David Knipp, a member of Local 1 Insulators in St. Louis, Missouri, is known on social media as the Proud Union Guy, an influencer who creates front-facing videos that aim to educate current and future trade workers about the benefits of joining unions.
He covers a variety of topics in these videos that include union benefits, apprenticeship programs vs. trade school, suicide prevention awareness, and the effects of government legislation on the construction industry.
“Some seem to stigmatize unions when it is truly the American Dream,” Knipp said. “Unions allow us to protect the working class that is the true backbone of our nation.”
However, starting a pro-union social media account is not something Knipp would have always dreamed of doing.
“For over a decade, I worked non-union and bought into all non-union rhetoric,” he said. “Things like, ‘you have to pay to work’ and ‘you have to constantly be on the road away from home.”
But he eventually realized this rhetoric was not true. Before joining the union, Knipp was paying over $200 a week in health insurance for his family. He also noted that he’s closer to home on most union jobs than he was prior to joining.
“Going union gave me consistent quality pay and incredible benefits that allow me to take care of my family,” he said.
The Proud Union Guy page grew out of Knipp recognizing that there were not many influencers discussing and advocating the importance of unions. He wanted to help others avoid his past mistakes and spread the word as to why trade workers should consider organizing.
Knipp is from a small town in Missouri, but his videos now reach union and non-union workers from all over the country.
“I get messages on Instagram from people telling me that they joined a union because of my videos. It was the whole point of creating this page in the first place,” he said.
Because of his account’s success, Knipp has received the opportunity to travel around the United States and speak at several union conferences.
One of Knipp’s main points of emphasis is the politics behind unions. He advocates for electing leaders who will fight for unions and the working class. When touching on this topic, he also tries to remain respectful, without glossing over the truth of how certain legislation can affect unions.
“A lot of union brothers and sisters are voting against their own interests and for candidates who don’t support unions,” Knipp said. “It has a lot to do with distorted media messaging.”
Another significant topic in his videos includes mental health and suicide prevention awareness, just like Local 2. As a male-dominated field, there is still some stigma around discussing mental health struggles.
Suicide rates are also high in the construction field due to the stress of working in a fast-paced environment.
“We need to put an end to these trends and make people feel comfortable asking for help. This means taking advantage of their union benefits, free mental health services like YouTurn, or even just talking to a friend on the job or reaching out to your organizers and leaders,” Knipp said.
After being active on the account for a few years and growing his following to just over 42 thousand, he started to notice other union members partaking in this type of messaging online.
“The more voices that are out there promoting unions, the better off we’ll be,” he said.
To hear more from Knipp, follow him on Instagram @ProudUnionGuy.