For many, pursuing a family trade is a rare endeavor. My great-grandmother would float in a canoe on the murky waters of East Texas, shotgun in hand, hunting alligators. No one in my family chose to follow suit, but we all know the legend she was. Still, there is a lingering sentiment that surfaces with a story like David Butterworth's. His father, Bob, started in Local 798 as a welder's helper and moved up to a welder in 1982. David knew at a young age that he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and work in pipeline construction. Over 30 years later, Bob still welds periodically for a small contractor in Nitro, WV. It is clear how proud David is of his father who is also his biggest mentor. West Virginia-born and raised, David has been a member of Local 798 for 17 years and prides himself on working well with all sorts of people. His affable personality no doubt helped him while he served in the U.S. Army from 1995-97 and attended West Virginia University for a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2002. He started in the union as a welder's helper in 1998, raising his classification to welder in 2005. David worked as a welder foreman, steward and fabrication foreman until 2015 and as a delegate to the UA Convention. He was appointed business agent last January. In this interview, David offers his outlook on the pipeline construction industry, the union's effort to attract new talent in the midst of skilled labor shortages and the ever-changing relationship between operating companies and unions.
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