Black History Month Spotlight – Tyrone White

Black History Month Spotlight - Tyrone White
Black History Month Spotlight – Tyrone White

In honor of Black History Month, we want to spotlight member Tyrone White from Local 1047. Tyrone was working as a non-union painter when a twist of fate led him to DC 21. After receiving a neck injury in a car accident, Tyrone met a union painter at the chiropractor’s office who connected him to DC 21. After interviewing at the hall, he joined as an apprentice and became a journeyman in 18 months due to his previous experience.

Tyrone worked at Zack Painting for ten years, and then spent 20 years at Braun and Chamberlain before retiring. Tyrone is dedicated to his craft. For him, painting is relaxing; it helps him focus his attention, and he takes pride in doing his job well. As a foreman for a 20,000-square-foot job in Brooklyn, he was able to complete the project 4 weeks ahead of schedule.

The union completely changed his life. He was able to take care of his family with DC 21’s great wages and robust healthcare benefits, and is the first person in his family to retire.

As a journeyman, he was active in the union, serving as Warden, Sergeant of Arms, Vice President, and Delegate for his local, and eventually a Trustee for the District Council. As a retiree, he is active in the retiree committee and still attends Local 1047 meetings. It’s important to him to stay active in the union. The union changed his life, and he wants to pay it forward. He has attended the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) events and taken other members to their conferences. 

Tyrone is excited to see Black members he’s worked with moving into leadership roles, like Lawrence Burgess at the International and Lamont Rouse co-chairing the Black CORE Committee. He hopes it encourages more Black members to get active in the union. “It’s an opportunity to help shape the direction of the District Council,” said Tyrone. “By attending Local meetings and getting involved, you get to have a say instead of choices being made for you.” 

We are incredibly proud of Brother Tyrone’s accomplishments and thank him for his service, leadership, and lasting contributions to our union.

Building Union Power classes – February 2026

We have another round of the Building Union Power classes coming up in Philadelphia, Springfield, Atlantic City, and Drums in February.

This class is based on the past, present, and future of our Union and examines how we can continue to operate as ONE District Council. The course emphasizes the importance of commitment, mutual support, and solidarity in driving meaningful change within our Union.
The classes will be taught by DC21 staff on Thursdays in February – see below for the schedule and to register. 
All classes are from 5:00pm to 7:00pm, and dinner will be provided at each location. Help build power within DC21!

Philadelphia classes will be held on February 12th, 19th & 26th. Register here: https://unite.iupat.org/public/classes/20232.

Springfield, NJ, class will be held on February 12th. Register here: https://unite.iupat.org/public/classes/20793.

Atlantic City, NJ, class will be held on February 19th. Register here: https://unite.iupat.org/public/classes/22866.

Drums, PA, class will be held on February 26th. Register here: https://unite.iupat.org/public/classes/20727.

DC 21 Veterans Day Spotlight – Abel Alvarado

In honor of Veterans Day, we want to highlight one of our members, Abel Alvarado, a glazier and National Guardsman.

Abel was inspired to serve his country as a young child after witnessing the tragic event of 9/11. As an adult, he joined the National Guard, an experience that has been both exciting and challenging, but one of the best decisions he’s ever made.

After meeting a union business representative at a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) event, Abel became a glazier with District Council 21. His experience in the National Guard taught him discipline, loyalty, respect, and willingness to learn, values that have served him well in his union glazing career.

He’s built a career that he enjoys; he gets to do something different every day, and has proven to expand his experience and knowledge within the trade. At the end of a job, he gets to see the final building, knowing that he played a part in its creation.

Abel’s union membership not only provides great benefits like a pension, but also a sense of unity and teamwork, similar to his experience in the military. DC 21 works in the best interest of all their members regardless of position or trade, and Abel knows that the union has his back.

His advice for other veterans? “Just do it. If construction is your interest, you’ll learn everything you need to know through the apprenticeship program and on-the-job training. The opportunities speak for themselves—it’s simply a good job opportunity for the better.”

We thank Abel—and all our members who have served—for their commitment to both our country and our union family. 🇺🇸