Joe Fowler, President of the Minnesota Building and Construction Trades Council and Business Manager of Laborers' International Union of North America (LiUNA) Local 563, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the future of critical mineral and rare earth mining in the U.S., and how Minnesota could become a major battery producing epicenter for the country.
Minnesota contains the third largest copper and the largest nickel deposits in the country, and these resources are used to make the batteries for electric vehicles. Fowler believes domestic production of these raw materials positions Minnesota to become a major battery manufacturer.
He also spoke about the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the need to grow registered apprenticeship programs.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.