LIUNA Member Spotlight: Chris Capers, LIUNA Local 3
Chris Capers, a lifelong resident of Jersey City, a 12 year member of LIUNA Local 3, and a Jersey Brigade Captain, was recently sworn in to serve as a member of the Jersey City Planning Board.
Jersey City, New Jersey’s second largest city is a hotbed of development with more highrise construction starts than even New York City. With a careers’-worth of experience as a construction craft laborer, Chris brings a unique (and needed) perspective to the planning board.
We sat down with Chris to get to know a little more about LIUNA’s newest public official.
1. Congratulations on your appointment to the Jersey City Planning Board. What does this opportunity mean to you personally, and why did you want to serve?
Thank you. I have always held public service in high regard. That’s why I was attracted to joining LIUNA, where professionalism on-the-job and solidarity with each other defines who we are. Joining the Jersey City Planning Board is another way to serve my community and also represent my brothers and sisters of LIUNA.
2. You've been active both on the job and in the community. How has being a union activist–especially through the Jersey Brigade Program– shaped your perspective on leadership and public service?
One big takeaway from my time as a union organizer is that no one succeeds alone. We need each other and can accomplish a lot more when we are united. To be a good leader starts with character–trustworhiness, reliability, honesty. In my role as a planning board member, I hope people will view me as a person who puts these traits into practice.
3. As a LIUNA member, you've spent your career helping build and strengthen communities. How has your experience in the labor movement prepared you for this role?
Just by being a union activist, you invariably gain knowledge and experience in public policy. I have certainly attended and spoke at enough planning board and council meetings, so the job is not entirely new to me.
4. LIUNA members understand the importance of creating opportunities for working families. How do you see responsible planning and development impacting Jersey City's residents and future growth?
As a planning board member, my main responsibilities are to do things like develop a master plan and review applications, but as a LIUNA member I also understand the wider importance of economic development, most especially RESPONSIBLE economic development.
We all see the new buildings rise into the sky, but we don’t always see the workers who build them, the communities who–in good ways and bad–are impacted by them. I think we all agree that development in Jersey City should always be done the right way.
They should conform not only with the land-use standards, which is what I will review on the Planning Board, but also with all legal standards, and even moral and ethical standards of what it means to be a good developer, a good builder, employer, and even a good neighbor.
5. What message would you share with fellow union members about getting involved in their communities and pursuing opportunities to serve?
To paraphrase my brother, Bernard, the best time to get involved with your community was when you got your union book. The second best time to get involved is right now.
You don’t have to have all the knowledge and skills, you'll build those over time. What you do need to have is a willingness to work with others and a desire to make a difference.
Each and every one of us can make a difference. I'm living proof of that.
LIUNA Local 3 member Chris Capers takes the oath of office to become the newest member of the Jersey City Planning Board.
Chris smiles for the camera as he fills out the paperwork to officially make him the newest Jersey City Planning Board member.
Jersey City's newest Planning Board member, Chris Capers, poses for a photo inside City Hall.