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Remarks Delivered by
U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao
United Association's 37th General Convention
Las Vegas, Nevada
Tuesday, August 8, 2006
Thank you, Bill [Hite, General President, United Association of Plumbers, Pipefitters and Sprinklerfitters]. And congratulations on being elected to your first full term as general president of the UA!
I am so pleased to join you here at the 37th General Convention of the United Association.
Earlier this year, President Hite met with me in my office to discuss the issues that members of the UA are facing.
Many of you may remember in one of President Hite's very first articles in your union's magazine, he discussed the need to build a bipartisan approach to protecting and securing your union's legislative goals.
Bill has expressed a goal to build long-term, bipartisan partnerships. He has said the union wants to work with whoever will advance the agenda of its members. The UA has worked with both Republicans and Democrats to pass the highway bill, increase energy independence, and enhance security for our nation's critical infrastructure. You are working with members of both political parties to improve the lives of your members, which is commendable.
One of the challenges that we see in today's workforce is the need to adjust to America's changing economy and constantly upgrade our skills.
The economy is adding jobs — more than 5.4 million new jobs since August 2003. And the national unemployment rate is still low at 4.8 percent — lower than the 5.7 percent average unemployment rate of the 1990s.
But a clear trend is emerging in our workforce. The majority of new jobs being created require higher skills and more educational attainment than before. And more than 90 percent of the new occupations being created require some kind of post-secondary education. Now, post-secondary education doesn't have to mean a 4-year college degree. Some of the strongest demand is for workers with specialized training in the skilled trades like the UA provides in its apprenticeship program. And demand is strong for graduates with 2-year degrees in specialized fields from community colleges.
In fact, our country is experiencing a skills gap — that's the growing mismatch between the skills required for the new jobs being created and the skills of our workforce.
Apprenticeship programs are already helping close that gap. For example, 35 to 45 percent of the construction workforce is trained through apprenticeship programs.
The Department knows apprenticeship programs have the potential to do even more. It has implemented the Advancing Apprenticeship Initiative to encourage the development of apprenticeship programs to meet the needs of the 21st century workforce.
The Department of Labor invests the largest part of its budget in apprenticeship and other training programs. It works with labor and management to strengthen the skills of today's tradesmen and women.
The UA is placing its bet on the future by investing over $120 million a year to train approximately 100,000 apprentices and journeymen in over 400 local training facilities at any give time. As they say in Las Vegas, that's a safe bet.
In fact, your union has the very first nationally-recognized joint apprenticeship program in the United States, dating back to 1936. So this year, the UA is celebrating 70 years as a leader in joint apprenticeship training.
Today, the UA has working relationships with community colleges throughout the United States. In fact, as apprentices and journeymen move through UA-sponsored training programs, they often earn college credit. The UA has even worked with a community college in Ann Arbor, Michigan, to create a TeleLearning network. That allows your members in all 50 states to gain the training they need, regardless of where the student actually lives.
The UA is also betting on another winning strategy by recruiting new workers from the ranks of our nation's armed forces.
The Helmets to Hardhats program is a very important partnership between the federal government and the building trades. The building trades unions, along with approximately 82,000 contractors, comprise this unique partnership to match these patriots with jobs in the building trades.
Over 130,000 veterans have gone through this program. They are a perfect match for the skilled trades. Our veterans have the discipline, leadership, and can-do attitude that many of you are looking for in new members. They have given so many years of service and sacrifice to our nation. It touches my heart that you are reaching out and sharing your valuable skills, training and opportunities with our nation's veterans. They have there for us, keeping our country safe. So it's our turn to be there for them.
This Administration also shares the UA's commitment to rebuilding the Gulf Coast region. After Hurricane Katrina, the UA opened its doors and provided temporary shelter, food, and provisions to your members and their families. When hurricane victims needed the help of the UA, your members were there. Members of the UA mobilized quickly to work on temporary hook-ups for hospitals, hotels, and other employers in the area. The work that your members did — and continue to do — has a direct impact on the health and safety of our nation. Thank you for all you did in the aftermath of last year's hurricanes.
When President Bush created a White House Task Force on the Skilled Workforce in the Gulf Coast, I recommended President Hite and the UA for participation in this effort. Bill has represented your union well on this Task Force. And he has committed the UA to helping the people of the Gulf Coast rebuild. There is still a lot of work to do. And we are grateful to have the UA as a partner in this important effort.
This Administration also shares the UA's commitment to worker safety. All of us here share a commitment to ensuring that our nation's workers remain the safest and healthiest in the world.
That is why I recently invited the UA to become a member of the Department of Labor's Alliance for a Drug-Free Workplace. Two years ago, four unions partnered with the Department to help prevent alcohol and drug use on the job and to encourage a drug-free culture at work. We formed the Alliance for a Drug-Free Workplace. Last month, the UA, three other unions and five contractor associations joined us in an unprecedented expansion of this Alliance.
While the UA had a representative at the signing ceremony, President Hite was not able to attend. So, we agreed to bring the signing ceremony to him — right here today.
The Department of Labor has worked closely with members of this Alliance to educate their workers about the importance of being drug-free to improve workplace safety. It provides help for workers who may have problems with alcohol or other drugs. Alliance members have also developed training materials, set up workshops at industry events and published articles in trade publications. I am also pleased to let you know that this fall, the Alliance will conduct the first-ever "Drug-Free Work Week" campaign to further heighten awareness of the benefits of drug-free workplace programs.
I am pleased that the United Association has agreed to be an active member of the Drug-Free Workplace Alliance.
Bill, would you please join me as we sign the Alliance and make the UA's participation official?
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I am pleased to partner with the UA to improve the lives of your members and your families. Thank you for inviting me here today.
God bless you all. And God bless America.
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