Member Highlight: Kaylah Antczak

Kaylah Antczak (Local 231 – Pewaukee, WI) began her apprenticeship in 2019 with Milwaukee signatory contractor, Selzer-Ornst. They sponsored her through the apprenticeship and she has been with them ever since. “It’s a small company and I love it. I know everybody and they know me,” Kaylah shared. “Being a smaller company has allowed them to keep us busy.” She has a deep respect for Selzer-Ornst and mentioned that she hopes to retire with the company.

Before she became a union carpenter, Kaylah obtained her associates degree in criminal justice and law enforcement. Reflecting on her time in college, Kaylah said, “I liked the program at first, but after a while I knew the criminal justice path wasn’t for me. I was messing around and started building my own furniture. I really got into it, so a family friend told me about the Carpenters Union.”

Kaylah on the job in Wisconsin.

As Kaylah honed her skills through the apprenticeship, she has been a part of many projects during her career. "I love seeing the end result and making things work along the way," she remarked. Kaylah does a lot of finish work and enjoys that aspect of the construction building process. She also does her best to jump at any opportunity on the job and through the Regional Council.

Kaylah recently attended the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters (NCSRCC) Women’s Conference in Wisconsin Dells. The day-long conference in April had 125 tradeswomen in attendance. She also attended the Tradeswomen Build Nations Conference in Washington D.C. Kaylah really enjoys going to these events and shared that “It’s always empowering to be in a room full of people like me and meet other tradeswomen, because I normally don’t see other women on the job.”

For Kaylah, being a part of the union means more to her than just a job; it is a source of camaraderie and support. "This means everything," she emphasized. "The way that the union takes care of me, I feel secure and safe."

Despite the physical demands of the job, Kaylah has embraced them wholeheartedly. "I really enjoy the physical challenge," she admitted. She embraces the opportunity for growth as a skilled tradeswoman and loves to learn. One day Kaylah hopes to take on more responsibility on the job.She stated, "I hope to transition into a leadership role or to be running jobs in the future but I love what I am doing right now."