In an industry with a high project turnover rate and an emphasis on speed, the taller the building grows and the closer it gets to completion, the more the workers think about their next jobs. As soon as the job is over, it can be difficult to find another one right away. Louie Marquez said getting jobs on big projects is all based on “who you know.” Marquez works 40-hour weeks at the Wilshire Grand and commutes from Glassell Park. He got his start in construction repairing Downtown’s First Interstate Tower (now Aon Center) after significant fire damage in 1988.

Louie Marquez and fellow union worker Erik Kraege on a lunch break.

Louie Marquez points out of the window explaining a little bit about the history of the neighborhood.