Brent Booker, General President of the Laborers International Union of North America (LIUNA), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss his first 14 months in charge of the union. He also discussed the new strategies the union will use on its March to One Million, including utilizing a new, state-of-the-art studio.
It’s been about 14 months since Booker became the General President of LIUNA. He discussed his progress in visiting Locals nationwide to speak with members and renew their passion for the union. Early in his tenure, LIUNA reached the 500,000-member mark, and in response, Booker announced one of the most ambitious organizing goals to date, the March to One Million. He discussed why the number is not necessarily the end goal, it’s about doubling the union's ability to help workers get on the path to the middle class.
The rank-and-file members of the Laborers are instrumental to the organizing success and organizing of the union. Booker talked about the new strategies they are using to achieve the goal. Among these strategies is a new program called Laborers Rising, which Booker said is the first step to making the lofty goal a reality. Since the program's announcement in October 2023, Booker said that more than 16,000 volunteers have signed up for the program.
Finally, Booker discussed the announcement of a state-of-the-art media studio dubbed LIUNA Studio. To help reach members where they are in their technology-heavy lives, LIUNA will use this new studio to film and record content for them. Booker discussed the need to adapt to all the social media platforms and technological changes and how LIUNA Studio will provide the union with this ability. Any member that visits LIUNA in Washington, D.C., will have the opportunity to visit the studio and potentially even have a conversation with leadership that gets shared with members via the union's various social media channels.
To hear more information from Booker, please listen to the show above.