Tuesday, November 14, 2023

Arturo C. Olivarez, DC Press Secretary

During National Apprenticeship Week, Rep. Cuellar Proposes Child Care Stipends for Union Apprenticeship Programs

 Washington, DC – In recognition of National Apprenticeship Week, Representatives Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. (TX-28), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-1), Donald Norcross (NJ-1), and Debbie Dingell (MI-6) introduced the Apprentice-Related Child Care (ARCC) Act. The bill would establish a child care stipend pilot program available to Americans enrolled in Registered Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeship programs.

The legislation is endorsed by North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU), Laborers’ International Union of North America (LiUNA), International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART), United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC), United Association of Union Plumbers & Pipefitters (UA), International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT), Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ International Association (OPCMIA) & Third Way.

“I’ve seen the benefits of the Registered Apprenticeship system first-hand in South Texas, where our local unions sponsor multi-year programs in a variety of trades,” said Dr. Cuellar. “Despite these successes, apprentices still face financial barriers to completion – particularly those with dependent children. The cost of child care has more than tripled in the last three decades. It’s essential that we do more to address these costs and support American workers.”

“America will never reach peak workforce participation unless we as a country address the urgent and escalating issue of child care. It touches every office, business, and job site in the United States,” said Sean McGarvey, President of North America’s Building Trades Unions. “The lack of access to safe, quality, affordable child care prevents parents from being in the workforce, hurts our economy, and hurts families. All of us must do more. The building trades unions and our partners are stepping up to do our part, and we applaud those who are focused on exploring strategies to provide additional support. The Apprentice-Related Child Care (ARCC) Act does just this, and we thank Representatives Cuellar, Bonamici, Norcross, and Dingell for their leadership on this issue.”

“Union apprenticeships are the best tool we have to lift Americans into the middle class. But far too often, historically underrepresented communities run into obstacles that prevent them from accessing the careers that we provide – one of the most prominent being affordable child care,” said Michael Coleman, General President of the International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART). “The Apprentice-Related Child Care Act would play a vital role in helping parents surmount that financial barrier, making it easier for unions like SMART to bring people of all backgrounds into our industries. This is a potentially life-changing piece of legislation for workers across the country, and we thank Representatives Cuellar, Bonamici, Norcross, and Dingell for introducing it.”

“When someone thinks of the building trades, they think of workers who build things, but we are also people who like to break down barriers,” said Kevin Sexton, the General President of the Operative Plasterers’ & Cement Masons’ International Association of the United States and Canada (OPCMIA). “Today, one of the biggest barriers to entering the workforce is the high cost of childcare. By providing childcare stipends, the Apprentice-Related Child Care (ARCC) Act will help parents pursue careers that will enable them to better provide for their families. We thank Representatives Cuellar, Bonamici, Norcross, and Dingell for introducing the ARCC Act and their leadership by supporting parents in their pursuit of the American dream. Together, we will pave the road to the middle class.”

“The burdensome cost of child care prevents too many parents, especially mothers, from reaping the benefits of our country’s apprenticeship system,” said Gabe Horwitz, Senior Vice President of the Economic Program at Third Way. “This legislation takes an important step in making our apprenticeship system reach more parents and have the support they need to balance the demands of work and family.”

“Apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships put workers on a path to quality, good-paying jobs that will support their family for years to come,” said Representative Bonamici. “Increasing access to child care will encourage a more diverse workforce and foster inclusive economic growth by allowing more people to benefit from these programs while caring for their families. I’m pleased to introduce the Apprenticeship-Related Child Care Act with my colleagues to make child care more affordable for apprentices and pre-apprentices and open the doors to opportunity.”

“As a former electrical apprentice, I know firsthand that registered apprenticeships are one of America’s most successful job programs,” said Representative Norcross. “The ARCC Act will expand access to apprenticeships and remove barriers to these highly successful programs by providing affordable childcare for hardworking Americans who are working to support their families. I am committed to making sure that all apprentices have the resources and opportunities they need to complete their programs, and I am proud to co-lead this bill that will strengthen America’s workforce and expand pathways to the middle class.”

“Caregiving is the foundation of our economy and allows all other work to be possible,” said Representative Dingell. “The ARCC Act will help address the childcare crisis in this country, allowing Americans who would otherwise not be able to access apprenticeships and pre-apprenticeships that lead to good-paying, high-value careers.”

The ARCC Act would establish a two-year pilot program at the Department of Labor (DOL). Authorized at $200 million over Fiscal Years 2024 and 2025, the bill directs the DOL to establish a competitive grant program, awarding grants to ten geographically diverse states for the purposes of administering child care stipends to American workers enrolled in Registered Apprenticeships and Pre-Apprenticeship programs.

Stipends are paid directly to child care providers serving apprentices and must be at least $500 per month, per dependent child. When administering child care stipends, states must include groups that are historically underrepresented in apprenticeships, including women and people of color. At the conclusion of the pilot program, DOL must report to Congress on the impact of these stipends, including any effect on persistence and completion rates. The stipends are not subject to income tax and not counted toward eligibility for public benefit programs.

Dr. Cuellar is a strong supporter of American workers.

• He is an original cosponsor of the Tax Fairness for Workers Act and the No Tax Breaks for Union Busting Act – bills that would make the tax deduction for union dues above-the-line and end the taxpayer subsidization of business anti-union activity.
• As a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, he helped secure the first increase in funding for the National Labor Relations Board since 2014 in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 spending agreement.
• He secured a $1.3 million earmark in the FY 2024 House appropriations bill for the City of San Antonio’s “Ready to Work Initiative” to enhance apprenticeship opportunities.

For more information on the ARCC Act, click here. To read the ARCC Act’s bill text, click here.

###

Congressman Henry Cuellar, Ph.D. is a senior member of the U.S. House Appropriations Committee. Previously, he served as a Texas State Representative and Texas Secretary of State

The post During National Apprenticeship Week, Rep. Cuellar Proposes Child Care Stipends for Union Apprenticeship Programs appeared first on IAMAW.

What’s the state of parental leave in manufacturing? | Manufacturing Dive

The post Still advocating for Working Families appeared first on IAMAW.

IAM Local 1487 hosted a recent Committee on the Future (COTF) Listening Session at its lodge near Chicago’s O’Hare Airport. IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser kicked off the meetings by encouraging members to share genuine thoughts about the future of the IAM. Southern Territory Grand Lodge Representative Reggie Dixon, District W2021 President, and Directing Business Representative Chuck Bennett, and Local 1296 member Ashley Carpenter administered the meetings to dozens of members in attendance.

The post Members Share Thoughts During Chicago’s Committee on the Future Listening Session appeared first on IAMAW.

IAM members in the Charlotte, NC area came out to IAM Victory Lodge 1725 after a regular membership meeting for a Committee on the Future Listening Session. 

IAM Air Transport Territory Chief of Staff Edison Fraser opened the session and introduced the Committee on the Future members there to hear from the membership.

“The Committee on the Future members here today will make sure your voice drives this process,” said Fraser. “Together, we will change our union for the better and continue fighting for justice and dignity for another 135 years.”

IAM Southern Territory Chief of Staff Craig Martin attended the introduction of the session.

“This is a valuable piece of our future,” said Martin. “The members are very empowered, and this gives them even more of a voice, a voice inside of the union. There are a lot of members out there bringing new ideas forward and new energy into the organization — that’s going to pay dividends.” 

This listening session was led by three Committee on the Future members: Special Representative Tiwaan Bradley, Grand Lodge Representative David Dimaria, and District 60 Auditor/Local 635 Steward Amanda Andrew.

“The goal of this is to connect with members and create positive change,” said Bradley. “I’m happy to be a part of anything that will create positive change.”

About 40 members attended the session and gave ideas to prompts given by the committee. The committee asked for members to vocalize their suggestions about the structure of the union, organizing, union-building, staffing, representation, engagement, community presence, priorities to focus on, and more.

The IAM Committee on the Future is holding Listening Sessions throughout the U.S. and Canada to give members an open opportunity to share their ideas on how to better our union and prepare for the future.

“I believe in our members. I believe in their ideas, and I believe in the changes they want to see,” said Martin. “That’s what we’re here for, as leaders of this union, we’re here for our membership.”

For information on the Committee on the Future, click here.

4J1A0358

4J1A0356

4J1A0351

4J1A0349

4J1A0347

4J1A0344

4J1A0343

4J1A0339

4J1A0338

4J1A0334

4J1A0332

4J1A0328

4J1A0326

4J1A0311

4J1A0302

4J1A0299

4J1A0297

4J1A0291

4J1A0289

4J1A0273

4J1A0272

4J1A0271

4J1A0263

4J1A0256

4J1A0255

4J1A0254

4J1A0246

4J1A0241

4J1A0236

4J1A0232

4J1A0218

4J1A0215

4J1A0213

4J1A0207

4J1A0205

4J1A0201

4J1A0196

4J1A0192

4J1A0183

4J1A0182

4J1A0177

4J1A0175

4J1A0172

4J1A0169

4J1A0168

4J1A0151

4J1A0149

4J1A0148

4J1A0145

4J1A0144

4J1A0142

4J1A0136

4J1A0135

4J1A0134

4J1A0126

4J1A0124

4J1A0119

4J1A0117

4J1A0116

4J1A0108

4J1A0095

4J1A0084

4J1A0082

4J1A0078

4J1A0073

4J1A0070

4J1A0068

4J1A0066

4J1A0064

4J1A0063

4J1A0062

4J1A0061

4J1A0059

4J1A0057

4J1A0056

4J1A0055

4J1A0051

4J1A0050

4J1A0049

4J1A0048

4J1A0045

4J1A0044

4J1A0043

4J1A0042

4J1A0040

4J1A0038

4J1A0034

4J1A0030

4J1A0028

4J1A0024

The post Air Transport Members Speak Up at Charlotte, NC Committee on the Future Session appeared first on IAMAW.

Committee on Future Hears from Pacific Northwest Membership: The Committee on the Future (COTF) held four listening sessions in Washington State, making stops in Everett, Auburn, and Renton. IAM members from as far as Hawaii joined the conversation, offering ideas of how to strengthen our union, including ways to engage better and communicate with the younger workforce.

The post Committee on Future Hears from Pacific Northwest Membership appeared first on IAMAW.

IAM members recently gathered in Houston for a Committee on the Future Listening Session. IAM General Secretary-Treasurer Dora Cervantes welcomed members and thanked them for participating in this historic event to help shape the union’s future.

“The Committee on the Future is dedicated to reaching the membership and working together to better the IAM for the future,” said Cervantes. “These all important listening sessions are providing the outlet for our members to share their vision for the future of our great union.”

The IAM Committee on the Future is holding Listening Sessions throughout the U.S. and Canada to allow members to share their ideas for the future of our union.

The session was hosted by IAM Local 811 in Houston and facilitated by Western Territory Grand Lodge Representative Jason Hardwick, District W24 President and Directing Business Representative Brandon Bryant, and Local 1930 President Natalie Gonzalez.

Click here to view the COTF website and here to view all of the dates and locations for upcoming COTF listening sessions across North America

The post Committee on the Future Visits Houston appeared first on IAMAW.

IAM members in the Los Angeles area recently participated in a Committee on the Future (COTF) Listening Session and offered suggestions on how to continue improving the IAM. Attendees praised the union’s transparency and many offered ideas on how to boost the IAM’s already successful outreach strategy.

The post Committee on the Future Comes to Los Angeles appeared first on IAMAW.

Save the date, as the IAM and our allies will gather virtually on January 16-17 for the 2022 AFL-CIO Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Civil and Human Rights Conference.

Register now for the 2022 AFL-CIO MLK Civil and Human Rights Conference.

We will build on our victories and strategize about the continued fight for economic and racial justice with—and also within—the labor movement.

The theme of January’s conference is “Honoring Our Past and Protecting Our Future.”

The 2022 observance marks the 26th year of the conference where we celebrate the legacy of Dr. King, reinforce the longstanding bond between the labor and civil rights movements, and both prepare and empower participants to carry on the fight for justice and equality. This year’s conference will be virtual.

This year’s conference will focus on the past, present and future connection between the labor and civil rights movement, the importance of strengthening our rights and the critical role that workers play in shaping our democracy.

Sessions and trainings will be held online so everyone can attend safely.

Register now for the 2022 AFL-CIO MLK Civil and Human Rights Conference.

The early registration fee is $35 and a general fee of $50 will become effective on January 4, 2022.  

The post Join Us at the 2022 AFL-CIO MLK Civil and Human Rights Conference appeared first on IAMAW.

The IAM recognizes and values the contributions of our younger workers and is excited to host the Young Workers Education Program September 23-28, 2018 at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center.

Click here for the call letter and enrollment form.

The Young Workers Education Program will include sessions on the importance of young men and women in labor and the workplace, growing the union through involvement and preparing leadership pathways for the future of the labor movement.

Young members of diverse ethnicities are encouraged to take part in this program for our future. The deadline is this week; so don’t wait.

The post Still Time to Enroll in September Young Workers Program appeared first on IAMAW.

The post September 2018 Young Worker’s Strategy Program appeared first on IAMAW.