• Posted: June 18, 2020
• Alyssa Cruz, Arturo Cruz, better careers, better communities, Blackhawk Electric

In 1988, Italian writer and philosopher Umberto Eco wrote, “what we become depends on what our fathers teach us.” While this may be somewhat oversimplistic, it’s likely most people can relate on some level to what he meant. Whether teaching intentionally or simply by setting an example through the way they live their lives, a father’s influence on their child’s life is unquestionable. As we grow up, we may chart our own unique path in life, but what we learned from our fathers remains a part of who we are. And while it may sometimes be hard as an outsider to know how another person’s father influenced them, that’s not the case with Arturo and Alyssa Cruz.

In the Cruz family, working as a skilled union electrician is quite literally the family trade. A 30-year member of IBEW Local 134 who currently works at Schiller Park-based Blackhawk Electric, Arturo is one of six brothers who pursued a better career by joining the unionized electrical industry. During his time as a journeyman, Arturo has worked on a variety of projects throughout metro Chicago, including downtown high-rises, residential buildings in Fulton Market, and now, through his work at Blackhawk, at Skokie Hospital, among many others.

Over the years, Arturo and his brothers frequently talked shop at family gatherings, and their discussions clearly made an impression. Several years ago, after going to work for New York Life Insurance Company after graduating from college, Alyssa decided to follow in her father’s footsteps and pursue her own career in the electrical trade, joining one of her cousins (and Arturo’s nephews) who also decided to become a 134 electrician like his father.

“She was always interested in the work I did around the house,” Arturo said. “Then after working for a while at New York Life, she told me one night she wanted to be an electrician. At first, I balked and asked ‘really, because you know what you have to go through to do that, right?’ But she has always been tough and a go-getter, and she ended up signing up and getting accepted for the apprenticeship program.”

After working as a trainee for a year, Alyssa entered the program at IN-TECH and is now in her second year as an apprentice.

“I knew she wouldn’t have a problem in the field, with the strength and agility you need to do this kind of work, but it is hard work,” Arturo recalls. “She’s doing really well in the program.”

Aside from the opportunity to follow in her dad’s footsteps, Arturo cited the benefits and pay IBEW Local 134 electricians receive as a motivating factor for Alyssa to enter the industry.

“I’m getting toward the end of my career now, and I’ve been talking about the benefits for a long time now,” he said. “She’s impressed with the insurance we get, our pensions, and the pay. We’re getting paid well for the work that we do, and we do work for it.”

Alyssa’s decision to pursue a career as a 134 electrician while Arturo is still working also provided a benefit that few other fathers – electricians or otherwise – get to enjoy. Last year, while Alyssa was working in the field as part of her apprentice training, she and Arturo had the opportunity to work together.

“We worked together for about a year and that was pretty cool,” Arturo said. “My brothers and I have always talked about work together, and then my nephew joined in. Before she was an apprentice, Alyssa would always just kind of walk away from those conversations when they started, but now she’s a part of it. It’s a blessing.”

To learn more about how the unionized electrical industry delivers on its commitment to better careers, contact us today. 

And from everyone at Powering Chicago, Happy Father’s Day!