International Painters Day with General President Jimmy Williams Jr.

In honor of International Painters Appreciation Day, America’s Work Force Union Podcast spoke with the General President for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades, Jimmy Williams Jr. He gave an overview of the work done by the union in 2023, their strength in diversity and how the increase in work creates a greater opportunity to fix worker misclassification.

Every day is a day to appreciate the work done by the members of the IUPAT. Ranking among the top 10 most dangerous jobs, Williams is focused on ensuring the future of the Painters is bright and safe. In 2023, there were 3,500 new members organized, and 2024 is carrying similar momentum, he said. Williams talked about the organizing success and their concerted efforts in major metropolitan areas, especially in the South, including Atlanta, Nashville and Houston.

The IUPAT is one of the more diverse unions, which is a defining trait that will help strengthen the union, Williams said. He talked about the growing number of women and other ethnic backgrounds in the union and how these members will help lead the union into the future. To continue to grow the union, Williams talked about the union’s organizing program and what his Organizing Director, Shane Smith, has been able to do with their dedicated organizing budget.

Finally, Williams talked about the increasing work created for union members from federal programs. He said that the CHIPS and Science Act and Bipartisan Infrastructure Act have provided several projects for union members. As work increases, working misclassification cases have also increased, leading to more workers seeking unions. Organizing will improve worker misclassification issues, but he also believes several pieces of proposed legislation can improve worker standards, especially with more work coming from these federally funded initiatives.

Please listen to the show above for more on the state of the IUPAT with Williams.