For workers in New York, being a member of the Carpenters Union is worth some effort. But it also takes luck — openings occur rarely, applications are limited, and membership is awarded by lottery. So when the every-other-year selection process came around this week, wanna-bees waited in line, reports TV station CBS-2 New York ("NYC Carpenters Union Handing Out Hundreds Of Applications To Job Hopefuls").

"Nicholas Foreman was the first person in line," the station reports. "Foreman has been camping on the sidewalk since last Monday through rainy days and chilly nights with no bed, no shower and no electricity."

Starting pay for a union carpenter is $20 an hour, but with seniority, pay can hit $99, the station reports — a major motivator for those waiting for applications. Said aspiring applicant Bernard James: "I've never slept on the streets of New York City, I thought it was beneath me. Well, irony is that I'm willing to do it just for the opportunity of possibly getting a job that can change my life. Nothing ventured, nothing gained."