This week’s episode of “WisBusiness: the Podcast” is with Emily Pritzkow, executive director of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council.
Although the organization includes member unions that have existed for over a century, it was founded more recently in 2018. It includes every unionized construction craft in the state, she explains, with about 40,000 total members across Wisconsin.
Some of the group’s current objectives include boosting talent pipelines such as apprenticeship programs, touting the economic impact of union-built projects and spotlighting challenges and policy priorities for members, Pritzkow explains.
“The importance of being treated and paid fairly, having a meaningful career that allows you to build a strong future for you and your family, and having safe working conditions that allow our members to return home to that family each night,” she said.
Pritzkow also discusses the impact of the pandemic on worker attitudes and unionization efforts, pointing to higher demand for better working conditions.
“I think there’s also no more important time than now for us to make diversity and inclusion a priority — especially in the construction trades,” she said. “Diverse perspectives are sorely needed to help us evolve.”
And she touches on the federal dollars coming to the state through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, as well as the push for more renewable energy resources and efforts to address workforce issues.
Listen to the podcast below, sponsored by UW-Madison:
