President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Jim Williams Jr. joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to discuss International Painters Appreciation Day.
International Painters Appreciation Day, celebrated on April 30, is now an officially recognized day of celebration. William Jaworske, an elected official of IUPAT Local 707 in Cleveland, made the recognition of International Painters Appreciation Day a passion project. Jaworske was able to get the day officially recognized in 2022, and April 30, 2023 was the first annual celebration.
Organizing has been at the forefront of the current plans for the Painters Union. With a lot of work coming in the next three to five years, recruiting apprentices has been a priority. Williams added that efforts to increase female members is also a focus. Efforts to recruit in underserved areas and with people of color have gone a long way to help grow membership in the IUPAT.
Currently, the Painters have been focused on growing their apprenticeship program. With a large work projection upcoming, Williams said that ensuring apprentices are prepared for when new projects begin is a driving force behind the increased recruitment efforts. He added that over the next three to five years, Williams expects a realistic growth of 10 percent, with even larger gains in diversity and inclusion.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.