Keven Barber, Business Manager and Financial Secretary Treasurer of Ironworkers Local 397, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the need to educate young people about the importance of healthcare and retirement benefits in order to promote union membership and grow the Local.
Local 397 represents about 700 members on Florida’s Gulf Coast.
Barber said recruiting new members in Florida, a So-Called “Right to Work” state, can be a challenge because young people may not immediately recognize the long term value of certain benefits like health care and retirement. Non-union workers may see slightly higher paychecks by being paid on a per diem basis, but miss out on the benefits that are actually worth a lot more, he explained.
Barber also discussed the Multi Craft Core Curriculum (MC3), a pre-apprenticeship program for high school juniors and seniors sponsored by Local 397. The program has effectively reduced the Local’s attrition rate, he said.
Listen to the entire episode to learn more about these topics.