This First picture shows masons beginning to lay the work to build a brick veneer.
The brick veneer is generally connected to the structural wall by "brick ties", metal strips that are attached to the structural wall as well as the mortar joints of the brick veneer. There is typically an air gap between the brick veneer and the structural wall. They have probably already placed the water-resistant surface such as tar paper so that the wall will be completely water proof.

The Second Picture shows a worker scrapping the excess mortar from the CMU blocks he just probably laid. It also appears that he is about the scrap the joint which depending on where he is will be a specific type of joint such as a vee or concave joint.