{"id":16309,"date":"2025-10-17T09:01:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-17T16:01:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/?p=16309"},"modified":"2025-10-20T09:01:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-20T16:01:34","slug":"local-159-member-of-the-month-august-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/local-159-member-of-the-month-august-2025\/","title":{"rendered":"Local 159 Member of the Month \u2013 August 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Honoring Tommy Long<\/strong>
Nominated by Heidi Philips<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“I\u2019ve always said that our trade can be taught to anyone with a strong work ethic\u2014but that work ethic is the hardest part to teach.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Para Tommy Long<\/strong>, that work ethic was apparent long before he ever picked up a tool. As a young busboy at a local Mexican restaurant, he was constantly hustling\u2014refilling water, bringing chips, clearing tables, and meeting customers\u2019 needs before anyone had to ask. It didn\u2019t go unnoticed. One of the restaurant\u2019s regulars, a union contractor, saw his drive and asked if he\u2019d ever considered a career in the trades. That conversation changed the course of Tommy\u2019s life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He began his career in 1988<\/strong>, starting as a pre-apprentice before even graduating high school<\/strong>. Since then, he has continually risen through the ranks, becoming a standout journeyman, and a respected foreman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the years, Tommy has worked on iconic projects like City Center<\/strong>, The Encore<\/strong>, Raiders Stadium<\/strong>, and the historic Horseshoe Casino<\/strong>\u2014a job he fondly remembers for its unique layout and the opportunity to work on a piece of old Vegas history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But ask Tommy what he\u2019s most proud of, and it isn\u2019t the landmark jobs or the years of experience\u2014it\u2019s the 12 apprentices<\/strong> he’s currently mentoring on his crew. Tommy takes great pride in putting young workers \u201con the wall\u201d<\/strong> and helping them grow into skilled, confident professionals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He doesn’t buy into the idea that this generation lacks work ethic. \u201cI see a diverse set of apprentices who work hard every single day,\u201d he says. \u201cThey\u2019re showing up, completing their tasks, and earning more time to practice hanging wallpaper.\u201d While classroom instruction\u2014whether through the apprenticeship or three-week classes\u2014is valuable, Tommy emphasizes that nothing substitutes for real-world pressure and working conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He believes the best apprentices are the fearless<\/strong> ones. \u201cThey\u2019re not afraid to try, and they\u2019re not afraid to fail. Striving for perfection is good\u2014but expecting perfection can hold you back. Nobody\u2019s perfect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy often takes apprentices into journeymen\u2019s rooms to point out the small imperfections. \u201cSee this?\u201d he tells them. \u201cEven the hangers you look up to make mistakes.\u201d A mentor once told him, \u201cThe difference between a good paperhanger and a great one is that a great one can fix his mistakes.\u201d<\/em> It\u2019s advice Tommy passes down every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy has \u201cjourneyed\u201d in every sense of the word\u2014working in Chicago<\/strong>, Northern California<\/strong>, y Southern California<\/strong>, gaining experience with a wide variety of wall coverings. Known by many as \u201cChopper,\u201d<\/strong> he is highly skilled, talented, and passionate about his craft.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His journey hasn\u2019t been without hardship. After being struck by a drunk driver on St. Patrick\u2019s Day, he spent years recovering<\/strong>\u2014an accident that impacted both his personal and professional life. Tasks most take for granted\u2014climbing a ladder, crawling under a vanity\u2014became difficult and painful. Still, Tommy pressed on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One apprentice that stands out to Tommy is Brilin Hildibrand<\/strong>, who has shown the same tenacity and growth Tommy admires. As a foreman, Tommy balances the challenges of mentoring, teaching, keeping to schedules and budgets<\/strong>, and ensuring a final product that satisfies both the client and the company\u2014while also navigating safety concerns, managing personalities, and supporting workers dealing with life\u2019s many pressures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From apprentices who cry daily to those who are overly confident, Tommy\u2019s approach is always patient, professional, and understanding<\/strong>. He keeps his crews focused, motivated, and even laughing\u2014because, as he says, a little humor goes a long way on a stressful jobsite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy is the kind of journeyman many strive to become\u2014respected by his peers<\/strong>, superintendent<\/strong>, company<\/strong>, Local 159<\/strong>, and most importantly, his family<\/strong>. When told he was nominated for Member of the Month, he humbly suggested that someone more active in union meetings or who completed the apprenticeship might be more deserving. But the truth is, his impact speaks louder than any meeting attendance or certificate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tommy, there are too many people who\u2019ve been influenced by you\u2014not to recognize everything you\u2019ve done and continue to do for this trade. You lift up those around you\u2014apprentices, journeymen, contractors, and union brothers and sisters<\/strong> alike.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We thank you for your commitment, mentorship, and heart. You’re the best.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We love you, Tommy Long.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Honoring Tommy LongNominated by Heidi Philips “I\u2019ve always said that our trade can be taught to anyone with a strong work ethic\u2014but that work ethic is the hardest part to teach.” For Tommy Long, that work ethic was apparent long before he ever picked up a tool. As a young busboy at a local Mexican […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":true,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16309","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-news"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","post_image":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16309","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16309"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16309\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16309"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16309"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dc16iupat.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16309"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}