Growing up was tough.
I knew I wanted to hurry up to get out, get out of the Bronx.
Tough streets. But I survived.
I made it.
My name is Vernica Martinez.
They call me V. 40 years old.
Born and raised in the Bronx, and I am a Local three journeywoman electrician.
I expect to make at least $100,000 this year.
As a local three apprentice, I made $11.25 an hour.
Now, as a journeywoman, I make $58 an hour.
I grew up in the Fordham Road section of the Bronx, which is like right across the street from Fordham
University. My high school years were nontraditional.
From the time I was 12, I went to school in the system.
And I got pregnant on my 18th birthday.
I kind of knew that I didn't want to go to school anymore.
Every decision that I made from the time she was born was all for her.
Looking at her, I knew she deserved the world and I was going to like die trying to give it to her.
And she was the reason, my daughter, she was.
I tell her, she saved my life, having her, because I was able to focus just on
her and making sure she had the best life possible.
I like working with my hands, so I figured, you know, I could give this construction thing a try.
They gave me the basic orientation.
They interview you to make sure you're the right candidate.
I got into NEW March 2000.
I didn't know I wanted to be electrician right away.
I really was had my heart set on being a laborer because my father was a laborer.
Every day I was going home in pain.
I was tired, I was hurting, and I was like, the electricians was laughing out the door, clean, and
so I was like, "Maybe I'll be an electrician."
When you are an apprentice, you like you don't have no say.
It's like you're the lowest man on the totem pole.
You know, you're there to learn.
But as a journeyman, you pretty much just answer to your foreman.
You know, you don't have to listen to nobody and then you have an apprentice or a helper.
You kind of teach them and tell them what to do, so to say.
I work five days a week, Monday through Friday, 7 o'clock start.
My day starts at 3 o'clock in the morning.
That's what time my alarm goes off.
I get up, quick shower.
So I get my daughter ready, my youngest daughter.
I'm out of my door by like 3:40, 3:45.
I take her to the babysitter and then I double back to get on the bus.
My bus comes.
It leaves at 4:20 in the morning.
I get to the port authority around 5:45 in the morning.
Then I take the train from the port authority to my job.
Then I just relax until it's start time.
Seven o'clock, I start work.
Make sure I, you know, materials that I would need on my floor is usually like tape, tie
wraps. That's just a tie to tie and kneading up the cables after I pull them in.
So I make sure I have that.
I make sure I have my gloves and my water, and I get upstairs on my floor.
We take the electricity from the power company when they bring it to a certain line in the
street. We take it and we distribute it throughout the building, so we give you lights, we give you
power for your receptacles, we give you Wi-Fi for your internet.
Fire alarm to make sure that the building is safe.
I like that when I go work, study without being bored or got to get stopped and helps the day go so.
My goal is to beat Jeopardy to bed every night.
If I can get to bed before Jeopardy, I'm happy.
But that don't happen every day, so I try to be in bed no later than 9 o'clock.
You know, I try not to do overtime, whether staying late or coming in on a Saturday if it's available.
I stay away from it because I like to be home with my kids.
I love it. It gives me, it lets me be who I am, like, you know, every day.
I like to laugh and joke.
If I can laugh and joke every day, that's what I'm going to do.
The pros, of course, is the benefits, the money.
Being an electrician, it's great because most of the modern world cannot live
without it. So I like to jokingly tell people that I do what
God does and I provide electricity for everybody.
But the equality is one of the pros because, you know, sometimes I'm
working next to a man who's been in the business, say
30, 35 years, but they get the same benefit, the same pay as me.
The cons of being in the business is the physical demand.
Sometimes it takes a toll on your body.
The strenuous, the strenuousness on your body, the dirtiness.
The bad stuff, the cons, over time, it's not good for us.
So, you know, like the noise, you know, over time, it takes a toll on your hearing.
You know, the the long standing, the bending, the up and down.
It's just, longevity is kind of, it's hard on your body.
None of the cons, though, outweigh the pros to make me be like, you know, it's a bad idea for anybody.
You know? I just say, if you don't mind getting dirty, you don't mind work with your hands or you don't mind,
you know, being on your feet, then you know, you can handle anything in the construction business.
I didn't think I would ever own a home.
This career, I should say, have gave me the the freedom to do anything
that I've ever thought I couldn't do, it gave me the opportunity to do it.
From buying a home, to buying a car, to sending my daughter to college.
My oldest daughter is a senior at school right now, and you know, by having this job, I was
able to maintain paying my bills to have good credit.
Sometimes I look in the mirror or I tell my husband, I go, "Dear, Mr.
Toilet, I am the sh** because I know,
I know where I came from, and I know what I went through to get to where I'm at, and I'm really proud of
myself. I really am.