Tim Driscoll, President of the International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and spoke about the BAC’s the various trades and the need to recruit apprentices.
Founded in 1865, there are currently 75,000 active BAC members in the U.S. and Canada.
Following the pandemic lull, BAC affiliated Local Unions are busy and need more members in all of their trades. Driscoll explained the work performed by the various BAC trades and how the path to the Bricklayers registered apprenticeship program is different compared to prior decades. Going forward, he believes most new apprentices will not be as familiar with the BAC trades as their predecessors. He noted how Locals now conduct outreach to underserved communities in order to find more apprentices.
Driscoll then discussed the ongoing fight to eliminate worker misclassification and wage theft. Recently passed legislation allows for the pursuit of contractors who purposely misclassify workers. It is Driscoll’s hope the fight against worker misclassification can be accomplished at the state level.
He also spoke about widespread employer abuse of undocumented workers. Those contractors who commit this abuse now face increased pressure as immigrant workers find ways to document the abuse without fear of deportation. Driscoll said the International supports immigrant workers and hopes this support will lead them to join the BAC and improve their lives through better working conditions, pay and benefits.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more.