Member Highlight: D Rojas
For nearly four decades, D. Rojas (Local 322 – St. Paul, MN) has been a force in Minnesota’s highway heavy world. She’s been a trailblazer, mentor, athlete, and proud union sister whose energy has never once slowed down.
D’s path into the trades began in the early 1980s while working as a temporary laborer for MNDOT on Black Dog Road and I-35W. During that time, she often found herself watching the carpenters build bridge decks, fascinated by the precision and strength of their work. “I thought, I can do that work like those men,” she recalls.
That spark pushed her to explore the Carpenters Union, where she discovered a City of Minneapolis program designed to hire ten people of color into the trade. She applied, was hired, and in 1986 began what would become a remarkable career. Out of the original class, five women and four men, she is the only one who stayed and built a full career in carpentry.
From her earliest days on the highway, D stood out. She was often the only woman, and frequently the only woman of color, working on bridge and concrete crews. She broke through those barriers not by trying to prove anything, but by showing up, working hard, and doing the job well.
In 1989, she joined Lunda Construction’s decking crew, where she truly found her place. Heavy highway work quickly became her favorite. She loves working on decking, footings, walls, and outdoor work. “I’m lucky,” she says, “I enjoy what I do every day.”
As a longtime Local 322 member, she attends monthly meetings, volunteers regularly, and is an active sister in the brotherhood. She is also known for enthusiastically recruiting new members -women, men, and young adults alike - through conversations, social media posts, job fairs, and school tours. She tells them what they can earn, what the apprenticeship offers, and that a college degree is not required to start a solid union career in the trades. She has even been known to meet potential apprentices at the training center to help them get comfortable taking that first step.
For D, union solidarity is simple: “Family. Brothers and sisters. Great pay and benefits. And a union that backs you up when you need it.”
When D is not on a job site, she is living an incredibly active life as an athlete. Bowling is her favorite sport; one she travels nationally and internationally to compete in.
She is also a multi-event competitor in the Minnesota Senior Games and National Senior Games, where she has earned medals and ribbons in bowling, cornhole, shuffleboard, and the 1500-meter power walk. She recently secured a spot on the Native American Elder (NAE) Team for Minnesota earning her place at Nationals in Des Moines in 2025. D participates in wellness and fitness programs, attends morning workouts, and is committed to aging actively and in a healthy way.
D with her medals and ribbons from the National Senior Games.
D also stays deeply involved in her community Pride Parade, participates in tribal meetings, attends Women in Construction Week events, teaches apprentices every other summer, mentors younger carpenters, and networks at every chance she gets
With construction and sports, D notices a lot of similarities. Both require discipline, strong fundamentals, teamwork, and the willingness to push yourself every day. “I get paid to work out at my job,” she jokes. “Construction keeps you strong.” She enjoys both aspects of her life, carpentry and sports, that are physically demanding and extremely rewarding.
As D shifts into retirement hours on January 1, 2026, she reflects with pride on a career built with grit, loyalty, and heart. She has spent her career giving back and paved the way for women, women of color, and countless younger workers.
D featured in a NCSRCC campaign.