|
By Richard Bermack
Contributing Writer and Photographer
On top of a new terminal building at the San Francisco International Airport, roofers cut out triangular pieces from sheets of brown insulating material.
 The thickness of the sheets is tapered, and the roofers fit them around the drain covers to create low spots to funnel water into the drain. Other workers have already sprayed beads of pink and yellow glue, resembling the icing on a cake, which holds down the insulation. Then more glue is sprayed, and a layer of thin black material is rolled on as it is heated with a “dragon” torch, spouting flames from five burners. Operators control the intensity of the heat as they roll the paper by pulling a long metal cane.
“It really beats the old days,” Roofers and Waterproofers Union Local 40 rep Sal Botello says. “You just walk backwards and roll it on. Before you had to get down and it was hard on your knees and your back. It was really terrible.”
Traditionally roofing has been one of the tougher trades. It is estimated that 95 percent of workers entering the trade quit after the first year. Non-union contractors are notorious for burning out and abandoning their employees.
Local 40 improves the lives of roofers, providing some of the best health care and retirement benefits. After 30 years, roofers can retire with close to 100 percent of their salary. Safety conditions have vastly improved, both in work procedures and in the materials used.
 Although roofers still use hot tar on built-up roofs in some situations, most modern roofing is done with roll-on materials that are glued down and heat sealed. Single-Ply, a neoprene material that can be applied with hot or cold glues and is extremely durable and waterproof, is also used. In the 1980s, the advent of new synthetic materials, including polyurethane and epoxy coatings, led to an expansion of roofing into the waterproofing trade. Now Local 40 workers apply waterproofing materials not only to roofs, but also to parking lots, reservoirs and concrete foundations. They work on everything from commercial high-rises to single-family residential homes.
Local 40 represents 600 roofers and waterproofers in San Francisco and San Mateo Counties. Local 40 members were joined by Oakland Local 81 members working together for Western Roofing Services at the San Francisco International Airport. The general contractor is Turner Construction.
|
 Jose Peregrino
Foreman, Local 40
I love roofing. This is my family. I’ve been working with all the guys on my crew for a long time. Building a crew is like building a family. You think about it that way. It is all about relationships and having the right people. We don’t want guys who just want to come and get their check; we want guys who enjoy working together with everyone else. You need the right attitude. If you don’t enjoy your work, why do it?
I don’t like to yell at people, I want guys I can leave alone and who will do it right. The trick is to not make things complicated. Roofing is roofing, and there is no reason to make it hard on yourself. I go around and check on the work, and if they are having trouble, I show them an easier way to do it.
This is a good company, they care about safety. That’s why I like working with them. There are a lot of companies I won’t work for, but Western treats us like family. They want to make sure everyone goes home the same way they arrived at work. They don’t want anyone to get hurt. The general contractor, Turner Construction, is the same way, and that is why they like to work with us, because we do the work right and we do it safely.
|
|
 Jaime Becerra
Journeyman, Local 81
I’ve been doing this for 32 years. My brother-in-law got me into roofing. I like the work and I like the money; it’s dirty work, but clean money. In 30 years there have been a lot of changes in the types of materials we use, and the types of roofing. The union is good at training us with classes where we can learn about the new materials and what the inspectors require. The other change is a lot of the employers want us to do more work and pay us less. But the union helps out.
|
|
 Renaldo Segura
Apprentice, Local 81
I like doing hard physical work and using my muscles. I like everything about roofing. I especially like doing single-ply and using the torch, because you have to work fast.
I was working as a carpenter, but the work slowed down, so my friend got me into the roofing union. I appreciate all the union benefits, like healthcare, vacation, and retirement.
|
|
 Marco Antonio Gomez
Apprentice, Local 40
I’ve been roofing for 10 or 12 years and finally I got a chance to be in the union. It is totally different, especially safety. I don’t even want to think about how it used to be on those non-union jobs.
I like working with tile. It’s difficult to get all the measurements right, but laying it down is easy. I like the challenge and it’s not as dirty.
|
|
 Valantine Rodriguez
Foreman, Local 81
I started out as a roofer in 1991. Before that I was a mechanic. But I like roofing work more and I like the money. These days the materials make the work a lot easier. The guys working for this company are like a family. We take care of each other. I learned a lot from Jose about being a foreman.
|
|
 Saul Ortiz
Apprentice, Local 40
I used to be a painter and a furniture refinisher, but every day seemed like I was doing the same thing. Here, every day we do something different. Today I’m learning to apply different types of glues. We apply one with the machine and one with a glue gun.
|
|
 Hugo Sanchez
Apprentice, local 40
I love this job and everything about it. The next thing I’m going to learn is single-ply. It looks pretty hard, but once I try it, I’m sure I’ll get it. I worked in construction for six years before this.
|
|
 Ignacio Cruz
Journeyman, Local 81
I know pretty much everything about the trade. I even drive the forklift and deliver materials to the job. A friend introduced me to roofing eight years ago, and I’ve been doing it ever since. Before that I was a gardener.
|
|
 Miguel Hernandez
Journeyman, Local 40
What do I like about being a roofer? After nine years there is still something new to learn. The hardest thing for me is tile, because it’s the most complicated, I like using the torch the best.
|
|
News 
