Greater St. Louis Labor Council President Pat White joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the Building Union Diversity (BUD) program – an eight - week pre-apprenticeship program for women and minorities designed to increase diversity within the membership of affiliated St. Louis building trades Local Unions.
BUD has grown steadily since the program started seven years ago, when the Missouri AFL-CIO made the program a priority with full-time staff and grant funding, White said. The program has grown from 15 participants in 2015 to 27 in its most recent graduating class, with over 80 people applying to participate, he said.
White also talked about the St. Louis County Council, who approved legislation to require bidders on most county projects and various construction projects in the St. Louis area to participate in federally approved apprenticeship programs.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.