Ralph Oropeza has been unanimously selected as the next Business Manager of the Greater Kansas City Building and Construction Trades Council and has begun work in his new role. Oropeza will be succeeding Alise Martiny, who is now a Vice President at the international level of her union, OPCMIA. Before being appointed to this role, he spent the last seven years doing contract work, working in the field, and doing membership development, which he calls his number one passion, for the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 124. Oropeza has previous experience with the Building Trades, having helped with contracts for the Jackson County Jail, Truman Medical Center, and Owens Corning.

“First of all, I want to do a good job. Second, is to learn the job. Third is to start promoting the Building Trades,” said Oropeza of his goals in the new role. “Alise Martiny has done a phenomenal job. All I can do is learn from what she has done and learn from all the business managers who so graciously gave me this opportunity and try to promote the ideas up from within. Not everyone is an electrician or an ironworker. My goal is to be united and continue to build up Kansas City… What is the most important part of the airplane when it’s flying? Every single part to the last rivet, right? Every trade is equally important to our success.”

“The number one thing is that we promote human rights and fair wages. If you don’t have those things, you have nothing,” he said, speaking about the broader value of the labor unions in the region.

“I knew from the beginning that college wasn’t going to be an option. I still tried it, but it didn’t work out. I was poor. But luckily, I had applied to the apprenticeship at Local 124,” said Ralph Oropeza, who wants the Building Trades to be front and center as an option for young people looking for good careers.