On today’s episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast, Anton Ruesing, Director of the Finishing Trades Institute (FTI) of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) joined the podcast to discuss FTI’s role, the differences between union and nonunion training, FTI’s partnerships to help veterans enter the trades and workforce needs as America faces critical infrastructure challenges.
Ruesing began by discussing the differences between union and non-union construction work, especially in the finishing trades. He outlined his personal journey, spanning both union and non-union positions, noting how union membership provided better wages, benefits, and long-term security, both through higher pay and retirement benefits. Ruesing explained that many young workers may not appreciate the value of benefits until later in life, but the union environment ensures members are supported throughout their careers. The apprenticeship model, he said, means workers get paid while learning and gain access to full benefits, something non-union workers often lack.
Ruesing then discussed the Finishing Trades Institute’s approach to education and training. The FTI combines classroom instruction, online learning, hands-on labs and even virtual and augmented reality to provide comprehensive, accredited training. Graduates receive college credit and certifications recognized throughout the industry, at no cost to union members. Contractors benefit from this highly skilled workforce, knowing trainees have learned the latest safety techniques and industry standards. Ruesing said that this organized structure and investment in education are largely absent in non-union environments, where individuals must often pay out of pocket for limited training opportunities.
Lastly, Ruesing addressed the growing need for skilled tradespeople in light of America’s infrastructure demands and how FTI is working to fill this gap through efforts like Helmets to Hardhats. Ruesing, a veteran himself, said the program helps veterans transition into careers in the building trades, offering them not only job opportunities but also camaraderie similar to what they experienced in the military. However, Ruesing raised concerns about potential funding cuts to vital training programs and the risk posed by an aging workforce. He stressed the need for increased apprenticeship enrollment to meet future needs, expressing concern that current challenges in funding and workforce development could jeopardize the country’s ability to address its critical infrastructure projects in the years ahead.
For more from Ruesing and the FTI’s role in producing the next generation of Painters, listen to the full episode of the America’s Work Force Union Podcast today.
America’s Work Force is the only daily labor podcast in the US and has been on the air since 1993, supplying listeners with useful, relevant input into their daily lives through fact-finding features, in-depth interviews, informative news segments and practical consumer reports. America’s Work Force is committed to providing an accessible venue in which America's workers and their families can hear discussion on important, relevant topics such as employment, healthcare, legislative action, labor-management relations, corporate practices, finances, local and national politics, consumer reports and labor issues.
America’s Work Force Union Podcast is brought to you in part by our sponsors: AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees, American Federation of Musicians Local 4, Alliance for American Manufacturing, Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield, Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employes-IBT, Boyd Watterson, Columbus/Central Ohio Building and Construction Trades Council, Communication Workers of America, Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust, International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers Local 50, International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers, International Union of Bricklayers and Allied Crafts, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 6, Ironworkers Great Lakes District Council, Melwood, The Labor Citizen newspaper, Laborers International Union of North America, The National Labor Office of Blue Cross and Blue Shield, North Coast Area Labor Federation, Ohio Federation of Teachers, United Labor Agency, United Steelworkers.
