Madison — The Wisconsin Building Trades Council (WBTC) Board of Directors has appointed Emily Pritzkow as the organization’s new Executive Director. Pritzkow will take the lead in coordinating WBTC’s efforts to unify the state’s 16 craft organization members and nearly 40,000 union workers.
“I am excited to be a part of growing the WBTC and furthering its goals,” Pritzkow said. “Our objectives include promoting jobs that support Wisconsin communities, fostering advanced skills among Wisconsin’s current and future construction workforce, finding innovative ways to increase diversity and inclusion in the union construction industry, and, most importantly, to help our members increase their market share so they can grow their numbers and keep Wisconsinites working.”
Pritzkow most recently served as Chief of Staff to Gordon Hintz, the Democratic Leader of the Wisconsin State Assembly. Prior to her role in the Democratic Leader’s office, she staffed Rep. Hintz for two budgets on the state’s powerful Joint Finance Committee, as well as multiple legislative sessions overseeing vertical construction projects on the State Building Commission. She is an effective leader who is respected by lawmakers, advocacy organizations, and staff from all across the political spectrum. With this background, she is well poised to lead the WBTC into the future.
As Jac Weitzel, WBTC Board President and Executive Director of the Building and Construction Trades Council of South-Central Wisconsin, observed: “Ms. Pritzkow’s extensive experience building relationships and her policy background, coupled with her appreciation of the role unions play in giving workers a voice and keeping them safe in the workplace, make her uniquely qualified for this position.”
“Union tradespeople build the infrastructure that Wisconsinites depend on daily and that keeps our state moving forward,” Pritzkow added, “There is no shortage of stories to tell about the issues working men and women face every day. They want to be treated and paid fairly. They want meaningful work that will allow them to build a strong future for themselves, and to return home safely to their families each night. We are a coalition that looks at every angle to achieve these goals—at the ballot box, in the Legislature, within city halls, the courts, and wherever else the fight for our rights, our voice, our jobs, our wages and benefits, and our safe working conditions takes us.”
