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Every union carpenter has their own story; some follow family traditions and join the union young. Others might take a college path—even if they sense it isn’t for them— before discovering they’d be happier using tools than computers.

Shuaib Wesley took a more difficult path. He ran the streets of New York City and spent 18 years in prison before moving to the Binghamton area. Even then, he struggled. He was laid off from a fast-food job and struggled to maintain housing. He visited a state department of labor Workforce 1 New York center, which directed him to the Carpenters union.

He says he met Local 277 Representatives Jon Weston and Ian Williams who had him attend an apprentice information session.

“That night I told my wife that we were going to go to any job fair I could find. The next day I went to one and ran into Jon and Ian. I told them I really needed to work and I didn’t care if it was cleaning, but I needed it bad and I was willing to work.”

Impressed by his drive, Weston and Williams gave Wesley a shot. “I didn’t have any experience in construction,” Wesley says. “I didn’t even know how to hold a hammer.”

As an apprentice, he’s worked steady and learned both on the job and in the training center. He says the people around him are making a difference.

“The union and the apprenticeship program is very good for those who want to learn. People want to see me grow. They’re willing to help. It’s all positive people. They help me in every situation and make sure I grow. That makes me feel better. It makes me work harder.”

Wesley says he wishes he knew about the Carpenters union when he was younger and wants to help others who have faced problems similar to his find a better way.

“I’m literally starting from scratch. But I went from a negative past to a positive future. The Carpenters union gave me the opportunity to learn a new trade and things I needed to know. It gave me hope for myself. Before, I didn’t have this kind of hope.”

Wesley has already found an apartment and been able to get a loan for a car, things he never thought were possible.

“Everything I’m doing now is for the first time. That’s because of the union.”