North America’s Building Trades Union President, Sean McGarvey, gave a keynote address Tuesday morning ahead of the Convention business session.
At the heart of McGarvey’s message: Union building trades are in a strong position for jobs and steady work.
“Whether it’s advanced manufacturing, nuclear energy, shipbuilding, refineries, data centers or infrastructure needed to power the next generation of our economy, these projects demand the skill and standards that only our unions can deliver,” he said. “The Boilermakers know that as well as anyone.
“The reason we’re in this position is simple: We invest in people.”
That investment, he said, is through the registered apprenticeship programs and high-quality training union’s offer.
NABTU’s affiliated unions and their signatory contractors invest nearly $3 billion annually in apprenticeship and training, and only the United States military trains more hard-skilled workers than the building trades do, he pointed out.
McGarvey outlined NABTU’s pathways into the trades to build a middle-class future, including through their Apprenticeship Readiness Program, Tradeswomen Build Nations and Helmets to Hardhats.
He went on to describe NABTU’s partnership with the Center for Construction and Research and their work addressing mental wellness in the building trades. CPWR has created practical tools aimed at the construction industry and is seeing a significant reduction in overdose deaths.
Regarding data center work, McGarvey stressed the importance of building trades unions being actively engaged with policymakers.
“The challenge isn’t whether these projects are needed,” he explained. “The challenge is workforce planning and execution. That’s why NABTU works every day to advance policies, permitting certainty, investment and project planning that gives owners confidence to move forward.”
McGarvey closed by emphasizing the nation’s enduring need for Boilermakers’ unique, high-quality skills.
“As long as America needs power, industry, infrastructure and national security, America will need the Boilermakers,” he said. “And I have every confidence that you will continue to lead, grow and raise the bar for the industry and America’s workforce, just as you have done for generations.”
