8 • LABOR TRIBUNE • Thursday, June 6-12, 2024
To have a voice in the political process, join your local Labor Club In Missouri, gaining a voice in local, statewide and national politics starts with your area Labor Club. Here are Labor-political clubs throughout the St. Louis area and other parts of
Missouri. JOIN IN! These clubs provide members with information on pending legislation, interview and evaluate political candidates, make recommendations to the Greater St. Louis
Labor Council for COPE endorsements and provide volunteers for leafleting and poll workers. They are the first crucial step toward electing worker-friendly candidates. Union members are encouraged to be-
come a member of the Labor club in their vicinity. To join, come to the next meeting or contact a spokesperson for the club nearest you.
FRANKLIN COUNTY LABOR POLITICAL COMMITTEE
MINERAL AREA LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB
NORTHEAST MISSOURI LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB
SOUTH ST. LOUIS COUNTY LABOR POLITICAL ORGANIZATION
Meets at 7:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month at Hagies 19th Hole, 618 North Washington Avenue, Union, Mo. 63084. Dan Kloeppel, president P.O. Box 21 Union, Mo. 63084 Phone: 636-368-1366 Email: franklincountylabor.@gmail.com
Meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at American Legion Post 39, 5073 Flat River Road, Farmington, Mo. 63640 Lee Asher, president P.O. Box 92 Farmington, Mo. 63640 Phone: 573-631-4395 Additional Contact: Scott Bockenkamp, vice president, 573-366-0802
Meets at 7:00 on the first Monday of the month at the Electricians Hall, 801 Church Street, Hannibal, Mo. 63401 Steve Garner, president P.O. Box 735 Fulton, Mo. 65251 Phone: 573-592-0201
Meets at 7:00 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of the month, January through October, at the Bricklayers Local 1 of Missouri, 1670 Fenpark Drive, Fenton, Mo. 63026 Tom Madden, president P.O. Box 510387 St. Louis, M0. 63151 Phone: 314-355-1000 Email: socolabor@aol.com
ROCKWOOD LABOR CLUB NORTH COUNTY LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB
Meets at 7 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of each month at Eureka-Pacific Elks Lodge, 19 West First Street, Eureka, Mo. 63025 Marty McClimens, president 2174 Timber Ridge Pacific, Mo. 63069 Phone: 314-494-8985
TRI-COUNTY LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB
JEFFERSON COUNTY LABOR POLITICAL COMMITTEE Meets at 7 p.m. on the second Monday of the month (Executive Committee at 6 p.m.) at Mississippi River Eagles Club, 330 Bailey Road, Crystal City, Mo. 63019 Chuck DeMoulin, president 181 St. Benedict Pevely, Mo. 63070 Phone: 314-226-7870
MID-MISSOURI LABOR CLUB Meets at 6:00 pm the second Monday of the month at Columbia Labor Temple, 611 N. Garth, Columbia, Mo. 65203. Russ Unger, president P.O. Box 471 Fulton, Mo. 65251 Phone: 573-642-1833
Meets at 7:00 p.m. the first Monday of the month with the exception of July, August and September in non-election years (Executive Board meets at 6:30 p.m.) at IAM District Lodge 837, 212 Utz Lane Hazelwood, Mo. 63042 Frederick C. Searcy Jr., president 3640 Corporate Trail Earth City, Mo. 63045 Phone: 314-914-5744 Email: freds@pnp562.org Website: www.northcountylaborclub.com.
Breaking Barriers: How Unions are Driving Inclusivity in the Labor Force
by MICHELLE ZETTERGREN
Labor unions represent workers of all levels of education, of diverse backgrounds and across most industries in America. Women now make up almost half of union workers, and nearly four in ten workers covered by a union contract are African American, Hispanic, AAPI or non-white. Unions are also important advocates for gender and racial pay equity. Hourly wages for women represented by a union are on average 4.7% higher than for comparable nonunionized women. Black union workers are paid on average 13.1% more than their nonunionized counterparts, and Hispanic union workers earn 18.8% more on average than their nonunionized Hispanjc peers. Labor unions that embrace diversity initiatives are best prepared to meet the evolving needs of their workforce. The following are a few successful programs that are creating new economic opportunities for underrepresented workers. HELMETS TO HA RDHATS
Helmets to Hardhats (H2H) began in 2003 to help military veterans transition to careers in the building trades. H2H partners with international trade unions
and local building trades - such as the International Union ofBricklayers & Allied Craftsworkers, the Joint Apprentice Committee of Iron Workers Locals 40 & 361 and the Plumbers Local Union No. 200, among others - that facilitate veterans' transition to civilian careers in construction. The program begins with earn-while you-learn apprenticeship training, which includes educating participants on how to use their G.I.Bill benefits to supplement their income during this time. After service members complete their apprenticeships, H2H connects them with interested employers. Helmets to Hardhats has empowered over 41,000 veterans to join the construction trade - 3,000 of whom are in New York alone. NONTRA DITIONAL EMPLOYMENT FOR WOMEN {NEW)
For over 40 years, Nontraditional Employment for Women (NEW) has worked to prepare, train and place women in careers in the skilled construction, utility and maintenance trades. This program aims to help low-income women achieve economic independence and secure a future for themselves and their families. NEW's goal is to increase the number of women in skilled labor, particularly in
Meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month at #10 Droste Square, St. Charles, Mo. 63301 (Executive Board meets at 6 p.m.) Joe Mueller, president 10 Droste Square St. Charles, Mo. 63301 Website: www.tricountylaborclub.com
WARREN COUNTY LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB
ST. LOUIS CITY LABOR LEGISLATIVE CLUB
Meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Thursday of each month at Social House, 227 E. Main Street, Warrenton, Mo. 63383 (Executive Board meets at 6 p.m.) Rod Herman (Gas Workers 11-6), president Phone: 314-581-8448 Email: rherrmannusw@gmail.com Steve Dussold (IBEW 1), vice president
Meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of the month at Laborers’ Local 42, 301 S. Ewing Ave., St. Louis, Mo. 63103. Dave Holmes, president 301 S. Ewing Ave. St. Louis, Mo. 63103 Email: daveholmes1948@yahoo.com
trades that offer strong wages, benefits, of many of its participants, with more training and potential for advancement. than 85% of graduates still working in the building trades. Many have also become NEW provides training, including both daytime and rughttirne courses. Graduates P2A Peer Mentors, teaching classes and of the program go on to have successful conducting information sessions for others careers as union carpenters, electricians, interested in joining. ironworkers, laborers, plumbers and THE FUTURE OF DIVERSITY IN LABOR operating engineers. Unions that incorporate Diversity, Several New York area unions sponsor Equity and Inclusion (DEi) initiatives registered apprenticeship programs that are seeing the benefits of embracing use NEW as a direct entry provider. Today, a diverse workforce. Workers from the number of women represented in trade different backgrounds bring a variety of careers in New York City has increased to perspectives to a n organization, which 7% (compared to 2% 40 years ago), with facilitates more innovative problem many apprenticeships appr oaching or solving. In fact, research shows that exceeding 15% women. diverse and inclusive workforces are 1.7 times more innovative. PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP {P2A) Pathways to Apprenticeship (P2A) aims In 2020, about 10.6 million of the 15.9 million workers covered b y a union to combat intergenerational poverty by empowering low-income New Yorkers to contract in the U.S. were women and/ pursue careers in the building trades. Many or people of color. And, with initiatives like H2H, NEW and P2A working with of the individuals that P2A works with were formerly incarcerated (6 6%) and a unions to make additional strides in inclusivity, it's only a m atter of time trades career is an opportunity for them to earn a steady middle-class income. before skilled labor sees an even greater increase in representation. After participants graduate, P2A schedules interviews with building trades unions for Michelle Zettergren is President of available apprenticeships. P2A also provides MagnaCare, a national third-party graduates with resume assistance, interview coaching and aptitude test preparation. administrator ofLabor and Taft Hartley Fund health plans. This program has transformed the lives
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