Daniel Poteet, Business Manager of Local 50 out of Columbus, Ohio shares the difference between working nonunion & joining the Insulators:
Poteet began in a nonunion shop, where long hours, low pay & little security were the norm. “You were your own advocate, you didn’t have people advocating for you. You still had the itchy fiberglass, the same issues—you just had to fight for yourself.
Once I got into the union, I was able to take my kids to Disneyland. I could buy my wife the car she wanted. I could put my kids in a better area of town. Life was just so much better. I worked fewer hours & still gave more to my family”
He advanced through leadership roles—serving as an instructor, coordinator, president, & ultimately business manager of his local. Along the way, he never forgot the value of organizing. Today, Local 50 proudly counts 51% of its members as organized, a testament to the culture shift he helped drive.