Member Highlight: Mike Wolosek

From Millwright to Mentor: The Legacy of Mike Wolosek

For more than four decades, Mike Wolosek has been building and giving back. A millwright by trade, Mike started his career at just 19 years old, welding in a Wisconsin paper mill. “I was just better off working with my hands,” he recalled. Over the years, he honed his skills, working as a maintenance contractor and eventually joining Millwrights Local 1056 in 2006. He spent the last 16 years of his career as a proud union member before retiring just over a year ago.

But retirement has not slowed him down. Mike continues to pour his time and energy into his community through teaching and through the generosity that has defined much of his life.

One of his most impressive contributions to his community was co-founding Fright for Life, a Halloween fundraiser he and his wife, Bonita, hosted in their own backyard for more than a decade. What started as a way to help a union brother’s daughter battling leukemia, grew into a grand tradition, complete with a haunted corn maze, trick-or-treating, DJs, and more. With the help of 45–50 volunteer “haunters”, many of them union brothers and sisters, the event raised more than $165,000 over the years for families in need. In its final year, the Woloseks’ efforts brought in an incredible $38,000.

Mike’s dedication and service to others did not end there. Today, he is giving back in another way: mentoring the next generation of welders. Twice a week, he volunteers at the Nekoosa School District in Wisconsin, teaching welding and metal shop classes. Each semester brings a new group of students, some learning the basics in Welding 1 and others returning for Welding 2. Mike guides them through projects, from learning strong welds to creating three-dimensional toys. He is proud of every student that comes through the shop and noted that “the few girls I’ve been able to work with are usually better than the boys.”

Mike with student at Nekoosa High School celebrating a Career Signing Day.

The Nekoosa School District calls him an incredible asset, saying, “Our students are incredibly fortunate to have a mentor like Mike. We are so appreciative of the difference he’s made in our program.”

When asked about retirement, Mike laughed and said, “I am not one to sit around.” He spends his days in the garage, working on projects, fixing up his house, and raising his grandson. He may have hung up his hardhat, but his impact on his community through his union, his Halloween fundraiser, and his teaching continues to grow.

Mike Wolosek’s story is proof that the union spirit does not end with retirement. It lives on in every student he mentors, every family he has helped, and every life touched by his generosity.