Terry Nelson hammers at other unions' attitude

Carpenters leader hammers at other unions' attitude

Terry Nelson didn't get to be executive secretary-treasurer of the 22,000-member Carpenters' District Council of Greater St. Louis by hiding his light under a bushel. At times he can be brash and provocative, and he peppers his conversation with one curse word after another. Nelson also can be tender and gentle and has a sentimental streak. He cares passionately about the future of the St. Louis area and its economic place in the global marketplace. On Thursday, he flew to China to visit Shanghai and Beijing, two cities where the carpenters' pension fund has invested its members' retirement funds. Nelson began this interview by explaining his two guiding principles: never fear failure and always do the right thing.