently completed my M.A. in Human Dimensions of Organizations at UT Austin.
Current
Work Overview
(07 - 2022)
Before entering the public sector, I spent 15 years working my way from apprentice to journeyman carpenter to Business Representative and Union Representative for the United Brotherhood of Carpenters. In 2022, life offered an opportunity for a shift, and I took it.
My CV
After a decade of working with my tools in the field as a commercial carpenter and training new apprentices and journeymen as a part-time instructor, I accepted a position as a Union Business Representative. As such, I
oversaw the day-to-day operations of two Local Unions, representing around 800 carpenters and their families,
worked alongside dozens of local and national contractors to provide manpower for construction projects,
negotiated collective bargaining agreements,
oversaw a team of field organizers,
recruited the best carpenters to come to the Union and work for our contractors,
worked with local, state, and federal political leaders and organizations to push for worker-centered policy change,
maintained a database of upcoming, active. and completed construction projects in the area to track progress and shifting manpower needs,
developed training and marketing materials,
cold called job site management and contractors to market the Union’s capabilities
and wore many additional hats.
In December 2022, I stepped away from that role and while soul searching for my next adventure, I started working with my tools once more, building custom cabinetry and furniture in addition to historic home renovation and general residential renovation and construction with Craftsman Collective in Austin, TX.