Jasmine Parsha — Creating Her Own Opportunity

October Member of the Month

On Saturday, October 10, District Council 16 held its annual STAR Picnic.

STARs stands for Safety Training Awards Recognition, and while the picnic is a great day for our members and their families, what it represents is much bigger.

Our signatory contractors understand the value of having a highly trained workforce. Workers who know how to perform their jobs safely and correctly help projects stay productive, on schedule, and on budget. An accident can change a worker’s life and career in an instant, while also affecting an entire crew and project.

That is why safety and skills training are some of the greatest advantages we have as union construction workers.

Our contractors also understand that after working all week, most members aren’t excited about giving up a Saturday to spend eight more hours at the union hall taking a class. That’s why the STAR program provides some pretty incredible incentives. Every year, members who complete qualifying training have opportunities to win prizes ranging from televisions and computers to ATV’s, motorcycles, and even new vehicles. Those prizes are great.

But the biggest prize from training might be the one you don’t win in a raffle:

Opportunity.

Every class you complete adds something to what you can offer an employer. Every certification you earn can potentially open another door. Training in areas such as confined space, swing stage, epoxy, wallpaper, and other specialized skills can expand the jobs you’re qualified to perform.

The more you know, the more employable you become.

And no one in Local 159 took more STARs classes last year than our October Member of the Month:

JASMINE PARSHA

She Created Her Own Opportunity

Jasmine’s path into Local 159 is one of determination.

She wasn’t brought into the trade by a family member. She didn’t have a neighbor, friend, or in-law waiting to get her onto a crew.

Jasmine was working in a restaurant when it shut down temporarily for construction. Watching that work happening around her planted an idea:

Maybe this could be my career.

Jasmine decided she wasn’t going to wait around for someone else to make that happen.

She was given some simple advice: if you want someone to hire you for construction, show up looking like you’re ready to work construction.

So that’s exactly what she did.

Jasmine got herself work boots, work pants, a safety vest, and a hard hat. Then she went to the jobsite and waited for an opportunity to speak with the foreman.

She wasn’t leaving without making the most of her opportunity to introduce herself and ask for a chance.

And here’s the part that tells you something about Jasmine:

She did it on her birthday.

While most people spend their birthday thinking about what they’re going to receive, Jasmine spent hers fighting for something she wanted—a future and a career in the finishing trades.

She didn’t wait for someone to create her path.

Jasmine created her own.

Training Creates Opportunity—and Union Power

That same determination didn’t disappear once Jasmine became a member.

She kept learning.

And learning.

And learning some more.

Last year, no member of Local 159 completed more STAR training classes than Jasmine Parsha.

That’s an accomplishment worth recognizing by itself, but there is another reason we wanted to highlight it.

Training doesn’t just benefit Jasmine.

It benefits all of us.

Training is consistently one of the biggest topics we discuss with our contractors and at the negotiating table.

Imagine the strength of walking into negotiations and being able to tell our contractors:

Our members are trained. Our members have the certifications you need. Our members are ready to dispatch. Our members can safely and professionally perform the work.

That is value.

And value creates bargaining power.

We talk a lot about Building Union Power, and sometimes that sounds like something complicated or something that somebody else is responsible for doing – It isn’t.

Taking advantage of the training your union provides is one very practical way you personally can help build union power.

Every additional skill and certification makes you a more valuable worker. A highly trained membership makes Local 159 a more valuable workforce. And demonstrating that value strengthens our position when we fight for better wages, benefits, conditions, and opportunities.

Jasmine understands that.

But Jasmine Doesn’t Stop at Training

If Jasmine’s only involvement was taking classes, that would already make her worthy of recognition.

But that’s not where her involvement ends.

When another union needed help supporting a union member running for office, Jasmine gave up a Saturday and spent the day helping with a literature drop.

When members walked a picket line at Haas Automation to defend our work and area standards, Jasmine showed up.

When Local 159 holds family events and Christmas parties, Jasmine shows up.

When our Women’s Committee and Black CORE Committee work to strengthen participation and create opportunities for members, Jasmine gets involved.

And in 2025, Jasmine had the opportunity to attend Tradeswomen Build Nations in Chicago with other women from Local 159—an experience she loved and another opportunity to learn, build relationships, and see that she is part of something much larger than any single jobsite.

Jasmine has already had opportunities to work on some iconic projects, and that’s something she appreciates about this career. Every project gives her another chance to learn, improve her craft, and be part of building something that will remain long after the job is finished.

Un sindicato. Una familia. Una lucha.

Jasmine’s story represents exactly what we mean when we talk about

Un sindicato. Una familia. Una lucha.

Being a good union member isn’t just about paying dues.

It’s about participating.

It’s about learning.

It’s about showing up.

It’s about supporting another member even when their fight isn’t directly your fight.

It’s about understanding that when we make ourselves better workers, we make our union stronger.

Jasmine didn’t have someone waiting to hand her a career.

She put on work boots, work pants, a safety vest, and a hard hat and went looking for one.

She found her opportunity.

And ever since, she has continued doing what she did that very first day:

Showing up prepared and making the most of every opportunity in front of her.

From the classroom to the jobsite, from the picket line to community involvement, from our committees to Tradeswomen Build Nations, Jasmine continues to demonstrate the kind of participation that builds a stronger Local 159.

The prizes at the STAR Picnic are exciting. Someone might go home with a television, an ATV, a motorcycle, or even a new car.

But Local 159’s greatest return on our investment in training is members like Jasmine.

Members who take what they learn and bring it back to the jobsite.

Members who become safer, more skilled, and more employable.

Members who understand that increasing their own value helps increase the value of our entire union.

That Drive Doesn’t Stop When the Workday Ends

The same determination Jasmine brings to her career and her union carries over into her life outside of work.

Jasmine continues to work hard toward accomplishing many other personal goals she has set for herself. Whether she is learning something new, challenging herself, or working toward the next milestone in her life, she brings the same determination that got her into the trades in the first place.

But as busy and driven as Jasmine is, one of the things she values most is spending time with her family.

Jasmine, thank you for investing in yourself, for investing in your union, and most importantly, for continuing to show up.

El Local 159 se enorgullece de reconocer Jasmine Parsha as our October Member of the Month.

Congratulations, Jasmine!

Keep learning. Keep showing up. Keep creating opportunities.

UN SINDICATO. UNA FAMILIA. UNA LUCHA.