— Gov. Tony Evers is touting the role of the building trades in various state economic development efforts, such as expanding broadband and improving transportation infrastructure.
Speaking yesterday as part of the North America’s Building Trades Unions national road tour, Evers noted construction projects at UW System campuses, state parks and other public facilities “wouldn’t have been possible” without the efforts of partners in the trades.
“I don’t have to tell you, Wisconsin faces a chronic workforce challenge,” Evers said at an apprenticeship training facility in Milwaukee. “For years, addressing these challenges has been a priority of mine and all of yours … We’ve been working year after year to restore collective bargaining rights and minimum wage protections, as well as supporting project labor agreements and dumping right-to-work laws. And we’ll continue that fight.”
Much of yesterday’s event focused on the importance of expanding affordable child care to support the workforce. Evers and other speakers noted the state’s shortage of child care options results in more parents staying out of the labor force to take care of their kids, especially women.
The guv has called a special session of the Legislature on Sept. 20 to take up a workforce development package that would provide state funds for child care provider subsidies. But Republicans have rejected that call, preferring to pare back regulations on these providers.
Evers yesterday said “we’re fighting like hell to ensure the Republicans in the Legislature understand just how important child care is to the success of our workforce. They’re connected.”
NABTU President Sean McGarvey highlighted a child care subsidy program being piloted by the Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit TradesFutures and local labor councils in New York City and Milwaukee.
“The cost of these pilots is significant, extremely expensive,” he said. “We’re funding this ourselves at NABTU, so we can beta test to see what the pluses and minuses are, work with the communities that we’re working in.”
Nicole Schwartz, executive director of TradesFutures and a former teacher for Milwaukee Public Schools, said the pilot programs aim to identify solutions for supporting women in the industry. According to the nonprofit’s website, the Milwaukee pilot will provide 12 months of financial assistance for child care needs to 10 tradeswomen or apprentices.
“What we hope to be able to do for this pilot project is to provide data and real guidance to policymakers, local partners, how they can really form the future of care,” she said.
Dem U.S. Rep. Gwen Moore yesterday applauded the building trades groups “for leaning into” the child care issue.
“I know there are single male fathers, but let’s face it y’all, this is a problem that primarily falls on the backs of women … We need to have child care, so that we can work too,” the Milwaukee Dem said.
See more on the pilot project here: https://tradesfutures.org/initiatives/child-care-pilot/
