They are the people who toil throughout the day to improve campus buildings and the campus landscape. They work in the heat of summer and in the chill of winter, yet most students do not notice the construction workers who have become a mainstay on campus.
Iban Eddie has been working near Coates Hall for four months. He said students never speak to him or his fellow workers, but he also does not speak to them because he usually is hard at work.
Eddie said one of the hardest parts of his job is working in the heat.
“It’s hard to work without an air conditioner, but at the same time, it doesn’t really bother me,” Eddie said.
Benjamin Aguilera also has worked near Coates for four months. He said his day usually begins at 6 a.m. and does not end until 5 p.m, with three breaks during the day – morning, lunch and then again in the afternoon.
Aguilera hangs sheetrock and framing for various rooms and buildings. He said while the labor can be intense, he does enjoy the framing part of his job.
Gary Barker has been working with elevators for 25 years. He said the project he is working on in Nicholson Hall is the most time-consuming project he has ever worked on.
“We should have been able to put it [the elevator] in in 6 or 7 days,” Barker said. “Right now, it’s in its third week.”
Barker said the delay is because the elevator, which had been sitting in storage for two years, was not the right size for the building. Workers then had to construct several portions of steel to correct the problem.
“It was an architectural blunder,” Barker said. “I’ve never had a similar problem in 25 years.”
Barker said his day usually begins at 5 a.m., when he wakes up and prepares for the day. He usually gets on the job site around 6:30 a.m. and works until 5 p.m. While the 10-hour days are grueling, Barker said he is rewarded with a three-day weekend.
“I wouldn’t do this job if I didn’t enjoy it, but at the same time, I’m looking forward to my retirement in four and a half years,” Barker said.