Executive Director of the United Labor Agency, Dave Megenhardt, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast to talk about the history of the organization and the next step in it’s evolution to help labor in the Cleveland area.
The ULA has undergone a few changes since it’s inception. The United Labor Agency originally began as the Kidney Dialysis Inc. where they serviced union members needing dialysis both on location and at their homes. This led to the name change to United Labor Agency as they began to add more resources for Union members. The first change was to create an educational system for the shop stewards and front-line members. This program has evolved into a union-based educational program for assistance and recovery from addiction.
This led to running a halfway house to help reintegrate people into society after being incarcerated. After discussing a few other changes, Megenhardt said the ULA was never about just helping Cleveland, but also providing a platform to highlight labor among the support systems they created.
The ULA has operated under the philosophy of being aware and finding solutions, which is why Megenhardt said the organization has never been just one thing. Today, they are most known as a workforce development organization, and many of their staff are trained to help develop skills that workers can use to be successful. Through this work, they’ve found a significant need for counseling and mental health treatment. The ULA is now creating a mental health clinic to provide quality service to union members who are a part of the workforce development program, Megenhardt said.
To hear more on the ULA from Megenhardt, listen to the show above.