As a Union Elevator Constructor, I Feel Safe

ElevatorInfo recently had a chance to sit down with Ovi Georgescu, an elevator constructor with TKE who currently maintains 170 elevators on the campus of the University of Texas at Arlington (UTA). During our conversation, he spoke to the importance of education and training, especially in a highly complex trade like the elevator industry. He also explained that not having the “right training” and the “right skills” is incredibly dangerous.

“In the elevator industry, you have to know what you’re doing – and that means workers must receive the proper training,” said Georgescu, now a member of the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC) Local 21 in Dallas-Fort Worth, who has worked for a non-union company before and speaks to the tremendous difference in education and safety.

Georgescu goes on to argue that his apprenticeship – a 4-year apprenticeship with the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) – is what set him up for success. The training, he believes, is what keeps him safe every day.

As the resident mechanic at UTA, Georgescu explains that he loves his job for many reasons – and that between toolbox talks and safety meetings, he is always encouraged to make safety his top priority.

“Working for TKE and being a member of IUEC Local 21, I feel safe at work,” added Georgescu. “I’m constantly thinking about my own safety, as well as the safety of my colleagues and the riding public.”

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