W.S.L.C.
Opening doors to union careers, security
Conference touts workforce development as key to labor’s growth, future
This was a recurring theme at the Pacific Northwest Labor Leader Workforce Development Conference hosted by the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO on Oct. 2-3 at the South Seattle College. Apprenticeship and training professionals from Oregon, Alaska, Wyoming and throughout Washington state gathered to learn from each other’s best practices and share ideas and information.
She added:
“The best possible advertisement for unions is when our members are succeeding. When they earn good wages and family-supporting benefits, when they are safe at work, when they have stable work because their skills are in demand, when they have a pension or other retirement benefits… they are living billboards for our labor movement.”
“Let it be known that we invest $2 billion from collective bargaining within our contracts with signatory employers each year into training,” Wells said. “That $2 billion investment is in our workers and our (apprenticeship) system, and that is something we are proud of. That’s how we are able to advance this golden model of a high-skill, diverse workforce.”
The conference featured multiple panels of issue-experts who answered questions from participants, including:
Defining “Quality Jobs” — Working people know the value of a good job that provides stability for themselves and their families. And folks in workforce development know that quality jobs are the foundation of an equitable economy. But we need to quantify what makes a good job so we can insist that major public investments, like the new federal infrastructure spending, create them.
This panel (from the right in the photo above) was moderated by IBEW 46 Business Manager Sean Bagsby, and featured Josh Hall of the Oregon AFL-CIO, Nathe Lawver of the Pierce County Central Labor Council, and Monty Anderson of the Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council.
Growing Registered Apprenticeships — This panel was a deep dive into both traditional and new emerging registered apprenticeships, and how they can grow if apprentices are provided wrap-around support. It featured (from left) Sally McNair of the Washington Education Association, Megan Pearson of ANEW, Mitchell Forhan of the Finishing Trades Institute Northwest, and Andy Friedman of the United We Heal Training Trust and Provider Services Fund (AFSCME). It was moderated by Ligaya Domingo of SEIU Healthcare 1199NW.
When the panelists were asked to share success stories from their programs, Forhan said his success story was personal. He said that because of his own successful apprenticeship experience, “I went from someone who would probably be doing stupid stuff on the street to being here with you today.”
Do you want to “earn while you learn” a family-wage career in the trades? Check out the Construct a Career website from the Washington State Building and Construction Trades Council about how to get started in a union apprenticeship program today!
A State-by-State Look at Workforce Systems — This panel explained the unique features of multiple states’ workforce development systems, what labor’s roles are in each state, and why it’s important to get equal standing with business interests on these boards. It featured (from left) Chelsea Watson of the Oregon AFL-CIO, “Landslide” Larry Brown of the Washington State Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board (and past WSLC president), Tammy Johnson of the Wyoming AFL-CIO, and Alaska state Rep. Zack Fields of LIUNA Local 341.
Additional panels and group discussions were conducted on expanding community outreach for union apprenticeship and training programs, and leveraging grant funding as opportunities to advance labor values in workforce development.
Conference participants also heard from Muhammad Javid of the Washington State Labor Education and Research Center, Rebekah Whittaker of Oregon LERC, and Rachel Erstad of UW’s Harry Bridges Center for Labor Studies about the latest research and ideas for addressing equity in workforce development.
WSLC Wednesdays is a feature of The Stand where different departments of the Washington State Labor Council, AFL-CIO describe their recent activities and the services they are providing to WSLC-affiliated unions.