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Construction in Canada. Brazilian power makes a difference.
By : Rita Mercio | Sotaque Brasileiro, Number 3, Winter 2003-04
Vítor Almeida, representante da Local 27 - Carpenters e Allied Worker's |
Far from exhausting the subject, our winter edition brings to our readers a little about the world of construction in Canada, a segment where we find a large portion of Brazilians who leave our country for better financial situation and quality of life. We can call it a “world" because the building of a home involves hundreds of professionals, companies and plenty of contracts with its developments and infrastructure. We bring some of the accounts from the ones that are here and that with their experience, give us an idea of what it means to work in construction in this still young first world nation, if compared to Brazil.
First we have a report from an artist who sometimes creates miniatures while using the strength of his muscles in the drudgery of day-to-day construction life. So the “mineiro” Fabio Theodore, who came to Canada 16 years ago, switches the routine of the hard and demanding but well-paid activity, with the pleasure of inventing small worlds that are related to magic and childhood. The miniaturist Fabio, whom many of the Brazilian community in Toronto already know, went through various roles within the construction industry, starting as a bricklayer. Performing various activities, since he has great experience in operating machines, he has held contracts in the Bahamas and the United States and having remained for several years in the same field, notes "what makes the construction industry a focus of interest is the possibility of significant financial gains, it pays well and ends up holding us captive”. The large volume of weight you carry with your arms every day, eventually generate a lot of fatigue and physical discomfort. "Sometimes you think you will faint. Then, you take a deep breath and start again."
Rookie Bob Zeferino has been in Canada for only nine months and after the period of adaptation, works Monday through Saturday for a drywall company. Tired at the end of the workweek, complains that "I would like to spend more time studying and learning English ..." but for now, he is dedicated exclusively to the hard profession. The desire to visit museums, art galleries and attend environments filled with culture are only wishful thinking for now. What brought Zeferino to the northern hemisphere? After the violent death of a friend in Santa Catarina, he wondered, and decided to leave Brazil. His perspective is to stay in Canada for two years, save money and return. He finds the relationships between persons in the construction industry very strange, because even working in small teams, disunity is striking.
As for Victor Almeida, representative of Local 27 - Carpenters and Allied Workers', a union more than 100 years old and with about 10,000 members, to enforce what is written in the contracts of employment, preserving the right of workers is their main struggle. "We read these contracts until the end, word for word," he says. All sectors of the construction of a home, here, are contracted separately. The Brazilians have been standing out in the carpentry specialty (half and finish), drywall and brick, and most business owners are Italian and Portuguese. Still, according to Almeida, there is the prospect of plenty of work ahead, at least for another decade. With minimal similarities between Brazilian and Canadian methods, he points out that "structure, space and time," are possibly the biggest differences. He arrived in the early 90’s to Canada, and considers himself fortunate to be able to represent workers who need some assistance. After completing secondary education (high school), he helped his father in the carpentry shop for about seven years. When a labor union sought a Business Agent / Organizer, Almeida applied for and, after several tests and interviews he got the job. "In addition to providing thousands of jobs to people who come in search of work and better living conditions, the construction segment in Canada is critical to the economic growth and the development of the country."
Almeida is now one of the main organizers and supporters of the movement that aims to create a support centre for Brazilians, especially those that have not yet legalized a status in the country. For Brazilians who are yet to come and for those that do not belong to the branch, it is essential to emphasize that, rather than building cities, neighbourhoods, condominiums or houses, those who engage in construction activity build more than just engineering projects. They end up building their dreams and their aspirations.
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