Union employers and apprenticeship programs pitched career opportunities to nearly 150 jobseekers April 4 at the Union Job and Resource Fair, hosted on St. Paul’s East Side by Local 110 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
The event, co-sponsored annually by the Saint Paul Regional Labor Federation, the Saint Paul Building and Construction Trades Council, the City of Saint Paul, United Food & Commercial Workers Local 1189, and the East Side Freedom Library, continued to grow in its fourth year. The event attracted 32 vendors, including construction firms, manufacturers, government agencies, health care employers, retailers and union apprenticeship programs.
“Unions built the American middle class, and a union job remains the best way for working people to secure livable wages and decent health and retirement benefits,” said Bobby Kasper, President of the 50,000-member Saint Paul RLF. “As a labor movement, we need to raise awareness about the value of a union contract, especially among immigrant communities and young workers.”
New this year, the job fair opened with a panel discussion, led by Freedom Library co-director Peter Rachleff. Employers, union leaders, apprentices and an analyst from the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development offered insight into the local job market. They discussed the skills and qualifications different union careers demand, and the advantages of working union.
On average, union members in the U.S. earn 22 percent more than non-union workers, and union members are more likely to have health insurance and retirement benefits.
Many job seekers at the event expressed interest in apprenticeship programs sponsored by Building Trades unions and their signatory contractors. Most require only a high school diploma or GED for admittance, and apprentices are able to work regular hours in their field – and earn good wages and benefits – while they learn their particular crafts.
The East Side Freedom Library hosted the Union Job and Resource Fair at its location the previous three years. Moving to Local 110’s hall accommodated growing interest in the event, while staying true to its East Side roots.
“This job fair is an exciting opportunity to extend our outreach and build new relationships on the East Side, and we’re proud to be a part of it,” Kasper said.
