Published on April 20th, 2023

56th Man of the Year selected by  Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men

On May 12, the Pulaski Association of Business and Professional Men will award the Man of the Year title for the 56th time. This year, the honorable title was bestowed on Paweł Gruchacz - a Pole who has changed the face of New York's asbestos unions.

- I never looked for awards - admits Paweł Gruchacz. - The information about my candidacy surprised me, I tried to get out of it, but they didn't want to hear about my refusal. Nevertheless, I feel honored.

Pawel Gruchacz holds the position of commercial director (business manager) at Local 78 affiliated with the Laborers' International Union of North America. 

- The labor union has changed my life for the better," he says. - Now, thanks to my position, I can change other people's lives for the better. And that is the greatest reward for me. 

Changes for the worse 

Before becoming a trade unionist, Paweł first had to face life in post-communist Poland. The decision to leave his home country was not at all easy. 

- After the fall of communism in 1989, I was experiencing joyful moments, I was expecting something good to come - recalls Pavel. - I had just finished my military service. Poles were taking a fresh breath and we finally had hope that something would change in Poland. However, after a few years I discovered that yes it was changing, but for the worse for working people. I come from Elk, a city located in a tourist and agricultural region in the Warmian-Masurian province. Most of the workplaces began to transform, privatization came, and in short, in order to support yourself and your family, you needed a job to earn money, and it was almost impossible to find any job. In the end, definite decisions had to be made and I had to leave somewhere for bread. I left Poland not because I wanted to or because I loved America. I had to do it to make a decent living.

Before he landed in the States, Paweł tried his luck in the Federal Republic of Germany, which was a fairly popular destination for labor immigration in the 1980s and 1990s. Many people also opted for shorter trips for seasonal work (so-called "saksy"). In 1991, Pavel managed to obtain a two-week work visa and crossed the western border. The visa expired, but despite the risks, Paweł continued to work. And then came the situation after which he no longer wanted to stay in Germany.

- I was eating lunch in a Polish restaurant when criminal police officers approached me and ordered me to identify myself - he recalls the unpleasant moment. - "Show us your passport," they ordered. I kept it at home and didn't carry it with me, because the visa was no longer valid. And then they told me: "If you come here again and don't have valid documents, we'll deport you." Germany at that time was not a friendly country for Poles. We went to work at a construction site with Germans, and we were treated worse than slaves in the 19th century. 

He already knew that West Germany was not for him, but the prospects for good employment continued to be lacking in Poland.

- I had many friends who went to make money outside Poland, some of them to America, and from them I heard a lot about this promised land - he says. - After 2-3 years of work they may have brought back small capitals, but at that time in Poland it was decent money. They were always saying  that America is a country for everyone.

With five dollars to conquer America

Based only on the stories of his friends, a determined Paweł decided to go overseas. He managed to get a visa, which in those days was not so obvious. 

- After buying the ticket, I had only five dollars left in my pocket - he recalls. - Fortunately, I had distant family here who took care of me. The first encounter with Greenpoint was quite shocking. Getting out of the car at the corner of Greenpoint and Manhattan Avenues, I saw a homeless man pulling cans out of a dumpster. "Is this what America looks like?" - I asked. "Welcome, welcome". - I heard in reply.

Immigration is never easy, although in the 1980s and 1990s it was probably more difficult than it is today. Especially the beginnings and the clash with a different reality can be downright frightening. 

- First of all, I had neither a job nor money, but fortunately my family helped, as they gave me shelter and food to start with - Paweł recalls today. - During the first weeks I took all sorts of jobs, such as pouring cement, two days here, two days there. I was advised to leave my phone number in various places and was told that something would surely be found. One Sunday I actually got a phone call about a job offer at a bakery for $5 an hour. The most important thing for me was that it was a permanent job and not for a few days. I asked where and when to report and I went. It was a hard grind. To earn $500 I had to work 100 hours a week. That meant 16-17 hours a day. I only had time for a short sleep.  

At some point I realized that I had to change something, because this way I would not make money, and I would certainly lose my health and maybe even my life. The work's conditions were severely primitive. From people I heard: "Paweł, it would be best to get into the labor unions. They at least have rules, regulations, laws, decent wages and benefits." When friends heard how much I earn and how much I work, they said I was crazy. "Get an asbestos license and that money you'll earn for 40 hours, not 100." I knew that working on asbestos was not one of the safest jobs, but on the other hand, I could earn as much in two weeks as I could in a bakery for a month. On top of that, I would finally have time to rest properly and live my life a little. In one weekend I took asbestos training, got my license and I became an asbestos worker in 1994. 

He also set his sights on learning the language.

- I learned the language relatively quickly - Paweł admits. - After less than three years I spoke communicative English, read and could write. I knew that without language, success in a foreign country would not be achieved.  

Founding of Locals 78 and 79

A year later, Paul was working on asbestos removal at New York's LaGuardia Airport.

- That's when union organizers from the Laborers' International Union of North America (LIUNA) started coming to us and telling us what the benefits of union membership were - he says. - "You'll see how things will soon change for the better" - they promised.

This was happening just before the changes in union structures that took place in 1995. That's when there was a separation of asbestos removal work from general construction work. And local unions 78 and 79 were just formed.

- In April 1996 we got the so-called "charter" or blessing for union activities in the city of New York - Paweł recalls. - I immediately became a member. It was amazing that 1,500 asbestos removal workers, mostly Poles at the time, were affiliated with their union. I immediately took a course to become a union shop steward, and was sent to asbestos projects to check that all work was being done according to regulations.

Winning action 

Paweł excelled as a shop steward, his co-workers trusted him and shared his problems. And here came another turning point, which was an offer of employment in the union administration. 

- At the time, we were working on a project at Brooklyn Hospital for the National Environmental Safety Agency - he says. - For some reason, our payment was delayed by one week. We didn't like it and my colleagues asked me solve this problem. Especially since Christmas was approaching and everyone wanted to have money in their pockets. The contract signed with the company did not allow us to strike, so the matter had to be settled amicably. After the lunch break, I went to the manager and politely but firmly said that we were ready to continue working, but only if we got our outstanding checks. I also asked if he had received his salary, and when he confirmed, I told him that, after all, we were the same people. "I'm not asking you for any favor, just payment for our hard work" I added. And suddenly it turned out that it was possible to deliver the checks after all, only it had not been done before out of sheer laziness. So the action turned out to be a winner, and news of it spread quickly. The very next day, the then president of the local union called me and invited me to the office for an interview, because, as he said, I understood what the union's concept and assumptions were. After a brief conversation, I was hired for a three-month trial period. The president wanted to see if I could handle the new challenge.

- Well, and those three months have lasted until today, which is 27 years - Paweł laughs. - I'm the only trade unionist who has worked my way up from laborer to shop steward, to organizer, to leader organizer - coordinator of three states, where I ran successful union campaigns. My philosophy is - the union has changed my life, so now let me use my position to change the lives of others for the better by negotiating better wages and good benefits.

He will leave a better place than he found

Today Paweł Gruchacz is the union's business manager. From 2006 to 2018 he held the office of Secretary of Treasure. 

- In 2018 we lost the election and I worked for a year for sister Union Local 79 - says Paweł. - Unfortunately, the new management, once in office, failed to deal with the challenge and destroyed what we had been building for more than 20 years. The situation was so bad that after a year LIUNA bosses appointed me as a commissioner for management. After the successful operation of the management commissary, I asked my vice president for permission to run for the top position - business manager. I won the election with a score of 3:1. And then we successfully negotiated for rate increases. I also reformed the pension fund, which increased people's pensions by 30%, and created a legal fund. We recently bought a building on Woodside, which was my last pre-election promise, because I wanted people to know that when Paweł leaves here he will leave something behind that everyone will remember. That's my philosophy: I want to leave this place better than I found it. 

Local 78, since it was founded until today, has changed a lot in terms of membership.

- At the very beginning, Poles made up about 80% of membership - explains Pavel. - That changed after September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks when every Union member was hired at Ground Zero. But people soon began to get sick, because, as it turned out, assurances by then-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and the DEP (Department of Environmental Protection) that there were no harmful substances turned out to be a lie. There was asbestos, lead, there was the entire Periodic Table of Elements that people were inhaling. That's why, after a year's decongestion, many developed lung diseases, cancer, heart attacks, depression and more. 

People to work were still needed, and we had no more resources. And literally overnight the union was fueled by 7,800 Latino workers. That's why today Hispanics make up about 70% of the membership, and the remaining 30% are no longer just Poles, but Eastern Europeans, i.e. also Czechs, Slovaks or Ukrainians.

- The year 2001 changed not only the face of America, but the whole world - Paweł believes. - The dollar dropped very low, imigration regulations were tightened and people already stopped seeing in America the opportunity and chance that I saw. Before 2001, America was the mother of the world. Regardless of immigration status, people lived comfortably and safely. No one asked for papers, just whether you were ready to work. April 4 will be 30 years since I arrived. America didn't ask me what I looked like, what language I spoke, what I believed in. America rewarded me for my hard work. 

Relationship of trade unionists

There are many professions that require sacrifice, often at the expense of the family. The work of a trade unionist is just one of them. Therefore, a life partner must show great forbearance and patience. Or he/she must do the same. And this is what happened in the case of Paweł and Bożena, who married 27 years ago. 

- We have a relationship of trade unionists - Paweł laughs. - I met my beloved Bożena in 1995, and as in that proverb, "we fell in love at first sight." And to this day we are in love. We created a very successful marriage.

Slowly and laboriously they built their life together from, as Paweł says, spoon and bowl to the family home in Staten Island. They raised two sons Piotr and Sebastian. And today they are already grandparents to 12-year-old Daniel and 14-year-old Melissa. 

- My grandchildren are my inspiration - says Paweł. - We are a tight-knit and loving family. 

He speaks of his wife in such a beautiful way that it makes one's heart warm and he won't call her anything else but "my Bożenka." 

- She is a hardworking lady and she is a dream life partner - he assures. - At the beginning of my career I had to make a lot of sacrifices, I traveled a lot for business, sat for hours in meetings and over papers, sometimes I didn't have a day off for weeks. Without Bożenka's approval, her support, understanding, we probably wouldn't have made it. There was even a moment when she said that I was just a guest at home. After discussions together, we came to the conclusion that we had a choice - either I go back to asbestos and do what I was doing, or we had to make some sacrifices and go after something better. We chose the second option and today, in addition to the memories, we have the fruits of those sacrifices. No one gave us anything, we earned everything ourselves. And Bożenka, who is graduated from nurse school in Poland, but in America never worked in this profession, over time became a unionist herself. Today she is active member in 32BJ - the union for workers in apartment buildings. She is the manager of a building belonging to the Durst Organization, has people under her, whom she cares for not only as a boss, but also as a union member, and is fulfilled in what she does. The children are also following in our footsteps. My son Sebastian is working as a union organizer, and grandson Daniel is already asking "Grandpa, and in case I fail in my studies, will you help me get a union job?"

God gave him second chance 

Paul will turn 58 this year.

- I feel fulfilled, I feel satisfied and I love what I do - he claims. - But I know I still have a lot to do. And I know this because I have faced death. However, God hasn't let me go yet, and I'm looking forward to the tasks ahead of me.

During the pandemic, Paweł fell ill with covid-19. He spent 30 days in the hospital, 11 of them in a drug-induced coma.

- I fought for my life - he recalls. - And a miracle happened. I am a Catholic, and I believe that God chooses the people through whom he works. He sent my priest friend to me with the last anointing. The next day I started breathing on my own. Intubation was no longer necessary. 

Faith is very important to Paweł. He knows that every person has his black days and moments of doubt, because he went through it himself, and such moments still happen. 

- At those times I always ask for what is most important to me: "Lord, may I not doubt" - he recounts. - Depending on the cross we have to bear, you can see what your faith really is. Just because one is not a criminal or murderer does not mean that no misfortune will befall a person. When I was lying all alone in the hospital I was saved by listening to Radio Maryja, the Gospel and prayer. I thanked God that I was given a second chance and asked that I endure my illness with humility. 

In hard times, he always falls to his knees and says:

- Lord, I am too small to solve it myself, to You I entrust my problems.

- I have never yet been disappointed. The situation always resolves itself positively - he claims.

As a man of strong faith, Paweł greatly regrets the criticism of the Polish Pope.

- I am very sorry that Poles have found a way to sully the name of the holy John Paul II - he says. - It is sad that this is done by the nation from which the most important pontificate in the history of the Vatican came out. Because there has not been such a pope in all history. Today people are arguing whether he knew something, whether he didn't know something, whether he was hiding something. And this has nothing to do with the life of John Paul II. He was the leader of more than a billion people. Could something have slipped through his fingers in life? Absolutely yes, but was John Paul II covering up or concealing something? Don't insult him or destroy his name. It makes me want to vomit today as I follow this. The Church made mistakes and ignored some things, or passed by them indifferently instead of reacting, as one should react, but let's leave the Pope out of it!

Proud to be Polish 

Despite the heap of responsibilities that come with the work of a trade unionist, Paweł Gruchacz does not forget where he comes from. Polishness and native traditions are important to him.

- For two years I was active in the Pulaski parade committee on Staten Island, but my responsibilities as a trade unionist are enormous - he says. - I don't like to do anything half-heartedly, and when I do something, it's 100% or not at all. That's why I passed on the duties. I am actively involved in the parish council at St. Stanislaus Kostka Church in Staten Island. I help Pastor Jacek Woźny, who is a dedicated priest of this Polish parish. I get involved in organizing Polish festivals, which gather about 3,000 people. It is our pride when we say we are Polish, when we can show our culture to Americans, treat them to our pierogi, stuffed cabbage, bigos or kielbasa. All my life in America I have tried to show Polishness in the best possible light. 

And that's why the board of the Pulaski Association decided not only to elect Paweł Gruchacz as Man of the Year, but also to invite him to join the ranks of the organization. This situation pleasantly surprised him.

- One of the board members called me and said: "Paweł, we have been watching you for 20 some years now. We had a discussion among ourselves and wanted to ask if you would accept the honor of becoming Man of the Year this year?" - he recounts. - I was surprised by the proposal, because I'm not a man who seeks accolades. I do my job, I have a lot of obligations to the people I represent, and I try to stick to the established rules. Therefore, I wanted to bow out, but my refusal was not accepted. I feel honored by this title. I am also eager to become a member of the Pulaski Association, because I like the organization, it has a great history, a good foundation. And I think I will be the first unionist in it. I even jokingly told the activists to be careful, because they might regret this decision if I start recruiting companies for the union - Paul adds with a laugh.

PHOTOS:

1. Paweł (holding an American flag) became a member of Local 78 on the very first day it was founded 

2. Paweł and Bożena Gruchacz are both union activists

3. Paweł (center) with members of Local 78 during the Labor Day parade

4. as a man of faith, Paweł Gruchacz actively participates in the life of St. Stanislaus Kostka Parish in Staten Island

5. In 2011 Paweł as Marshall of the Pulaski Parade led a contingent from Staten Island 

Read This Article in Polish at bialyorzel24.com

click here: https://bialyorzel24.com/pawel-gruchacz-pomaga-ludziom-zmienic-zycie-na-lepsze/