In the final segment of the “Best of 2023” coverage, the America’s Work Force Union Podcast looks back at the Nov. 17 interview with the Director of Education and Training for the United Association International Training Fund, Ray Boyd. Boyd joined the show as part of National Apprenticeship Week, and during his interview, he discussed his career with the Union, how the organizing team impacts membership growth and the success he experienced working with apprentices in 2023.
Boyd was seeking a purpose before joining UA Plumbers Local 690 in Philadelphia. Sinceapplying and passing the entrance requirements, Boyd has spent 35 years helping to inform people about the importance of unions. He reflected on where the UA and his role with UA ITF have taken him and the opportunities he has been provided that would have been impossible without joining the Union.
The UA Organizing Team scours the entire United States targeting areas to provide information and a home for anyone wanting to join the trades. Boyd described the process involved with the organizing team's research and how the UA’s membership has grown to more than 370,000 members. Anyone interested in joining the trades should visit UA.org/join for more information about the trades within the UA.
Boyd said that 2023 was among his most rewarding as the UA ITF's Director of Education and Training. It has allowed him to travel the world and showcase the success achieved by apprentices within the UA. He expressed how rewarding it has been to give back to UA Locals and the International by training and educating the UA members. Boyd said he can’t understate how great it has been to be able to develop and lead the UA into a more diverse and successful future.
Listen to the show above to learn more from Boyd on training and more about the UA ITF.