Democrat Congressmen in Hot Water with Construction Unions

Members of the Building Trades Labor Coalition, which has supported the Trump administration’s push to expand apprenticeship training programs, say they are “livid” and “flabbergasted” that Senate Democrats did not extend them an invitation to participate in a upcoming committee hearing on modernizing apprenticeships.

In the days leading up to the hearing, the building unions are now reaching above Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the top democrat on the Labor Committee that is hosting the hearing to the Office of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) in the hopes he will intervene to insert a construction union representative as a witness.

The building unions, representing thousands of blue-collar workers who voted for Trump in 2016, generally have been cooperative with and conciliatory towards Trump on certain issues. Meanwhile, the more liberal-leaning unions (including those who represent a sizable number of immigrant workers) continue to push against many of his policies.

Trump signed an executive order in 2017 calling for new industry-recognized apprenticeship standards that streamline the registration process for government support.  The president commissioned a task force on apprenticeships, which included the president of the trade union umbrella group, North America’s Building Trades Unions.

Matt Austin owns Austin Legal, LLC, a boutique law firm based in Ohio that limits its representation to employers dealing with labor, employment, and OSHA matters. You can reach Matt by calling him at (614) 843-3041 or emailing him at Matt@MattAustinLaborLaw.com.