America’s Work Force Union Podcast

Jason George (IUOE Local 49) / Greg Regan (TTD)

Jason George, Business Manager and Financial Secretary for the International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 49, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the Pathways program and how the apprenticeship readiness training it provides to Minnesota high school students has helped grow the Local. 

 

AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department President Greg Regan appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and explained how policies have exacerbated a worker shortage in the railroad industry. He also discussed the likelihood of a nationwide railroad strike and what Congress could do to avoid it.

Monty Anderson (Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council) / Kevin Mapp (USW)

United Steelworkers (USW) International Vice President of Human Affairs Kevin Mapp appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and spoke about the jobs created by the Biden Administration through legislation. He also gave an overview on midterm elections results and the AFL-CIO Martin Luther King Jr Civil and Human Rights Conference.

 

Seattle Building and Construction Trades Council Executive Secretary Monty Anderson joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the work to repair structural issues found on the West Seattle Bridge and a potential high-speed rail project.

Michael Mark (San Joaquin County Building and Construction Trades Council) / Bill Samuel (AFL-CIO)

San Joaquin County Building and Construction Trades Council Financial Secretary-Treasurer Michael Mark joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the challenges of living in a purple county and the need to work with both political parties to create work opportunities for members of the building trades. He also talked about the Council’s apprenticeship readiness program and the Sam Kharufeh Memorial Scholarship Fund.

 

Bill Samuel, Government Affairs Director for the AFL-CIO, appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and gave his thoughts on the legislation Congress should pass during the lame-duck session before Republicans take control of the House in January.

Pete Ielmini (LMCT) / Harry Grill (Teamsters)

Mechanical Insulators Labor Management Cooperative Trust (LMCT) Executive Director Pete Ielmini joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and explained the purpose of the Federal Mechanical Insulation Act, which he hopes will be introduced to Congress next week.

 

Harry Grill, National Field Director for the Teamsters Union’s Department of Political and Legislative Action, appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and spoke about the importance of  political canvassing and how it helped Teamsters-endorsed candidates win close races in the midterm elections. 

Tom Buffenbarger (Independent Labor Voice) / Josh Gosfield (Solidarity Forever: Amazon Worker Jigsaw Puzzle)

Tom Buffenbarger, an independent labor voice, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the possibility of a nationwide railway strike after SMART-TD, one of the largest railroad labor unions, voted down a tentative agreement with rail management this week. He also talked about a new four-year Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was ratified by Weyerhaeuser employees represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District W24, ending a 46-day strike.

 

Josh Gosfield, an Illustrator for “Solidarity Forever: Amazon Worker Jigsaw Puzzle,” appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and discussed what inspired him to create the image used for the pro-worker puzzle commissioned by Nation Magazine that benefits the Amazon Labor Union.

 

 

Kevin Pranis (LiUNA Minnesota and North Dakota )/Tom Halligan (Ironworkers Local 6)

Kevin Pranis, Laborers International Union of North America Marketing Manager for Minnesota and North Dakota, joined the AWF Union Podcast and spoke about the construction of a large solar project in Minnesota that will only use union labor. He also talked about other work coming to both states through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.

 

The International Association of Bridge, Structural, Ornamental and Reinforcing Iron Workers Union Local 6 Thomas Halligan of joined the AWF podcast and explained the work his members will perform as they construct wind farms in Greater Buffalo. He also touched on the potential growth of the Local’s apprenticeship program.

Jeff Stoffer (American Legion) / Rich Fiesta (Alliance for Retired Americans)

Jeff Stoffer, Media and Communications Director for the American Legion, joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and talked about an American Legion report which described the importance of veterans in decreasing the nation’s labor skills gap.He also talked about an article in the December issue of the American Legion Magazine that explored the lessons of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and the need to pass the Major Richard Star Act

 

The Alliance for Retired Americans Executive Director Richard Fiesta appeared on the AWF  Union Podcast and talked about how Republican control of the U.S. House could impact Social Security, Medicare and the lives of retirees. He also touched on the midterm elections and the success of candidates endorsed by the Alliance for Retired Americans.

John Hartwell (IUOE 324) / Pat Gallagher (North Coast Area Labor Federation)

Operating Engineers Local 324 Career and Outreach Representative John Hartwell joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and explained why more teachers, guidance counselors and parents are embracing registered building trades apprenticeship programs as career pathway for young people. He also talked about advances in construction technology, which is appealing to the younger generation.

 

North Coast Area Labor Federation President Pat Gallagher made his regular appearance on the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed a tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) reached between the United Steelworkers (USW) and U.S. Steel.

Bob McGuckin (Insulators Local 17) / Willie Haywood Jr. (AFGE)

Willie Haywood Jr., National Veterans Affairs Council 262 Sixth District President of the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), joined the America’s Work Force Union Podcast and discussed the success candidates they endorsed had during the midterm election. He also spoke about a grievance they filed that led to an agreement with the Veterans Administration to comply with privacy laws.   

 

Robert McGuckin, Training Coordinator for the Heat and Frost Insulators Local 17 Joint Apprenticeship Training Committee (JATC), appeared on the AWF Union Podcast and talked about why the apprentices at his Local are graduating at a 98 percent clip. He also discussed the JATC’s training facility, which is one of the largest mechanical insulator training centers in North America, and how it benefits the apprenticeship program.

Melissa Cropper (OFT) / Stephen Tavernia (Ironworkers Local 33)

Melissa Cropper, President of the Ohio Federation of Teachers, joined the AWF Union Podcast to discuss the outcome of midterm elections for the Ohio State Board of Education, as well as the outcomes of other political races around the state decided on the Nov. 8 General Election. 

 

Ironworkers Local 33 Business Agent, Apprenticeship Coordinator and Recording Secretary Stephen Tavernia appeared on the AWF Union Podcast during National Apprenticeship Week and explained his personal journey into the trades and why a registered apprenticeship program is a great fit for anyone looking for a rewarding career.