Since he can remember, Rich Marcolus has always been involved in the Carpenters Union.
He remembers going to his Aunt Grace's house in Nutley in the 1960's with his family on Sunday afternoons where the leaders of the union would meet to discuss various union strategies while a large Italian dinner was prepared. His father Sam was a member of Local #1342 Essex County Carpenter Union. This Union was started by Grace's husband Cesar Polimeni, an Italian immigrant. At that time, Carpenters unions were generally divided into geographic and ethnic groups. There were Italian, Irish, Swedish, and German locals.
As Union membership grew in the 50's, so did the Carpenters Union. In the 70's, Rich's father Sam was elected President of Local #1342, the Essex County Carpenters Union. With consolidations, numerous locals were merged. What was once 35 local unions is now just one local covering all of New Jersey and parts of New York and Pennsylvania.
In 1978, following High School, Rich became a union apprentice. He worked while attending Seton Hall University. Although he has not worked on a union site in over 35 years, he recalls the conditions and physical nature of what was necessary to do the job.
Every month, Rich still attends his Local 253 membership meeting. He has represented thousands of Union Carpenters over the years. Even after his father Sam passed away in 2009, he continues to attend every month to meet and talk to his fellow Carpenters.
As a Partner at Levinson Axelrod, P.A. and a New Jersey Supreme Court Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist, Rich handles all types of workers’ compensation cases. This includes cases involving construction accidents, repetitive motion injuries, and occupational disease claims. Rich has also been instrumental in helping support and pass legislation that strengthens the rights of injured workers in New Jersey, including protections for First Responders and workers who contract COVID-19 on the job.
Rich and our workers’ compensation team handle cases in every Compensation Court in New Jersey. No case is too big, too small, too costly, too complicated, or too far to handle. If you have questions about Rich’s work or would like to discuss a case, please call (732) 440-3089 or contact us online.