Frank Callahan, President of the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions (MBTU), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the upcoming work generated by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and what it means for the building trades in the state. Callahan also talked about improving diversity among members and what it was like working with former Labor Secretary Marty Walsh.
There have been several good years of work in Massachusetts, and with federal funding coming into the state from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, there seem to be more years of steady work for the state’s building trades members. To meet the labor demands, the MBTU is promoting the other “four-year degree,” as Callahan put it. These come through Apprenticeship Readiness Programs and the registered Apprenticeship Programs operated by affiliated unions. Callahan talked about the importance of including language that requires apprenticeship standards to bid on projects funded by the Infrastructure Law.
Callahan also talked about their success in recruiting more women and minorities into the building trades apprenticeship programs. Currently, 88 percent of women and 80 percent of minority apprentices are enrolled in union apprenticeship programs. Ensuring there is intent to diversify the trades membership has been a large part of the MBTU’s success in recruiting and retaining women and minorities, he said.
Callahan also talked about his experience working with Former U.S. Labor Secretary Marty Walsh before he was appointed to the Biden Cabinet and was still a state representative, representing Dorchester, Mass. Together, they were able to work on a lot of issues like promoting Project Labor Agreements and workplace safety programs. Callahan said they continued to work together to update Prevailing Wage laws and safety standards once Walsh became the Secretary of Labor.
As MBTU President, Callahan serves 74 labor unions with over 75,000 skilled craftsmen and women. He comes from the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) Local 939 in Dorchester, Mass. Callahan was elected to his current position in 2007 and has helped establish a more successful path to the middle class with equal opportunities for all residents through the building trades.
For more information on the MBTU from Callahan, listen to the show above.
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