For day seven of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast’s “Best of 2023” coverage, we go back to our July 13 interview with Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades Unions, who talked about NABTU’s multi-city highlight tour. McGarvey also spoke on Apprenticeship Readiness Programs (ARPs) and the extraordinary efforts by union members to rebuild Interstate 95 in Philadelphia.
During his appearance, McGarvey discussed NABTU’s multi-city highlight tour, which raises awareness of the effort by the Local Unions or regional building trades councils that made a major effort to create a pipeline to the trades for members of the underserved and high-risk communities. Starting in Columbus, Ohio, the tour made stops in several cities. At each stop, McGarvey and guests tour training facilities and hear from leaders of Locals and Building Trades Councils who discuss the work of their members.
He stressed the need for more young people to join the trades, as unions provide a path for workers to become members of the middle class. McGarvey said the federal government has created an estimated $4 trillion worth of infrastructure work through legislation passed in 2023. To man these projects, the building trades must invest in targeted recruitment efforts to get men and women interested in this work. He specifically noted the effort to recruit members of the underserved and high-risk communities into ARPs. He said there are currently 250,000 members in ARPs throughout the country.
McGarvey also spoke about rebuilding Interstate 95 in Philadelphia after a tanker truck caught fire and incinerated part of the bridge. It was an extraordinary undertaking by building trades members who worked together to rebuild a key U.S. interstate in only 12 days. McGarvey shared his appreciation for the efforts made by the tradesmen and tradeswomen.
For more from McGarvey and NABTU, please listen to the show above.