Member Stories

January 13, 2022

There are many great things about being apart of The Union, and stories like this is proof. Three generations of women; mother, daughter, and granddaughter, working in the same industry for the same Union, The United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. This is truly something special, in a day and age when children would prefer to carve out their own path, we see it time and time again. Children following in their parents’ footsteps and joining the Union.

Terry Spears joined the Union in 2005 as a Trade show Specialist in Houston, TX. She set-up booths, laid carpet, and even ran a rigging crew. She is now a Steward for Freeman. She also worked in a nuclear facility. After joining the Union, Ms. Spears decided to take scaffolding classes and ended up getting a job at STP Nuclear, where she worked for 7 years. From that experience, Ms. Spears was able to pay cash to build her home.

Ms. Spears was elected to the Executive Board at Local 551 in 2010, where she served as Vice-President for a year, and then recording Secretary. A proud Sisters in the Brotherhood member, Ms. Spears has also taken part in political action and retention activities. She has also been a delegate of the Central South Carpenters Regional Council since 2010.

In 2018, Sandy Spears, Terry’s daughter, decided to join her mother and the Union working as a trade show specialist in Houston, TX. In 2020, Sandy moved to New Orleans and is setting up trade shows across the US. She loves the Union because of the great benefits, protection, job security and retirement.

Then in 2021, Jada Pemberton, Terry’s granddaughter and Sandy’s daughter, decided to join her family as a member of the Union. Already working in the trade show industry for two years prior to joining, she decided the working conditions were much better on the other side.

We are lucky and privileged to have stories like these and you see them over and over again. To me, that is proof being in a Union is better than going at it alone. Hence, our motto, “Stronger Together”.