[Labor Committee on January 29, 2025.]
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29TH AT 2:00 PM TODAY WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A PRESENTATION, UH, FROM OUR GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O, UH, SPECIFICALLY JENNIFER T JINA, WHO'S THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER.UH, WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE IMPORTANT WORK AND PROGRAMMING AND OPPORTUNITIES THAT ARE AVAILABLE, UH, AS IT RELATES TO UNION BASED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. SO WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING THAT.
UH, BUT FIRST, UH, WANNA RECOGNIZE WE'RE JOINED BY COLLEAGUES I SEE IN, UH, IN CHAMBERS, UH, OUR VICE CHAIR COUNCIL MEMBER MARTINEZ.
WE ALSO HAVE STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER EVANS SHABAZZ, COUNCIL MEMBER RAMIREZ, UH, MAYOR PRO TEM CASTEX TATUM.
IS THERE ANYONE ONLINE WE DID NOT CALL? NOT AT THIS TIME.
UH, AND AS A REMINDER FOR THOSE, UH, WATCHING ON HTV, UH, PLEASE NOTE THAT THE PRESENTATION WILL BE UPLOADED TO THE COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE AS WELL.
UH, WE WILL TAKE QUESTIONS FROM COUNCIL FOLLOWING THE CONCLUSION OF THE PRESENTATION BY JENNIFER.
AND THEN WE HAVE SOME VERY SPECIAL PUBLIC SPEAKERS TODAY, UH, THAT WE LOOK FORWARD TO HEARING FROM, SPECIFICALLY AS IT RELATES TO THESE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. UH, BEFORE WE GET STARTED, UH, I WANNA THANK AND RECOGNIZE EVERYONE, BUT ESPECIALLY OUR CITY EMPLOYEES WHO, UH, SAVED LIVES DURING THIS PAST WEEK'S FREEZE.
THE TIME THE HOURS PUT IN, SOME OF THEM, MANY OF THEM SLEEPING ON FLOORS AT TIMES, CARING FOR THOSE IN NEED, UH, GIVING IT EVERYTHING THEY HAVE THAT IS THE TRUE SPIRIT OF HOUSTON.
BUT THAT IS THE DEDICATION, UH, FIRSTHAND OF WHAT OUR CITY EMPLOYEES DO.
AND WE ARE GRATEFUL TO ALL OF THEM.
AND I WILL SAY THE CITY OF HOUSTON NEEDS TO DO BETTER IN TAKING CARE OF THEM AS THEY HELP TAKE CARE OF OTHERS.
I ALSO WANNA RECOGNIZE, UH, AND TAKE A MOMENT TO THANK JAY MALONE, UH, FOR HIS WORK WITH A-F-L-C-I-O OVER THE PAST FIVE YEARS.
UM, HE IS, UH, STEPPING DOWN TO TAKE, I BELIEVE, A SHORT SABBATICAL RECHARGE, 'CAUSE A LOT OF WORK GOES ON, UH, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT COMES NEXT FOR HIM.
BUT TO JAY, WE SAY THANK YOU, UH, AS WELL FOR HIS SERVICE AND, UH, WORKING AS HARD AS HE HAS THE PAST FEW YEARS.
UH, VICE CHAIR, DO YOU HAVE ANY REMARKS? I'LL BE BRIEF.
UH, JUST WANNA ECHO DEFINITELY THE, THE, UH, THE THANKS FOR JAY.
UM, I THINK SEVERAL OF US HAVE, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO WORK ALONGSIDE WITH HIM, NOT, NOT JUST, UH, ON THE LABOR SIDE, UH, SPECIFICALLY, BUT THEN EVEN JUST IN THE COMMUNITY WHERE THERE WAS POST DERECHO OR BARRO.
AND SO, UM, A LOT OF THE EFFORTS THAT HE, THAT HE WAS LEADING WITH, UM, WITH LABOR TO HELP WITH CLEAN UP, UM, AND, AND MAKING SURE FAMILIES WERE WERE SAFE.
I DEFINITELY APPRECIATE JAY ON THAT FRONT.
AND THEN I JUST REALLY WANT TO BE, UH, STRESS, YOU KNOW, THIS LABOR COMMITTEE, HOW IMPORTANT IT IS.
AND I'M SO GRATEFUL TO, UH, TO THE ADMINISTRATION, TO THE MAYOR, TO BE ABLE TO CREATE THIS COMMITTEE.
IT'S, UH, IT'S IMPORTANT THAT, UH, LABOR HAS A PLATFORM TO SPEAK TO HA TO BE ABLE TO SPEAK AND VOICE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON.
AND SO, UH, BECAUSE OF THIS LABOR COMMITTEE, WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE A CONVERSATION ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP, WHICH IS IMPORTANT, AND IT'S, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT CONVERSATION THAT WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO HAVE.
AND THERE'S MANY OTHER CONVERSATIONS WE NEED TO HAVE AS WELL, UM, THAT PERTAIN TO LABOR.
AND, UH, WHILE WE'LL BE HEARING FROM A LOT OF THEM, AND I WAS HOLDING MY APPRECIATION FOR THEIR DISASTER RESPONSE, WE HAVE A LOT OF, ONE, OF COURSE, OUR CITY EMPLOYEES, BUT THEN OUTSIDE UNIONS THAT TIME AND AGAIN, HAVE STEPPED UP IN TIMES OF NEED FROM OUR PLUMBERS, UM, TO OUR ELECTRICIANS.
UH, THE LIST GOES ON, BUT THERE HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE HELP OF OUR UNIONS WHEN IT COMES TO HELPING HOUSTONIANS IN NEED.
AND I KNOW WE'LL HEAR A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THAT AS WELL.
UH, WITH THAT AT THIS TIME, THE CHAIR CALLS JENNIFER ENA TO THE PODIUM.
AND JUST LET US KNOW WHEN YOU'RE READY FOR THE NEXT SLIDE.
THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT TO YOU TODAY ON THE APPRENTICESHIP ADVANTAGE PROGRAM.
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UM, NEXT SLIDE, PLEASE.I AM THE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT PROJECT MANAGER WITH THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION.
SO, WHO ARE WE? WE, THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION.
WE REPRESENT 95 HOUSTON AREA, GULF COAST, AND OVER, UH, UNIONS AND OVER 60 MEMBERS.
WE FIGHT FOR A FAIR SHOT AT BETTER LIVES FOR ALL WORKING PEOPLE.
REGARDLESS OF THE COLOR OF OUR SKIN, THE COUNTRY WE COME FROM, OUR FAITH TRADITION OR WHOM WE LOVE.
SO WHAT ELSE DO WE DO? WHAT IS APPRENTICESHIP ADVANTAGE? THIS PROGRAM THAT IS FUNDED BY THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT THROUGH THE HARRIS BIDEN ADMINISTRATION OFFERS A PATHWAY FOR HARRIS COUNTY RESIDENTS TO JOIN ONE OF TEN THREE TO FIVE YEAR UNION APPRENTICESHIPS IN THE BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION CHAIN TRADES, ENTERTAINMENT AND TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRIES FOR RESIDENTS WHO DON'T CURRENTLY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN AN APPRENTICESHIP.
WE ALSO HAVE AN ALTERNATIVE PROGRAM THROUGH THE HOUSTON GULF COAST BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES COUNCIL.
THEY OFFER A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP THREE WEEK COURSE WHERE THEY PROVIDE INTERESTED STUDENTS WITH SKILLS THEY NEED TO SUCCEED IN FULFILLING AN APPRENTICESHIP.
SPECIFICALLY ONE SKILL THAT WE SEE THAT'S NEEDED IN THE BUILDING TRADES, UM, CONSTRUCTION APP, UH, APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS IS THE MATH SKILLS.
SO IN THE THREE WEEK PROGRAM, THEY PROVIDE AN OVERVIEW OF ALL THE BUILDING TRADES.
UM, THEY HAVE SPEAKERS, REPRESENTATIVES FROM 'EM COME AND TALK TO THEM AND TELL THEM WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE OUT ON SITE.
AND THEY ALSO HAVE ONE WEEK DEDICATED JUST TO IMPROVE THEIR MATH SKILLS, WHICH WE HAVE LEARNED IS, UM, NEEDED.
AS I'M PREACHING TO THE CHOIR HERE, UM, AS MANY OF YOU ARE VERSED ON OUR WORKER SHORTAGE, SPECIFICALLY THE CHAIRWOMAN HOUSTON IS CURRENTLY SUFFERING FROM A MAJOR SKILLED WORKER SHORTAGE.
ACCORDING TO THE BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, THE HOUSTON METRO AREA HAS GAPS IN ITS SKILLED WORKFORCE.
AND AS THE BABY BOOMERS RETIRE AND SKILLED JOURNEYMEN RETIRE AND MOVE ON, IT'S GOING TO GET WORSE, AS WE ALREADY KNOW, NOT JUST IN THESE CURRENT FIELDS, BUT IN ALL ACROSS DIFFERENT FIELDS.
AND AS CLIMATE CHANGE CONTINUES, WE WILL CONTINUE TO SEE NATURAL DISASTERS BRING URGENT NEEDS FOR SKILLED LABOR IN THE IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH IN MONTHS FOLLOWING A MAJOR STORM, AS THIS WAS EVIDENT, AS MANY OF YOU HERE ARE HOUSTON RESIDENTS, YOU KNOW, UH, WHAT, HOW MANY YEARS IT TAKES TO REBUILD.
IT'S FOR ME, I WAS A NEW RESIDENT WHEN HARVEY HIT, AND I'M STILL SEEING, UNFORTUNATELY, PEOPLE REBUILD FROM THAT.
UNION APPRENTICESHIPS CAN FILL THESE GAPS WITH A FLEXIBLE WORKFORCE THAT CAN QUICKLY DISPATCH TO RESPOND TO IMMEDIATE, MEDIUM AND LONG-TERM NEEDS IN TRAINING CAPACITY TO THE SCALE WHEN NEEDED.
SO, THE TRAINING, IT'S BASED ON INDUSTRY NEEDS.
ALL UNION APPRENTICESHIPS ARE DESIGNED IN CLOSE WITH PARTNERSHIPS WITH EMPLOYERS.
THIS LABOR MANAGEMENT PARTNERSHIP, WHICH IS COMMONLY CALLED A JOINT APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE, INCLUDES COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONTRACTS, ESTABLISHING HIGH APPRENTICESHIP QUALITY AND WAGE STANDARDS, EMPLOYER CONTRIBUTIONS TO A JOINT TRAINING FUND OR APPRENTICESHIP, WAGE SKILLS AND JOB PLACEMENT REQUIREMENTS.
AND OF COURSE, IT OFFERS ON-THE-JOB TRAINING APPRENTICES EARN WHERE THEY LEARN ALL THOSE ENROLLED IN EVERY PROGRAM EARNS WAGES WHILE STUDYING.
UNION APPRENTICES ARE REQUIRED TO OFFER STRUCTURED ON-THE-JOB TRAINING WHILE EMPLOYED BY A SIGNATORY CONTRACTOR UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A SKILLED CRAFT PERSON KNOWN AS A JOURNEY PERSON.
SO, A JOURNEY PERSON IS ALSO KNOWN AS A MENTOR.
AN APPRENTICE IS NEVER WORKING BY THEMSELF, NOT JUST FOR LEARNING PURPOSES, BUT FOR SAFETY REASONS IN THE INSTRUCTION.
EACH APPRENTICESHIP OFFERS CLASSROOM LEARNING WITH A SCHEDULE OF NIGHT OR WEEKEND COURSES SET BY WELL ESTABLISHED CURRICULA DEVELOPED AND OVERSEEN BY NATIONAL ACCREDITORS.
TRAINING MODULES AND OBJECTIVES ARE AGREED UPON BY BOTH EMPLOYER AND EMPLOYEE REPRESENTATIVES IN ORDER TO ENSURE APPRENTICES ARE RECEIVING THE SKILLS TRAINING THEY NEED TO SUCCEED IN THE FIELD.
AND EVERY YEAR THIS TRAINING IS UPDATED.
MANY, UH, ALL OF THE TRAINING THAT GOES ON.
AND THE MATERIALS ARE UPDATED ANNUALLY TO REFLECT
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THE CHANGING CLIMATE THAT'S GOING ON.SO, REWARDS FOR SKILLS GAINS, EACH APPRENTICESHIP PROVIDES REWARDS FOR SKILL GAINS THROUGH WAGE AND BENEFITS, INCREASES MANDATED BY COLLECTIVE BARGAINING CONTRACTS.
APPRENTICES ALSO HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY AS THEY ADVANCE THROUGH THE PROGRAM TO JOIN THEIR UNION AS A FULL MEMBER AND JOINTLY ADVOCATE FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO THEIR CONTRACT.
SO WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? THAT MEANS THAT EACH YEAR, DEPENDING ON THE PROGRAM, WHETHER IT'S EACH SEMESTER, YOU HAVE TO COMPLETE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF WORKING HOURS ON THE SITE, WORKING HOURS ALONG THE SIDE OF MAKING SURE YOU GET CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION.
ONCE YOU FULFILL, YOU FULFILL EACH SEGMENT, DEPENDING ON WHICH PROGRAM IT IS, YOU GET A WAGE INCREASE.
IT'S EITHER A WAGE INCREASE OR A BENEFIT INCREASE.
YOU EITHER GET MORE BENEFITS TOWARDS YOUR PENSION OR A, A HIGHER DOLLAR AMOUNT.
GRADUATES RECEIVE A TRANSFERABLE NATIONAL RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL.
UNION APPRENTICESHIPS PROVIDE A NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED PORTABLE CREDENTIAL UPON GRADUATION, ALONG WITH THE ADDITIONAL INDUSTRY AND CRAFT SPECIFIC CREDENTIALS.
THE HOUSTON GULF COAST BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADE COUNCIL PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS PROVIDES DIRECT AND PREFER OR PREFERRED ADMISSION TO LOCAL BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION TRADES, APPRENTICESHIPS, AND IS NATIONALLY ACCREDITED.
UNION APPRENTICESHIPS PROVIDED FAST TRACK FOR WORKERS IN HIGH PAYING UNION JOBS.
UPON GRADUATION, AT THE JOURNEY PERSON LEVEL, UNION CONSTRUCTION WORKERS IN THE HOUSTON AREA MAKE AN AVERAGE OF 38% MORE IN WAGES ALONE THAN THEIR NON-UNION COUNTERPARTS, WHILE ALSO RECEIVING HEALTH INSURANCE AND OTHER BENEFITS.
UM, AS I'LL LET, I'LL HEAR IT LISTS EVERY SINGLE TRADE IN OUR APPRENTICESHIP ADVANTAGE PROGRAM.
I'LL LET EVERY MEMBER HERE STUDY THAT ON THEIR OWN.
BUT I DO WANT TO EMPHASIZE THAT WITH, AMONG OUR 10 APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, THE FIRST YEAR APPRENTICE WAGE STARTS AT $16 AN HOUR AND GOES ALL THE WAY TO $26 AN HOUR, DEPENDING ON THE, THE UNION, AS I TALKED ABOUT BEFORE, SHOWING UP FOR OUR COMMUNITY.
AND AS WAS MENTIONED BY THE CHAIRWOMAN.
UM, IN THE MORNING OF FRIDAY, MAY 17TH, WE RECEIVED A CALL THE TEXAS GULF COAST AREA LABOR FEDERATION FROM FRIENDS WORKING IN NORTHEAST HOUSTON.
AN ELDERLY COUPLE WAS TRAPPED IN THEIR HOME BY A LARGE TREE THAT FELL FROM THE MAY 16TH
A CALL WENT OUT TO THE ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS', LOCAL 31, WHO IMMEDIATELY DISPATCHED A TEAM OF EXPERIENCED JOURNEYMEN THE ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS' WORK FOUR HOURS TO REMOVE THE TREE, AND THEN MOVED ON NEXT DOOR TO HELP.
ONE, TO HELP ANOTHER HOMEOWNER REMOVE A DANGEROUS TREE THAT HAD DESTROYED HER ROOF.
AS A STAFF MEMBER AT THE ALF, I CAN SAY I WAS THERE TO HELP TRIAGE THOSE CALLS THAT WERE COMING IN FROM THE DICHO STORM.
AND WE WERE REALLY LUCKY WHEN WE CALLED A LOCAL 31 AND THEY JUST GOT OUT OF THE OFFICE.
THEY WENT, THEY BOUGHT CHAINSAWS, AND THEY JUST WENT TO THE ADDRESS AND HELPED THAT INDIVIDUAL.
WHEN THAT RESIDENT OPENED THE DOORS, SHE WAS SHOCKED 'CAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOW THAT THEY WERE COMING, BUT SHE WAS SO GRATEFUL AND THEY JUST FELT OBLIGED THAT THEY HAD TO HELP.
IT'S, AS YOU CAN SEE, THAT YOU CAN'T SEE ALL THE TREES, BUT YOU KNOW, THE TREE'S.
NATURE DOESN'T DISCRIMINATE AND HURT ONE HOUSE.
IT HURT ALL THAT WHOLE STREET.
SO THEY WERE NOT JUST, THEY WERE TRYING TO REMOVE THE SAME TREE THAT HAD FALLEN ON THEIR NEIGHBOR.
IT WAS REALLY SOMETHING, SOMETHING SPECIAL, SOMETHING MOVING THAT WE WERE ABLE TO MAKE SURE WE GOT, UM, OUR UNION TO HELP WITH.
OVER THE OTHER, OVER THE DE DICHO STORM AND HURRICANE BARREL, OVER A HUNDRED SCALE TRADE UNION APPRENTICES PROVIDED SUPPORT TO OVER 125 HOUSEHOLDS IMPACTED BY THE STORM ACROSS HOUSTON APPRENTICES AND SUPERVISING JOURNEY PEOPLE CUT DOWN TREES DAMAGED BY THE STORM PATCHED ROOFS WITH TARPS TO PREVENT ADDITIONAL DAMAGE TO THE HOMES, AND EVEN HELP TO FIX WEATHERHEAD TO GET THE LIGHTS BACK ON.
WORK WAS CONDUCTED IN WORKING CLASS NEIGHBORHOODS MOST IMPACTED BY THE STORMS INCLUDED THE FIFTH WARD, CASHMERE GARDENS, CLOVERLEAF, DENVER HARBOR, INDEPENDENCE HEIGHTS, ACRE HOMES, AND SPRING BRANCH.
AND MANY OF THE, MANY OF THE 125, MANY OF THE A HUNDRED SKILLED PEOPLE THAT CAME OUT, THEY WERE APPRENTICES.
SO, WHO ARE OUR PROGRAMS AGAIN? WE HAVE 11 PROGRAMS AFFILIATED WITH US THAT, THAT DOES NOT REPRESENT THE WHOLE 65 UNIONS ARE AFFILIATED THE GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-A-O.
WE HAVE THE ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS, WE HAVE THE COMMERCIAL PAINTERS,
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GLAS AND TRADE SHOW WORKERS.WE HAVE THE STRUCTURAL IRON AND STEEL WORKERS.
WE HAVE THE HEAT AND FROST INSULATORS.
WE HAVE THE WELDING, HVAC AND PIPE FITTERS.
WE HAVE THE SHEET METAL WORKERS, THE PLUMBERS.
WE HAVE THE ELECTRICAL BUS MECHANICS IN WHICH WE WORK CON JOINTLY WITH THE TRANSPORT WORKERS UNION.
WE HAVE THE THEATER AND LIVE EVENT STAGE HANDS, AND WE HAVE THE ELECTRICIANS.
SO WHAT ARE THE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS? NOW, EACH PROGRAM HAS VERY SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS, BUT THESE ARE THE GENERAL REQUIREMENTS THAT APPLY TO ALL OF OUR 11 PROGRAMS. YOU MUST BE 18 YEARS OR OLDER TO WORK.
YOU MUST HAVE, UH, BESIDES THE SHEET METAL WORKERS AND IRON WORKERS, YOU'LL NEED A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA, OR GED MUST BE ELIGIBLE LEGAL TO WORK IN THE UNITED STATES.
YOU MUST HAVE PROPER DOCUMENTATION, DRIVER'S LICENSE, PASSPORT, AND ACCESS TO RELIABLE MOTOR VEHICLE.
AS SOME OF THE WORK SITES ARE NOT ON, UH, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION ROUTES.
AND APPLICANTS MUST BE ABLE TO PASS A DRUG TEST IN ORDER TO WORK IN IN DANGEROUS AND CONSTRUCTION.
THE CONTRACTORS, UH, NOT ALL CONTRACTORS, BUT ALMOST ALL OUR CONTRACTORS ASK ANYONE THAT'S COMING ON JOB SITE TO, TO PASS A DRUG TEST.
ADDITIONALLY, MOST PROGRAMS OFFER PLACEMENT FOR VETERANS AND REQUIRE A DD TWO 14 FORM FROM THE VA.
THERE'S ALSO ANOTHER PROGRAM CALLED HELMETS TO HARD HATS.
IT'S AN ORGANIZATION THAT WORKS WITH VETERANS IN GETTING THEM TO WORK.
SO, ONE, UM, ITEM THAT WE HAVE BEEN WORKING WITH OUR OUTREACH DEPARTMENT IS WE PROVIDE TOURS OF ALL OF OUR TRAINING PROGRAMS. WE DID MANY LAST YEAR.
SOME OF HOUSTON CITY STAFF WAS ABLE TO GO.
AND STARTING IN APRIL, WE'RE GONNA OFFER THAT AGAIN, WE'RE GONNA OFFER TOURS OF ALL OF OUR, YOU CAN SEE PICTURES HERE OF THE METRO TW PROGRAM OF THE ELECTRICIANS IN OF I, THE THEATER STAGE HANDS.
AND WE WILL PROVIDE MORE INFORMATION AS THIS COMES.
AND WE DO ENCOURAGE EVERYONE HERE AND YOUR STAFF TO JOIN US.
SO, PARTNERSHIPS, AS I STATED EARLIER, WE ORIGINALLY WERE FUNDED, UM, THROUGH, WE ORIGINALLY RECEIVED $9.1 MILLION FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT THAT WAS GIVEN TO HARRIS COUNTY.
HARRIS COUNTY CHOSE US, UM, AS A CONTRACTOR TO IMPROVE UNION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. AND WE WERE JUST RENEWED FOR MORE MONEY UNTIL, BY THE END OF 2026, WE WILL HAVE PUT $13.7 MILLION INTO UNION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. SO THE HISTORIC AMOUNT OF MONEY, NO, NOT THAT WE KNOW OF, BUT THIS IS THE MOST FEDERAL DOLLARS THAT HAVE GONE INTO UNION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. AND WE ARE VERY PROUD OF THAT.
THE HARRIS HEALTH BOARD OF TRUSTEES, LAST YEAR, TWO YEARS AGO, THEY APPROVED A 10% APPRENTICESHIP UTILIZATION REQUIREMENT ON, ON THE LBJ BOND PROGRAM.
SO THE LBJ BOND THAT EVERY, THAT THE HARRIS COUNTY VOTED TO APPROVE, 10% WILL HAVE TO USE APPRENTICES AND JOURNEY WORKERS THAT HAVE ATTENDED A UNION APPRENTICESHIP DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PROGRAM.
HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT FOUR FORWARD AND PRECINCT TOGETHER HAVE PROVIDED US FUNDING TO CONDUCT DISASTER RELIEF.
ANOTHER ITEM THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF THROUGH THESE FUNDS, PLUMBERS LOCAL 68, UM, PURCHASED A, WAS ABLE TO PURCHASE EQUIPMENT CALLED THE MEDICAL GAS LAB TRAINING FACILITY.
AND THEY, UH, WE HAD A BIG EVENT NOT TOO LONG AGO, HIGHLIGHTING AND CELEBRATING THIS AS IT'S NOT ONLY GONNA BE ABLE TO PUT MORE PEOPLE TO WORK, BUT THEY WILL BE THE FIRST UNION TO HAVE THEIR OWN TRAINING IN THE MEDICAL, UM, FOR A MEDICAL GAS LAB.
UM, ONE OTHER ITEM THAT'S NOT ON HERE, BUT I DID, I DID WANT TO SHARE, IS THAT MY HUSBAND IS, UH, A JOURNEYMAN.
HE ATTENDED THE FOUR YEAR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THROUGH THE ELEVATORS LOCAL, LOCAL 31.
AND I MET HIM WHEN HE WAS A FIRST YEAR APPRENTICE AND SAW HIM GO THROUGH THE PROGRAM.
IT WASN'T EASY AS WORK IS NOT CONSISTENT IN CONSTRUCTION, UM, YOU HAVE TO WORK OUTSIDE, WHICH WE KNOW HOW HOT IT IS.
SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO WORK IN THE RAIN, AND IF YOU DON'T GET TO WORK, IF IT'S RAINING, IT MEANS YOU DON'T GET PAID.
UM, SO I SAW HIM GO THROUGH ALL OF THAT.
HE BECAME A JOURNEYMAN AND HOW IT IMPACTED US IN RAISING OUR THREE YOUNG CHILDREN.
WE HAVE A SIX, FOUR, AND 3-YEAR-OLD, AND THROUGH THAT WE'RE ABLE TO HAVE QUALITY INSURANCE.
AND IT GAVE HIM AND THE CONFIDENCE TO START A NEW CAREER IN GOING TO LAW SCHOOL.
AND ONE INTERESTING ITEM IS THAT EVEN THOUGH HE'S IN LAW SCHOOL AT THURGOOD MARSHALL, UM, TOUGH PROGRAM, HE STILL TELLS ME THAT THE MECHANIC ELEVATOR MECHANIC TEST WAS THE HARDEST TEST HE'S EVER TAKEN
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IN HIS WHOLE LIFE,SO THAT'S PRETTY SHOCKING TO ME.
UM, BUT HE PASSED IT AND I'M PROUD OF HIM.
AND, UM, BUT THAT, I'LL TAKE ANY QUESTIONS.
AND YOU SEE A LOT OF NODDING UP HERE.
ANNA, UH, ONE OF OUR STAFF MEMBERS, HER DAD, UH, IS IN LOCAL ONE, UH, NEW YORK, NEW YORK AS WELL, AND A JOURNEYMAN THERE.
UH, WITH THAT, I DO WANNA RECOGNIZE BEFORE WE GET TO QUESTIONS, UH, WE WERE JOINED, UH, HE MAY HAVE STEPPED BACK OUT, BUT WE WERE JOINED WITH COUNT BY COUNCIL MEMBER DAVIS, UH, IN CHAMBERS, ALSO ONLINE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER, AND THEN STAFF IN CHAMBERS, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER PLUMMER'S OFFICE, AND COUNCIL MEMBER FLICKINGER OFFICE.
SO THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING AS WELL, UH, WITH THAT, UH, ONE CLARIFICATION QUESTION, THEN I'LL GET TO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER QUESTIONS.
THE WEBSITE, UM, THAT IS THE WEBSITE WHERE ANYBODY CAN GO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS. THERE'S A, IT SAYS THERE'S A WAIT LIST RIGHT NOW.
IS THAT CORRECT? OR DO DIFFERENT PROGRAMS HAVE DIFFERENT OPENINGS? CORRECT.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE, THEY, THE PROGRAMS TAKE APPRENTICES BASED ON THE WORK THAT IS AVAILABLE.
THEY TAKE, THEY, THEY JUST DON'T TAKE STUDENTS IN.
THEY TAKE STUDENTS IN KNOWING THAT THEY'RE GONNA PUT 'EM TO WORK.
SO I CAN SAY FOR THE SHEET METAL WORKERS AND THE IRON WORKERS, IRON WORKERS ARE ABOUT TO START A PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM NEXT MONTH.
UM, THE SHEET METAL WORKERS JUST STARTED A CLASS, BUT ALL THE PROGRAMS WILL TAKE A CLASS THIS FALL.
UM, THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT YOU CAN'T GET WORK.
YOU CAN GO AND APPLY TO THEM IF THIS WORK, THEY MAY BE ABLE TO PUT YOU ON AS A HELPER.
BUT MANY OF THE TRAINING PROGRAMS START IN THE FALL.
SOME ALSO HAVE ONGOING APPLICATIONS.
I KNOW FOR THE THEATER STAGE HANDS, IE.
THEY JUST WENT THROUGH THE BIG WAVE OF WORK WHERE THEY HAVE A LOT OF HOLIDAY SHOWS.
UM, BUT THEY TAKE ONGOING APPLICATIONS AS WELL.
UH, I'LL HOLD MY QUESTIONS FIRST.
UH, COUNCIL MEMBER, EXCUSE ME.
UH, JUST, UH, WANNA SAY THANK YOU FOR HIGHLIGHTING THE, THE SHORTAGE OF SKILLED WORKERS.
IT'S NOT A NEW CONVERSATION, BUT I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE TO HAVE THAT, UH, AT THE FOREFRONT BECAUSE, UM, AS YOU MENTIONED, NOT JUST WITH THE AFTERMATH OF DISASTERS, BUT JUST WITH EVERYTHING THAT'S HAPPENING, UH, I'VE BEEN HEARING A NUMBER AND I DON'T KNOW HOW, HOW EXACT IT IS, BUT IT'S OVER LIKE $20 BILLION OF WORK OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, UH, THAT'S GONNA BE IN OUR REGION.
AND SO HOW ARE WE GONNA BE ABLE TO, UH, FACILITATE THAT WORK TO BE DONE IF WE DON'T HAVE SKILLED LABOR? AND SO, UH, I THINK WE NEED TO CONTINUE TO MAKE SURE THAT, THAT THE LARGER COMMUNITY UNDERSTANDS THIS AND IF, AND KNOWING THAT THERE'S GONNA BE OPPORTUNITIES IN IN THAT FRONT.
UH, THE OTHER, THE OTHER THING THAT I, I WANTED TO BRING, UM, YOU, THE SLIDE 18 WHERE IT SAYS PARTNERSHIPS.
UM, I SEE HARRIS COUNTY HARRIS HEALTH AND THEN HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT FOUR.
WHAT, WHAT'S A, WHAT'S A GOOD WAY FOR THE CITY OF HOUSTON TO BE A PART OF THAT LIST? UM, I THINK, UM, IT'S IMPORTANT FOR US TO CONTINUE.
I KNOW WE HAVE, UH, LABOR, UH, WITHIN THE CITY, CITY EMPLOYEES, BUT THEN WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, WITH THE A-F-L-C-I-O, HOW, HOW CAN WE, WHAT'S A, A PATHWAY FOR US TO, TO, UM, YOU KNOW, BE ON THAT LIST AND, AND WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE? UM, WELL, THE FUNDING, UM, FOR ARPA FROM THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN AND ACT ENDS IN 2026.
UM, SO ALL THESE PROGRAMS, WE ARE TRYING TO PLANT THE SEED FOR WHAT THE NEXT WAVE WILL BE.
WE'VE CREATED A LOT OF MOMENTUM, SO WE WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THOSE CONVERSATIONS WITH YOU ALL ON WHAT THAT FUNDING LOOKS LIKE.
I, I CANNOT SPEAK FOR MY EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, BUT I KNOW HE DOES HAVE PLANS ON WHAT THAT, WHAT THE NEXT PHASE WILL BE.
UM, BUT WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW WHAT FUNDING IS AVAILABLE ON Y'ALL'S END.
I'D BE INTERESTED TO HELP HIM BE A CHAMPION OF THAT CONVERSATION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT THAT LABOR STAYS IN THE FOREFRONT.
UM, A LOT OF FOLKS THAT LIVE IN DISTRICT, I ARE A PART OF SEVERAL OF THE UNIONS THAT YOU MENTIONED, AND, AND SO, UH, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT MY COMMUNITIES CAN, UH, CONTINUE TO HAVE OPPORTUNITIES TO WORK, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW THAT ONCE THEY, UH, GAIN THAT ECONOMIC POWER WITHIN THEIR OWN HOUSEHOLD, THEN OTHER THINGS ARE, ARE BETTER, RIGHT? SAFER, SAFER COMMUNITIES.
UM, AND, AND SO ON THE RIPPLE REFLECT EFFECT.
SO, UM, LET US KNOW, LET ME KNOW HOW I CAN HELP PARTICIPATE IN THAT CONVERSATION.
COUNCIL MEMBER, I, I HAVE SIMILAR QUESTIONS, BUT FIRST WE'LL GO ONLINE.
WE HAVE COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON.
CAN YOU HEAR ME OKAY? I, YEAH.
TRY AND TALK A LITTLE LOUDER, BUT WE CAN MAKE IT OUT RIGHT NOW.
CAN YOU HEAR ME? OKAY, WELL, THANK YOU, UM, MADAM CHAIR, AND THANK YOU FOR THE PRESENTATION.
UM, FIRST I JUST WANNA, UM, AGAIN, I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY THANKED A-F-L-C-I-O FOR THE WORK DURING THE RECENT STORMS. I TOO WANNA, UM, THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR SUPPORT, UM, IN THE DISTRICT B AREA.
UM, YOU GUYS, I MEAN, WAS, I MEAN, JUST REALLY HELPFUL, UM, GETTING RESIDENTS TREES CUT OFF THEIR, THEIR HOUSES, YOU KNOW, UM, WEATHER DURING THE WEATHER HEADS.
AND SO JUST WANT TO APPRECIATE YOU AND
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THANK YOU FOR, UM, THAT PARTNERSHIP.UM, AND REGARD THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM.
I AM A BIG SUPPORTER, HUGE SUPPORTIVE APPRENTICE OPPORTUNITIES.
IN FACT, UM, MY SON WILL, HE'S SCHEDULED TO GRADUATE, UM, IN MAY WITH, UM, WITH HIS JOURNEYMAN LICENSE IN PLUMBING.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED ABOUT THAT.
THIS JUST BEING PART OF THE APPRENTICESHIP HAS CHANGED HIS LIFE.
UM, AND SO I KNOW WHEN, UM, A FEW YEARS AGO I LAUNCHED THE BE SUCCESSFUL JOBS INITIATIVE AND WAS WORKING WITH, UM, UM, UM, UH, LINDA AND JAY, YOU KNOW, AS YOU GUYS WERE ROLLING OUT THIS PROGRAM WITH THE, UM, HARRIS COUNTY PARTNERSHIP.
AND SO MY, I DON'T KNOW IF THIS QUESTION WAS ASKED OR ANSWERED.
UM, HOW MANY DO YOU HAVE A SET NUMBER OF APPRENTICE OPPORTUNITIES, UM, ARE, ARE THEY, YOU KNOW, JUST HIT AND MISS? UM, 'CAUSE I REALLY WOULD LIKE TO MOVE FORWARD WITH THE PARTNERSHIP.
UM, THE CONVERSATIONS WE'VE HAD TWO YEARS AGO ABOUT PARTNERING WITH THE BE SUCCESSFUL INITIATIVE WOULD LOVE TO, UM, MOVE FORWARD WITH THAT BECAUSE WE HAVE A LOT OF YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN THAT ARE VERY MUCH INTERESTED IN THIS APPRENTICE, UM, PROGRAM.
I WANNA MAKE SURE I'M, I'M UNDERSTANDING THIS QUESTION, RIGHT? YOU'RE ASKING IF THERE'S CURRENT OPENINGS NOW FOR INDIVIDUALS TO GO AND APPLY AND BE A PART OF THESE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. DID I UNDERSTAND THAT RIGHT? YES.
DO YOU HAVE LIKE A ESTIMATE NUMBER? BECAUSE AS WE'RE TALKING TO PEOPLE ABOUT THE APPRENTICE OPPORTUNITIES, AND, AND OF COURSE I DON'T WANT TO, UM, YOU KNOW, LIKE WHEEL PEOPLE IN AND LET 'EM KNOW THAT THERE'S A OPPORTUNITY, BUT THERE'S NO OPPORTUNITY AVAILABLE BECAUSE I KNOW, I THINK I HEARD YOU MENTION THAT IT'S BASED UPON THE EMPLOYERS.
SO DO YOU HAVE LIKE ROLLOUT, LIKE YOU START OUT WITH 50 AND THEN YOU, YOU KNOW, SIX MONTHS LATER YOU OPEN UP FOR 50.
SO JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT PEOPLE, UM, WHEN THEY DO SHOW UP, THEY'RE ABLE TO GET IN IN THE APPRENTICE PROGRAM AND NOT HAVE TO, YOU KNOW, LIKE, WAIT, WAIT, WAIT UNTIL AN OPPORTUNITY.
I THINK I UNDERSTAND IT'S FLUID PER EACH PROGRAM, BUT WE CAN FOLLOW UP AND GET THAT INFORMATION TO YOU.
SOME INDIVI, SOME PROGRAMS WILL WAIT UNTIL THEIR TRAINING PROGRAM STARTS.
SOME CAN PUT YOU TO WORK RIGHT AWAY AND SOME WAIT TILL MORE WORK COMES.
BUT LET ME DIG INTO THAT MORE TO GET PRECISE NUMBERS AND I CAN SEND THAT TO YOU.
YEAH, IT WOULD BE, I THINK TR THANK YOU COUNCIL MEMBER FOR THE QUESTION.
I THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL, UM, AGAIN, WITH SO MANY PROGRAMS AVAILABLE, JUST MAYBE SOME ESTIMATES OR JUST THE SCHEDULE.
AGAIN, SOME ARE ROLLING BASIS, SOME WE KNOW START IN THE FALL.
UH, BUT ALSO WHO I'M ASSUMING IF A COUNCIL MEMBER SAYS, HEY, WE HAVE SOME FOLKS THAT ARE REALLY INTERESTED, THEY COULD CONTACT THEIR OFFICE, COULD CONTACT YOU.
AND YOU COULD WORK WITH THEM DIRECTLY.
UM, PART OF YOUR ROLE IS, IS NAVIGATING SOME OF THIS.
SO, UH, COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON, UM, JENNIFER'S INFORMATION IS ON THIS SLIDE AND IF WE CAN HELP FACILITATE THAT CONNECTION.
UM, BUT I THINK THAT IS A, A GREAT CONNECT WHERE WE CAN GET SOME MORE DETAILS THAT WAY AS WELL.
ONE AT THE BEGINNING OF THE PRESENTATION, AND I MAY HAVE MISSED IT.
SOME OF THESE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, IT SOUNDED LIKE, UM, WE'RE BASED ON FEDERAL FUNDING.
SO WE HAVE THE ARPA DOLLARS THAT THE COUNTY HAS, UH, IN AN EXTRAORDINARY WAY LEVERAGED TO SUPPORT.
HAVE THERE BEEN OTHER BUCKETS OF FEDERAL DOLLARS UNDER THE BIDEN ADMINISTRATION WHO IS VERY FRIENDLY, UH, TO LABOR, UH, IN CREATING THESE PROGRAMS. AND REALLY WHAT I'M GETTING TO IS WE ARE SEEING ACROSS THE BOARD FREEZES, CUTS, ET CETERA.
SO ARE SOME OF THESE PROGRAMS, UH, IN JEOPARDY AT THE MOMENT? UM, IT'S A MULTIPLE PART QUESTION.
SO LET ME SEE IF I GET THE STEPS CORRECT.
FIRST, DEPART ALL THESE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, THESE 10 APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS ARE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR CERTIFIED PROGRAM, AND THEY DO GET FUNDING FROM THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, AND THEY WOULD BE WORK EXISTING NOW WITHOUT THE ARPA DOLLARS.
NOW THESE ARPA DOLLARS WERE SENT TO US TO ENHANCE THE UNION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, AND THEY HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REALLY ELEVATE THEIR GAME IN TAKING MORE AND TAKING MORE STUDENTS, HIRING MORE STAFF, ALL OF THAT.
UM, WE CLARIFIED WITH THE COUNTY THIS WEEK, IF ALL THE FREEZES WERE GOING TO HURT OUR PROGRAM, AND WE WERE TOLD NO, UM, THE ARPA DOLLARS HAVE ALREADY BEEN SENT TO HARRIS COUNTY.
UM, NOW THEY'RE GONNA, THEY SAY THAT THEIR LEGAL TEAMS ARE MONITORING IT AND THEY WILL LET US KNOW.
BUT AS FAR AS WE KNOW, WE WERE TOLD, WE WERE TOLD IT WOULD NOT AFFECT US.
UH, I'M VERY RELIEVED TO HEAR THAT WE'RE HEARING CONCERNS IN OTHER SECTORS, SO I'M GLAD THAT THIS, BUT THE ARPA DOLLARS WILL RUN OUT IN 2026 TO THE VICE CHAIR'S POINT.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS, AND LINDA, I'LL ASK YOU WHEN YOU COME UP AS WELL, IN ADDITION TO FUNDING, HOW CAN THE CITY BE PARTNERING? I APPRECIATE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
[00:30:01]
TOUR THE APPRENTICESHIPS.IF OFFICES HAVEN'T TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THAT, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO DO SO.
UM, THESE FACILITIES AND THE HANDS-ON EXPERIENCE ARE, ARE INCREDIBLE.
I'VE DONE THE PAINTERS WHO'VE GONE TO OTHER ONES, UH, THEY'RE ALL VERY UNIQUE, UH, VERY HANDS-ON AND EYE-OPENING AS WELL.
GOING BACK TO THE WHAT THE CITY CAN DO, ARE THERE OTHER, IN ADDITION TO FUNDING, UH, AND WE APPRECIATE, AGAIN, PRECINCT FOUR, PRECINCT TWO, HARRIS HEALTH, UH, THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS OVERALL, THEIR SUPPORT.
UH, WHAT OTHER TYPES OF SUPPORT CAN THE CITY BE PROVIDING IN ADDITION TO, UH, ELEVATING THE PROGRAMS DAYS LIKE TODAY WHERE WE'RE REALLY TRYING TO GET THE INFORMATION OUT TO THE PUBLIC ABOUT THESE OPPORTUNITIES, FUNDING SOME OF THIS DOWN THE ROAD? ARE THERE OTHER WAYS IN WHICH WE CAN BE PARTNERING? YES.
SO THE FUNDING GOES DIRECTLY TO THE TRAINING PROGRAMS. IT DOESN'T, LEMME JUST BE REALLY CUR CLEAR.
IT GOES THROUGH THE TRAINING PROGRAMS. IT DOESN'T GO TO THE UNION, IT'S SEPARATE.
THIS IS, IT'S, YOU KNOW, THE SAME, BUT IT'S SEPARATE.
SO DIFFERENT FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES COULD GO AND REPLACING THAT, SUCH AS SOME USE IT TO BUY BOOKS, SOME USE IT TO PAY INSTRUCTORS.
UM, OTHERS ARE WRAPAROUND SERVICES THAT APPRENTICES NEED THAT.
WE ARE REALLY TRYING TO TAKE A DEEP DIVE INTO THAT.
ONE OF THE ITEMS I LISTED HERE ON THE POWERPOINT, THAT IF YOU DON'T HAVE RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO KEEP A JOB.
AND AS WE KNOW, HOUSTON IS HUGE AND, UH, IF YOU LIVE ON AND YOU DON'T GET TO PICK WHERE YOU GET TO WORK, YOU GET ASSIGNED WHERE YOU GET TO WORK AND YOU TAKE THAT OPPORTUNITY AS A COME AS A COME.
SO HELPING, FINDING OUT ABOUT RELIABLE TRANSPORTATION HOUSING HAS BEEN A COMMON THEME.
UM, AND THAT THEY'RE NOT, YOU KNOW, WHILE WE DO HAVE GOOD LIVABLE WAGES, PEOPLE STILL HAVE FAMILIES AND TO HAVE OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES THAT THEY HAVE TO TAKE CARE OF.
SO I KNOW WRAPAROUND SERVICES, UM, ARE A NEED.
UM, THOSE ARE THE TOP TWO THAT HAVE BEEN CONSISTENTLY BEEN COMING UP.
AND WHAT ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY TO PROVIDE FOR THE JOBS THEMSELVES? SO YOU WORK A LOT WITH CONTRACTORS AND THINGS OF THAT NATURE, BUT ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES IN GOVERNMENT WHERE, UH, WE CAN SAY, HEY, WE ARE, WE'RE GONNA ACTUALLY TAKE ON APPRENTICESHIP WORK AS WELL HERE AT THE CITY OR HERE AT THE COUNTY? I THINK IT WOULD BE REALLY WONDERFUL IF IT, UH, IF Y'ALL COULD DO WHAT HARRIS HEALTH COUNTY HOSPITAL DID AND THEN ENSURE, UM, WHATEVER NEXT PROJECT COMES IN OR PUTTING IT INTO Y'ALL'S, UM, AGENDA AND ENSURING THAT THERE'S A 10% UTILIZATION LABOR OF DEPARTMENT OF THE LABOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. I WANNA MAKE THIS THE DISTINCTION.
THERE'S DEPARTMENT OF LABOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS AND THEN THERE'S APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. I SHOULD HAVE MADE THAT CLARIFICATION EARLIER.
YOU AND I CAN GO OUT TODAY AND MAKE A FIVE WEEK APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS TO BECOME ELECTRICIANS.
THEY'RE THERE, BUT IS THEY'RE NOT SAFE.
AND WHILE THEY SAY THEIR NUMBERS ARE GREAT AND JOB PLACEMENT, IT'S NOT SUSTAINABLE.
OUR ELECTRICAL TRAINING PROGRAM IS FIVE YEARS LONG.
I CANNOT BELIEVE WHEN I SEE A CONTRACTOR SAY IT'S FIVE WEEKS TO FIVE YEARS.
UM, BUT WHAT WE CAN DO WHEN WORKING WITH YOU ALL IS ENSURING THAT YOU'RE USING THESE CERTIFIED QUALITY SKILLED APPRENTICE AND JOURNEY MEMBERS ON BUILDING, UM, WHATEVER IT IS.
NEXT AT CITY OF HOUSTON IS BUILDING NEXT IN BUILDINGS AND HAVING JUST FOR ELEVATORS.
ARE YOUR ELEVATORS MAINTENANCE THROUGH THE, THROUGH LOCAL 31? ARE THEY UNION MEMBERS? I DON'T KNOW.
UM, SO THERE'S A LOT THAT I, I WISH I KNEW, BUT I KNOW THAT THAT IS ONE THING THAT YOU GUYS CAN DEFINITELY DO MOVING FORWARD.
VERY HELPFUL, UH, STAFF FROM COUNCILS MEMBER RAMIREZ'S OFFICE.
SO, UH, ANY DEPARTMENT OF LABOR MONEY FOR THIS OR NO.
SO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, UH, REIMBURSES THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM PER STUDENT.
SO THEY'RE ABLE TO PROVIDE FUNDING DEPENDING ON THE STUDENT.
I DON'T KNOW ALL THE TECHNICALITIES, BUT IT GOES INTO TO HOW MANY TO THE DIRECTLY TO THE STUDENT.
SO THEY'LL PAY THEM FOR, THEY SEND THEM FUNDS AND IT GOES INTO BOOKS OR IT GOES INTO INSTRUCTION, IT GOES INTO BUYING SUPPLIES, MATERIALS FOR HANDS-ON TRAINING, LIKE, UM, WIRES OR PIPES OR ITEMS LIKE THAT.
SO THIS IS SORT OF AN OPINION OR A, HAVE YOU HEARD QUESTIONS? SO FEEL FREE TO GIVE ME AN HONEST ANSWER.
BUT, UM, OUR OFFICE HAD HEARD THAT THERE'S A LOT OF DEPARTMENT OF LABOR MONEY OUT THERE FOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS MORE THAN HOUSTON REGION IS UTILIZING ANY, HAVE YOU HEARD ANYTHING LIKE THAT OR AN OPINION ON THAT OR? I HAVEN'T.
UM, SO ANOTHER RELATED, UNRELATED QUESTION.
SO IF I'M AN AN EMPLOYER AND I'M LIKE, I WANNA USE, I NEED MORE ELECTRICIANS ON MY JOBS MM-HMM
UM, AND I CAME TO YOU, WOULD YOU BE BUILDING A SPECIFIC PROGRAM
[00:35:01]
FOR MY COMPANY WITH THE APPRENTICESHIPS? OR WOULD I BE KIND OF LIKE PLUGGED IN AS A JOB SITE TO YOUR EXISTING ELECTRICIAN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? UM, I THINK SO.SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, LET ME MAKE SURE I GET THIS CORRECTLY.
YOUR CONTRACTOR, YOU NEED ELECTRICAL WORK DONE ON YOUR SITE.
SO YOU WOULD GO TO UNION CONTRACTORS? WE DO HAVE UNION CONTRACTORS TO WORK WITH IBEW SEVEN 16 TO MAKE SURE THAT THEIR APPRENTICES AND JOURNEY PEOPLE GO OUT TO THAT SITE TO DO THE SPECIFIC WORK THAT'S NEEDED.
SO WHAT, 'CAUSE I THOUGHT I HEARD YOU SAY THAT, THAT Y'ALL BUILD, LIKE WITH THE EMPLOYERS, YOU'RE BUILDING AN APPRENTICESHIP.
SO WE BUILD, SO ALL OF THESE PROGRAMS, EIGHT OF THE PROGRAMS, LEMME REPHRASE THIS.
EIGHT OF THE PROGRAMS, THE BUILDING TRAITS AND CONSTRUCTION PROGRAMS, THEY ALL HAVE A JOINT COMMITTEE.
IT'S A JOINT COMMITTEE, IS A GROUP WHERE IT'S EMPLOYER, CONTRACTORS, UNION AND UNION LEADERSHIP.
AND TOGETHER THEY NEGOTIATE THE CONTRACTS, THE EMPLOYERS LET THEM KNOW WHAT WORK IS COMING AND THEY DISCUSS ANY NEEDS, UM, ANY CURRENT OR FUTURE NEEDS.
SO THAT'S HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER.
DO WE HAVE TIME FOR ANOTHER ONE OR? YEAH.
AND THEN WE HAVE A FEW OTHER SAFETY.
UM, SO THINKING ABOUT, Y'ALL HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT A CURRENT CITY OF HOUSTON WORKFORCE RELATED CONTRACTS, WHICH I THINK ARE MOSTLY HUD AND SOME DOL FUNDED CONTRACTS.
THIS IS ANOTHER OPINION QUESTION.
UM, IF YOU HAD TO GIVE ADVICE TO THE CITY, AND YOU CAN TELL ME LATER IF YOU'RE NOT SURE RIGHT OFF THE BAT, BUT IF YOU HAD TO GIVE ADVICE TO THE CITY ABOUT HOW THE CITY SHOULD MEASURE THE IMPACT OF THOSE PROGRAMS, ARE THEY REALLY GETTING FOLKS INTO GOOD PAYING JOBS? WHAT WOULD BE YOUR ADVICE FOR HOW, HOW WE SHOULD MEASURE OR WHAT, WHAT DATA WE SHOULD ASK THOSE, THOSE WORKFORCE PROGRAMS FOR, TO MEASURE THAT? DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YEAH, I CAN SPEAK TO, 'CAUSE I AM A FORMER HARRIS HEALTH BOARD TRUSTEE MEMBER.
WHEN I CAME ON A FEW YEARS AGO, UH, THE BOARD CONDUCTED A, UM, A DISPARITY STUDY AND THEN THAT DISPARITY STUDY, THEY REVIEWED THE CONTRACTORS AND THE DEMOGRAPHICS, HOW MANY CONTRACTS WERE BEING RECEIVED BY MWBES AND OTHER ITEMS LIKE THAT.
AND I THINK THAT IS SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN START ASSESSING, UM, IN LOOKING WHERE, UM, HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL DOLLARS GO TO AMONG NEW CONTRACTORS BECAUSE IT'S THE CONTRACTORS THAT, THAT PUT OUR PEOPLE TO WORK.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR PRESENTATION.
IT WAS VERY, VERY, VERY INFORMATIVE.
LET ME ASK A QUESTION, A FEW QUESTIONS IF I MAY.
THIS PROGRAM, THIS APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM WITH THE ONES HARRIS COUNTY HAS ALREADY ALLOCATED 13.7.
THAT IS THE NUMBER, UH, HARRIS HELD 10% OF APPRENTICESHIP, UM, AUTHORIZATION ON THE LBJ BOND? YES.
AND, UM, HARRIS COUNTY PRECINCT FOUR FORWARD AND PRECINCT TWO TOGETHER, THOSE ALL ARE PART OF THE PROGRAM, RIGHT? YES, THEY, YEAH, THEY PUT OUR APPRENTICES TO WORK IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING THE DEAD STORM IN HURRICANE BARREL.
SO YOUR ASK IS WHAT THE CITY CAN DO IN ORDER TO ADD TO THAT PROGRAM, CORRECT? YES.
SO IS THERE LABOR OUTTA LABOR DEPARTMENT? ARE THERE ANY DOLLARS THAT HAS BEEN ALLOCATED FOR FEDERAL TO THIS PROGRAM? TO THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR? THROUGH THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, YES.
BUT THEY GO DIRECTLY THROUGH THE PROGRAM ITSELF.
SO I CAN'T SPEAK EXACTLY HOW MUCH EACH PROGRAM IS GETTING, BUT THEY DO WORK WITH THEM, RIGHT? UM, THEY, YES, THEY DO.
AND HOPEFULLY, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING IT HAPPEN BECAUSE ACTUALLY, I KNOW WE HEAR A LOT ABOUT THE FEDERAL FUND AND BEING FROZEN, BUT ACTUALLY IT'S NOT BEING FROZEN.
IT'S ONLY CERTAIN AREAS OF IT ACROSS THE BOARD.
IT WAS CORRECTED EVEN TODAY WAS SAID WHEN IT WENT OUT, IT WAS REPORTED THAT IT WAS A FREEZE ON IT.
SO WE ARE HOPING THAT THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM.
IT'S NOT ACROSS THE BOARD FREEZE.
AND I THINK, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, UM, CERTAINLY, YOU KNOW, WOULD LOVE TO SEE THE CITY PARTICIPATE IN IT BECAUSE IT SHOWED THAT WERE MANY, UM, AREAS, PARTICULARLY LIKE DURING THE STORM, A LOT OF THOSE AREAS COULD HAVE BEEN DONE WITH LABOR, UH, WORKERS.
AND, AND, AND I THINK THAT'S, THAT'S A PLUS FOR THE CITY.
SO I'M LOOKING, I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING THIS PROGRAM GO FORWARD.
AND I THINK ONE OF THE THINGS TO NOTE WITH THE FUNDING THAT THE COUNTY GAVE, THOSE ARE ARPA DOLLARS THAT EXPIRE IN 2026.
SO I THINK ONE OF THE BIG QUESTIONS WE HAVE TO GRAPPLE WITH IS HOW DO WE KEEP THESE PROGRAMS SUSTAINING BEYOND THAT BECAUSE THEY ARE SO SUCCESSFUL AND THEY ARE SUCH A BENEFIT.
[00:40:01]
AN ADVOCATE YOU ARE IN OUR VETERANS COMMUNITY.SO WE LOVE THE, UM, HELMETS TO HARDHATS PROGRAM.
STAFF FROM COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON'S OFFICE.
UM, HOW DO YOU RECRUIT, UM, TRAINEES? UM, THE BIGGEST, UH, WAY THAT WE RECRUIT FUTURE TRAINEES IS WORD OF MOUTH.
UM, BUT ALL OF THE PROGRAMS GO TO INDIVIDUAL JOB FAIRS.
UM, SOME PROGRAMS GO THROUGH THEIR INTERNATIONAL EDUCATION SYSTEM AND THEY GO TO, THEY HAVE THEIR OWN SYSTEM THAT THEY WORK OUT.
WHAT WE HAVE BEEN DOING, OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM IS DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH DIFFERENT NONPROFITS AND DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS THROUGHOUT HARRIS COUNTY, UM, TO LEARN HOW WE CAN PUT PEOPLE TO WORK, ALSO TO LEARN MORE ABOUT WRAPAROUND SERVICES.
UM, BUT, UH, WE ALSO ATTEND JOBS FOR TWO JOB FAIRS TO ADVERTISING ALL OF OUR 11 PROGRAMS. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
UM, WE'RE ABOUT TO GO TO, UH, PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
I JUST WANTED TO MAKE SURE, UH, WE WERE SEEING IF COUNCIL MEMBER JACKSON HAD ANOTHER QUESTION.
UM, ARE THESE OPPORTUNITIES OPEN TO SECOND CHANCE? YES, THEY ARE.
UM, ONE THING THAT WAS REALLY SPECIAL THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK IS THAT OUR COMMUNICATIONS TEAM RECEIVED A LETTER FROM A HARRIS COUNTY INMATE.
THEY HAVE HEARD OF OUR PROGRAM AND THEY WROTE US A HANDWRITTEN LETTER TO SAY, TO SEND TO PLEASE SEND MATERIALS TO, UM, A, A HOUSTON ADDRESS SO WHEN THEY GET OUT OF JAIL, THEY CAN APPLY TO ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS. SO WE ARE REACHING THEM.
UH, TERRIFIC QUESTIONS FROM EVERYONE AND REALLY IMPORTANT INFORMATION THAT, AGAIN, ONE OF THE THINGS I THINK RIGHT NOW OUR OFFICES CAN ALL BE DOING IS GETTING THE WORD OUT ABOUT THESE PROGRAMS AS WELL.
UM, WE'RE GONNA MOVE TO PUBLIC SPEAKERS.
UH, FIRST WE HAVE LINDA MORALES, UH, REPRESENTING GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O.
UM, AND LINDA IS ALSO OUR ORGANIZING COORDINATOR.
YOU, SO, UM, IN LOOKING OVER MY TALKING POINTS' PRETTY SIMILAR TO JENNIFER'S PRESENTATION, SO I'M NOT GONNA GO OVER THAT AGAIN.
BUT I DO WANNA SAY A COUPLE OF THINGS FROM THAT ON A PERSONAL NOTE.
I KNOW I'VE SEEN IT, HOW THESE PROGRAMS HAVE TRANSFORMED MANY LIVES, EARNING A PAYCHECK, HAVING A CAREER.
SKILLS AND CONFIDENCE ARE THE CORE MESSAGES FROM WHAT I HEAR FROM THESE PARTICIPANTS, AND YOU'RE GONNA HEAR IT A LITTLE BIT FROM THE FOLKS THAT WE WE BROUGHT TODAY.
UH, THE CITY OF HOUSTON IS NOT NEW TO APPRENTICESHIP UTILIZATION.
REMEMBER HURRICANE HARVEY, WE WANTED TO REBUILD THIS CITY AND WE REBUILT IT UNDER THE, THE, UM, HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT.
SO THERE'S A LANGUAGE IN THERE.
THE ONLY THING THAT IF, IF WE WANNA DO, UH, A POLICY, I WOULD SUGGEST THAT WE NOT SAY JUST 10%, THAT WE SAVE 10% OF EACH TRADE.
SO TO MODIFY THAT, UM, AND WE DID IT IN THE MULTI-FAMILY HOUSING, WHICH WAS, WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.
UM, AT, I REMEMBER WHEN WE ROLLED OUT THE PROGRAM, THERE WAS CONCERN THAT, OH, WE'RE NOT GONNA BE ABLE TO GET ANYBODY TO BID ON THE CONTRACTS.
WE GOT PLENTY OF CONTRACTORS TO BID ON THOSE CONTRACTS.
UM, A COUPLE OF THINGS TOO THAT I DO WANNA HIGHLIGHT, UH, AND IS THAT, UH, IN THE FIRST YEAR, THIS PROGRAM HAS ENROLLED 700, 730 APPRENTICES ACROSS HARRIS COUNTY.
UH, JENNIFER MENTIONED, UH, WE ADDED TWO NEW PROGRAMS, PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION AND LIVE ENTERTAINMENT, WHICH ARE SUPER EXCELLENT PROGRAMS. WE KNOW, AND WE ARE PUSHING INTENTIONALLY TO OUTREACH TO WOMEN AND TO PEOPLE OF COLOR BECAUSE WE KNOW WHO WHO NEEDS THOSE JOBS.
UM, AND IF YOU, YOU KNOW, VISIT OUR WEBSITE, UH, GC AFLCIO.ORG/APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, UM, AS I SAID, THESE PROGRAMS ARE LIFE, ARE LIFE CHANGING PROGRAMS. UH, SOME OF THE, UH, BUILDINGS HERE IN HOUSTON, MINUTE MAID PARK, DAIKIN, UH, WAS DONE BY OUR, OUR APPRENTICES HILTON AMERICAS.
AND AS WE JUST MENTIONED, LBJ HOSPITAL.
AND WE'LL BE DOING OTHER HOSPITALS WITH, UH, THE, UH, HARRIS HEALTH NETWORK.
SO, UH, UH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND WE APPRECIATE IT.
AND IN ADDITION TO, UM, THE WORK THAT WAS DONE DURING HARVEY, I WAS GONNA WAIT TILL, UM, IBW MEMBERS WERE SPEAKING AND OUR PLUMBERS WERE SPEAKING, BUT, UH, WHETHER IT WAS OUR LINE WORKERS DURING THE RECHO, UH, AND BARRELL, OR WE ALSO FORGET ABOUT WINTER STORM URI YES.
AND THE HOTLINE AND EVERYBODY STEPPING UP TO HELP REPAIR, UH, DURING THAT EXTREMELY TRYING TIME.
[00:45:01]
SUPPLY SHORTAGES THAT WE WERE DEALING WITH TOO.SO THE UNIONS HAVE STEPPED UP TIME AND AGAIN.
WELL, WE'VE, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO BE HERE AT, AT, AT THE CITY HALL BECAUSE OF YOUR LEADERSHIP, 'CAUSE OF, UH, COUNCILMAN MARTINEZ'S LEADERSHIP AND OTHER FRIENDS, UH, COUNCILWOMAN, UH, JACKSON.
UM, EARLY ON, AS A MATTER OF FACT, SHE WAS A BIG PROPONENT OF OUR HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
SO WE, WE APPRECIATE ALL THE WORK AND WE WANT CHAMPIONS, CHAMPIONS OR FOLKS WHO ARE WITH LABOR, UH, BECAUSE IT, WE'RE NOT, WE'RE NOT IN IT FOR MONEY US.
WE'RE IN IT FOR THE FUTURE OF AMERICA.
THAT I FORGOT TO ASK JENNIFER.
UM, ONE SINCE YOU BROUGHT IT UP, SINCE HARVEY AND THE CDBG PROGRAM THAT WE DID IT FOR MULTIFAMILY, HAS THERE BEEN ANOTHER PROGRAM AT THE CITY SINCE THEN? LIKE THAT? NO.
AND, UM, WE'D LOVE TO COME BACK,
I HAD A FEW MORE QUESTIONS, BUT I'LL, I'LL HOLD THOSE 'CAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE A LOT OF SPEAKERS HERE TODAY.
NEXT, UH, MS. SWANSON, WHO IS AN APPRENTICE WITH IBEW.
CALVIN, YOU ON THE LIST TODAY? NO.
UM, GOOD AFTERNOON AND THANK YOU TO THE LABOR COMMUNITY FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO SHARE MY STORY WITH YOU TODAY.
UM, GROWING UP I HAD NO IDEA WHAT I WANTED TO DO WITH MY LIFE.
EVERYBODY KEPT ASKING ME, WHAT DO YOU WANNA BE WHEN YOU GROW UP? I COULDN'T TELL YOU.
UM, AND GETTING TO HIGH SCHOOL STILL HAD NO IDEA.
SO I DECIDED TO GO TO A COMMUNITY COLLEGE.
I TRIED THREE DIFFERENT PATHS AND I STILL COULDN'T FIGURE OUT WHAT I WANTED TO BE.
UM, SO LUCKILY I ENDED UP IN A REALLY GOOD JOB WHERE I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA RETIRE.
I ENDED UP IN OIL AND GAS, WHICH WE KNOW IS BIG AROUND HOUSTON.
HOWEVER, AFTER COVID, WE ENDED UP GETTING LAID OFF.
AND I WAS HEARTBROKEN BECAUSE I THOUGHT I WAS GONNA RETIRE WHERE I WAS AT.
THEN I REALIZED THAT I HAD NOTHING TO FALL BACK ONTO.
AND INSTEAD OF GOING TO COLLEGE, SPENDING ALL THIS MONEY ON STUFF THAT I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD NEED, DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I WANTED TO DO, I ENDED UP LOOKING INTO THE TRADES.
AND I AM SO GLAD THAT I FOUND IT BECAUSE IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH, JUST LIKE JEN JENNIFER SAID EARLIER, THERE'S PROGRAMS OUT THERE THAT SAYS THEY'RE SEVEN MONTHS LONG.
YOU CAN BECOME AN ELECTRICIAN IN SEVEN MONTHS IF YOU DO YOUR RESEARCH.
THE STATE OF TEXAS REQUIRES YOU TO HAVE 8,000 HOURS WORKING UNDER A LICENSED MASTER ELECTRICIAN BEFORE YOU CAN GET YOUR STATE LICENSE.
YOU CAN'T DO THAT IN SEVEN MONTHS.
THAT'S WHY THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IS SUCH A BIG DEAL AND IS SERIOUSLY A LIFE CHANGER BECAUSE I KNOW BEFORE I STARTED WHERE I WAS AT, AND I AM A LOT BETTER OFF WHERE I'M AT NOW.
SORRY, I FORGOT TO SAY THAT EARLIER.
BUT YEAH, I'M A SECOND YEAR WITH IBEW, THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS.
BUT, UM, YEAH, I JUST, I AM SO PROUD TO BE AN ELECTRICIAN.
I'M SO PROUD TO BE A PART OF THE UNION, AND I JUST WANTED TO SAY THANKS TO THE, UM, BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION AND TO HARRIS COUNTY FOR ALLOWING THIS TO CONTINUE ON.
HELLO, UH, THANK YOU FOR THE LABOR COMMITTEE FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS JOSE ANTONIO ORTIZ.
I'M A FIRST YEAR ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE WITH THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF ELECTRICAL WORKERS, IBEW, LOCAL SEVEN 16, AND ALSO A GRADUATE OF THE APPRENTICESHIP READINESS, UH, PROGRAM MC THREE.
UH, GROWING UP IN ALE, I DID NOT KNOW WHERE, WHAT CAREER PATH I WANTED TO BEGIN WITH.
LIKE MANY PEOPLE MY AGE IN THESE TRYING TIMES, I WASN'T SURE IF I WANTED TO GO TO COLLEGE OR IF IT WAS EVEN THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR ME.
UM, I DIDN'T WANT TO TAKE ON STUDENT DEBT AND A DEGREE THAT MAY NOT EVEN GUARANTEE ME A JOB.
I WANTED SOMETHING HANDS-ON WHERE I COULD WORK WITH MY HANDS AND MY MIND AND THAT SKILLS THAT WOULD ALWAYS BE IN DEMAND, EVEN WITH ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE COMING UP BEFORE MY APPRENTICESHIP, I WAS MAKING ABOUT $500 A MONTH AND I WAS STRUGGLING TO PAY OFF MY DEBT.
BUT THANKFULLY TO THE PROGRAM, I WAS ABLE TO GET TRAINED AND CERTIFIED AND START WORK RIGHT AWAY.
WITHIN TWO MONTHS, I WAS MAKING ABOUT A THOUSAND DOLLARS A WEEK, AND WHICH ALLOWED ME TO GET OUTTA MY DEBT, SAVE UP AND EVEN BUY A NEW CAR PAID IN CASH.
THIS APPRENTICESHIP HAS COMPLETELY CHANGED MY LIFE.
I CAN EARN WHILE I LEARN GAIN CERTIFICATIONS WITHOUT STUDENT LOANS.
[00:50:01]
CHANCE TO WORK WITH MY EXPERIENCED TRADESPEOPLE, MY JOURNEYMEN AND JOURNEY WOMEN WHO HAVE MENTIONED, MENTORED ME AND GUIDED ME ALONG THE WAY BEYOND THE JOB.UH, THE APPRENTICESHIP HAS ALSO GIVEN ME A COMMUNITY THROUGH THE GULF COAST, A-F-L-C-I-O, ACTIVE TRADE APPRENTICE COMMITTEE.
I'VE GIVEN BACK BY VOLUNTEERING IN THE COMMUNITY AND SUPPORTING LEADERS WHO ADVOCATE FOR APPRENTICESHIPS AND ENCOURAGE OTHER YOUNG PEOPLE TO LOOK INTO THESE OPPORTUNITIES.
UNION APPRENTICESHIPS PROVIDE A CLEAR AND RELIABLE PATH FOR SUCCESS.
I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE BIDEN AND HARRIS ADMINISTRATION, THE HARRIS COUNTY COMMISSIONER COURT, AND ESPECIALLY THE LABOR COMMITTEE FOR YOUR COMMITMENT TO THESE PROGRAMS. INVESTMENTS IN STRENGTHENING OUR WORKFORCE AND CREATING LIFE-CHANGING OPPORTUNITIES FOR PEOPLE LIKE ME AND BUILD A STABLE DEBT-FREE FUTURE.
THANK YOU FOR THE CONTINUED SUPPORT.
IN JUST A SECOND, I THINK WE HAVE A, A COMMENT FROM COUNCIL MEMBER.
SO FIRST, BOTH OF YOU ALL, THANK YOU FOR SHARING YOUR STORY.
UM, UH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR HER, AGAIN, TO REALLY GET A GRASP OF WHAT, WHAT THE REALITY IS BEHIND THE APPRENTICESHIP.
YOU MENTIONED A, THE MC THREE.
UH, I WAS FORTUNATE TO BE, UH, ONE OF THE GUEST SPEAKERS ALONG WITH, WITH THE MAYOR, UH, THIS PAST GRADUATION.
CAN YOU SPEAK TO THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE MC THREE, UH, AND ALSO THE APPRENTICESHIP? SO THE MC THREE PROGRAM IS A MULTI CRAFT CURRICULUM COURSE, HENCE THE NAME MC THREE.
UH, YOU WILL GO THROUGH THREE WEEKS OF TRAINING.
UH, THE FIRST WEEK WOULD BE JUST UNION HISTORY.
THE SECOND WEEK WOULD BE, UH, BASICS IN MATH BECAUSE IT'S WHAT WE DO A LOT ON THE JOB SITE.
AND THE THIRD WEEK WOULD BE, UH, THREE DAYS OF OSHA 10.
AND THE OTHER TWO DAYS WOULD BE, UH, FIRST AID, GETTING YOUR FIRST AID CERTIFICATION.
AND THROUGHOUT THOSE THREE WEEKS, UH, DIFFERENT, UH, TRADES OF THE BUILDING TRADES WOULD COME IN AND SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THEIR LOCALS AND SAYING TO COME JOIN OURS AND DON'T JOIN THAT ONE, BUT COME TO OURS.
BUT I STUCK WITH THE ELECTRICIANS.
YEAH, I JUST TO, TO THAT LAST POINT, UM, WHEN, WHEN I WAS THERE AT THE GRADUATION, IT WAS INTERESTING BECAUSE IT, IT REALLY IS A, UH, A SCOUTING OPPORTUNITY.
AND SO JUST THE WAY HE SAID IT, YOU HAVE THESE, UH, THESE TRADES THAT COME IN, HEY, I'M BETTER COME AND JOIN MY TRADE.
UH, SO IT'S A REALLY, IT WAS A REALLY COOL EXPERIENCE TO ACTUALLY JUST SEE THAT IN PERSON.
SO ALL THE DIFFERENT TRADES WERE THERE AT THE GRADUATION AND, UH, LITERALLY IT'S, IT'S A, IT'S A, IT'S A DRAFT
UM, BUT, UH, THANK YOU FOR SHARING THE DIFFERENCE.
I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT FOR FOLKS TO KNOW ABOUT THE MC THREE, UH, PROGRAM AND SO WE CAN CONTINUE TO PROMOTE IT AS WELL INTO, UH, IN, WITHIN OUR OWN COMMUNITIES.
Y'ALL AND IBEW ALSO KNOW HOW TO DO A GOOD BARBECUE
NEXT WE HAVE, UH, MS. RA, UH, WITH THE INSULATORS.
THANK YOU TO THE LABOR COMMUNITY FOR ALLOWING ME TO SPEAK TODAY.
MY NAME IS VANESSA GARRA AND I'M A SECOND YEAR APPRENTICE WITH INSULATORS LOCAL 22.
UNLIKE MANY PEOPLE MY AGE, I KNEW EARLY ON THE COLLEGE WAS MY RIGHT PATH.
THE COST WAS TOO HIGH, AND EVEN IF I COULD AFFORD IT, THERE WAS NO GUARANTEE OF A JOB AFTER GRADUATION.
I DIDN'T WANNA TAKE ON THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN STUDENT DEBT TO STRUGGLE AND FIND STABLE WORK.
THAT'S WHY MY UNION APPRENTICESHIP HAS BEEN LIFE CHANGING.
IT HAS GIVEN ME JOB SECURITY, HANDS-ON TRAINING AND FINANCIAL INDEPENDENCE, ALL WITHOUT STUDENT LOANS.
EVERY DAY I AM LEARNING AND APPLYING NEW SKILLS THAT WILL KEEP ME EMPLOYED FOR A LIFETIME.
ONE OF THE THINGS I LOVE MOST ABOUT MY CAREERS, ABOUT THE VARIETY OF WORK.
NO TWO JOB SITES ARE THE SAME.
I WORK IN DIFFERENT ENVIRONMENTS, SOLVING REAL, REAL PROBLEMS AND MAKING AN IMPACT.
I ALSO HAD THE CHOICE, THE CHANCE TO MEET AND WORK ALONGSIDE OTHER SKILLED TRADESPEOPLE, INCLUDING WOMEN IN THE TRADE WHO HAVE HELPED ME GROW AND NAVIGATE IN THIS FIELD.
ATTENDING THE TRADESWOMEN BUILD NATION CONFERENCE WAS AN EYE-OPENING EXPERIENCE.
IT SHOWED ME THAT I AM PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER COMMUNITY THAT SUPPORTS AND UPLIFTS EACH OTHER BEYOND JUST THE JOB.
THE APPRENTICESHIP HAS TAUGHT ME THE IMPORTANCE OF WORKPLACE SAFETY IN MY FIELD.
PROPER TRAINING ISN'T JUST ABOUT SKILL, BUT PROTECTING WORKERS FROM LONG-TERM HEALTH RISK.
THANKS TO MY UNION, I AM KNOWN.
I AM NOW LEARNING FROM THE BEST AND WORKING IN AN ENVIRONMENT, PRIORITIZING MY WELLBEING.
THIS OPPORTUNITY WOULDN'T, WOULDN'T EXIST WITHOUT INVESTMENTS IN UNION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS. I WANT TO PERSONALLY THANK THE BIDEN HARRIS ADMINISTRATION AND THE HARRIS COMMUNITY COMMISSIONER'S COURT, AND THIS LABOR COMMUNITY FOR ENSURING THESE PROGRAMS CON CONTINUE TO GROW YOUR SUPPORT, CREATES REAL, REAL CAREER PATHWAYS, STRENGTHENS OUR WORKFORCE, AND HELPS WORKERS LIKE ME BUILD STABLE DEBT-FREE FUTURES.
[00:55:01]
WOODARD, SORRY.I KNOW, AND I KNOW BETTER THAN THAT.
OH, I APPRECIATE, UH, THE OPPORTUNITY TO BE HERE, TO SPEAK TO YOU.
ACTUALLY, MY SON WAS SUPPOSED TO BE HERE TODAY, BUT HE IS A SERVICE PLUMBER IN OUR LOCAL.
HE TURNED OUT TWO YEARS AGO THROUGH OUR PROGRAM, AND HE GOT A TWO O'CLOCK CALL TO GO, UH, SERVICE ONE OF HIS CONTRACTS.
SO, YOU KNOW, HE SHOT ME THE TEXT.
DAD, HEY, CAN YOU FILL IN? OF COURSE.
UH, MYSELF, MY NAME'S CHATEAU WOODARD.
UM, I'M A BUSINESS AGENT, PLUMBER'S LOCAL UNION 68.
UH, WENT THROUGH THE PROGRAM, GOT IN THIS PROGRAM IN 19, LIKE MY KIDS NOW MY YOUNGER KIDS SAY THE LATE 19 HUNDREDS, 1990 NINES I GOT, I DID THE FIVE YEAR PROGRAM, TURNED OUT IN 2005.
AND THE FUNNY THING IS, YOU LISTEN TO MOST OF US, ESPECIALLY THE APPRENTICES, UM, WE ALL HAVE KIND OF THE SAME STORY ABOUT GETTING INTO APPRENTICESHIP.
AND WITH US GOING AROUND, WE TALKED TO EVERY INNER CITY SCHOOL, EVERY SCHOOL ON THE OUTSKIRTS, EVERY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER DAY.
A LOT OF THESE KIDS TODAY ARE LOST.
AND THAT'S ONE OF THE BIG THINGS APPRENTICESHIPS, UM, BRING TO THE TABLE, IS HELPING THEM FIND A PATH OR AT LEAST TRIP PATH.
UM, THE MC THREE PROGRAM IS, IS, IS ABSOLUTELY GREAT.
IT'S WONDERFUL BECAUSE YOU HAVE A GROUP OF, UH, YOUNGSTERS AND OLDER FOLKS, LADIES, YOU HAVE, YOU KNOW, A DIVERSE GROUP IN THE ROOM AND THEY'RE GETTING A TASTE TEST OF EACH TRADE.
SO THEY GET TO DECIDE AT THE END WHICH ONE THEY WANNA FOLLOW DOWN THE PATH FOR.
SO I REALLY LOVE THE, THE WHOLE MODEL OF THE MC THREE AND IT'S REALLY GREAT.
BUT OUR APPRENTICESHIP, UM, WE ARE PUSHING 135 YEARS.
THAT'S HOW LONG WE'VE BEEN AROUND.
AND YOU HEAR UNIONS, ALL UNIONS AREN'T THE SAME.
THEY AREN'T ALL RUNNING THE SAME.
UM, OUR UNION IS KIND OF SELF-CONTAINED.
IT'S ONE OF THE UNIONS THAT'S SELF-CONTAINED.
UM, UH, WE HAVE TWO PENSIONS, A LOCAL PENSION AND A NATIONAL PENSION THAT EVERY CONTRACTOR CONTRIBUTES TO FOR EVERY PERSON WORKING IN OUR UNION.
UM, OUR FIRST YEAR APPRENTICES A PERSON FRESH OFF THE STREET, NEVER DONE PLUMBING.
THEY COME INTO OUR PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE TAKE APPLICATIONS YEAR ROUND AS OF RIGHT NOW.
UM, THEY START OUT AT $22 AN HOUR.
FULL INSURANCE, ONE KID, 10 KIDS PRE-EXISTENCE DO NOT MATTER.
UM, THAT'S A HUGE OPPORTUNITY FOR SOMEBODY FRESH OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, YOU KNOW, HAD A KID, YOU KNOW, HAD A COUPLE OF KIDS AND, AND FEEL LIKE, YOU KNOW, THEIR LIFE MAY BE OVER OR SOMETHING.
UH, WE PROVIDE THAT STABILITY FOR 'EM.
UM, THEY ALSO GET TWO PENSIONS.
THEY WORK TOWARDS, UH, PENSIONS ARE HUGE.
I GO ON A WHOLE TANGENT ON PENSIONS AND 4 0 1 KS.
IT'S KIND OF UPSETTING, SO I WON'T GET INTO IT
BUT, UH, WE ARE TRUE EARN WHILE YOU LEARN.
WHEN OUR KIDS TURN OUT OF, OF, OF, OF OUR PROGRAM, THEY OWE NOTHING.
THEY DO THE COMPLETE FIVE YEARS WORKING DAY ONE, OUR TYPICAL WORK WEEK AT SEVEN AND THREE 30, MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY, WHEN THEY TURN OUT IN FIVE YEARS, THEY OWE NOTHING.
UM, ANYTHING OVER 10 HOURS FOR US.
SO THAT KID MAKING 20 BUCKS AN HOUR FIRST STARTING OUT, HE WORKS OVER 10 HOURS A DAY.
HE WORKS OVER 40 HOURS, HE'S MAKING 30 BUCKS AN HOUR NOT KNOWING ANYTHING.
HE WORKS THE HOLIDAYS, DOUBLE TIME.
UM, ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS, YOU KNOW, WE TRY TO PULL PEOPLE FROM OUR COMMUNITY.
UM, Y'ALL WOULDN'T EVEN UNDERSTAND.
YOU SPOKE ABOUT THE, THE FREEZE THIS LAST GO ROUND.
UM, HOW MANY DIFFERENT CONTRACTORS JUST WAIT AND THEY PREY ON THE CITY OF HOUSTON, BEAUMONT, ALL THE SURROUNDING CITIES, AND THEY COME IN AND THEY CHARGE THESE PEOPLE EXORBITANT AMOUNTS TO COME IN AND FIX SOMETHING SO MINOR.
UM, AND I MEAN, IT, IT, THEY JUST COMPLETELY PREY ON THESE PEOPLE.
THEN THEY GO HOME AND IT'S NOT FIXED.
IT'S JUST A PATCH AND THEY HAVE TO PAY MORE.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO HIRE SOMEBODY TO COME IN AND ACTUALLY FIX IT.
WELL, MOST OF THESE APPRENTICESHIPS THEY LIKE TO HIRE FROM RIGHT? IN THESE AREAS.
SO YOU TAKE A PERSON, UM, WORKING AT WHATABURGER, AND I LOVE WHATABURGER WORKING AT A WHATABURGER.
YOU BRING HIM IN OUR PROGRAM, YOU GIVE HIM $22 AN HOUR OR THE $2 AND CHANGE RAISE EVERY YEAR FOR FIVE YEARS.
HE TURNS OUT MAKING $40 AN HOUR.
YOU TAKE THAT PERSON, PUT 'EM BACK IN YOUR COMMUNITY.
MY SON, TWO YEARS OUT, AND IT'S NOT BRAGGING.
HE'S MADE OVER A HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS BOTH YEARS OUT.
YOU PUT THAT PERSON BACK IN YOUR COMMUNITY THAT OWNS A HOME, HE'S A VOTER AND HE'S GRATEFUL TO THE UNIONS FOR HELPING HIM GET THERE.
HE'S GRATEFUL FOR THE UNIONS, FOR, UM, HELPING HIS WIFE GET THROUGH SCHOOL.
'CAUSE WE HAVE PLENTY OF PROGRAMS WITHIN OUR UNION WHERE WE PAY THE WHOLE LOAD ON YOUR WIFE'S, YOU KNOW, UM, COLLEGE, AND THAT'S TO GET HER MASTER'S DEGREE THAT THE UNIONS PAY, EVERYTHING.
THERE'S ALL KIND OF PROGRAMS LIKE THIS WHERE WE GET BACK ALL KIND OF SCHOLARSHIPS WITHIN THE UNION FOR FAMILY MEMBERS.
SO IT'S NOT JUST THE MEMBER, IT'S THE WHOLE FAMILY.
UM, THE EQUITY INCLUSION, UM, ONE OF OUR OTHER APPRENTICES IS HERE.
UM, SHE'S ONE OF OUR STAR PUPILS.
I'M SO GLAD SHE WAS ABLE TO MAKE IT.
BUT, UH, ONE OF OUR GOALS IS, IS TO HELP REDUCE YOUTH EMPLOYMENT.
I KNOW I LOOK, YOU KNOW, YOUNGER.
[01:00:01]
HAVE YOUNGER KIDS.I STARTED OVER LIKE AN IDIOT AND I'M, YOU KNOW, WORRIED ABOUT SOME OF THE KIDS AND THEIR FRIENDS AND WHERE THEY'RE GONNA END UP WITH AI TAKING OVER THIS, YOU KNOW, CAREER PATH, THIS CAREER TRADE.
SO TO HAVE A PATHWAY LIKE APPRENTICESHIP, YOU KNOW, IT IS GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, VERY, VERY, VERY IMPORTANT IN THE FUTURE.
UM, I SPOKE ABOUT THE, YOU KNOW, THE LABOR AND THE OUTSOURCING AND EVERYTHING.
THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS, UM, THAT'S REALLY, REALLY IMPORTANT TO US IS BRINGING THE JOBS HOME AND KEEPING THE MONEY THAT THEY, YOU KNOW, SPEND HERE.
IF, IF A PERSON COMES FROM OUT OF TOWN AND THEY GET PAID HERE, THEY USUALLY TAKE THAT MONEY BACK TO THE AREA.
WE WANT IT TO STAY RIGHT HERE IN TOWN.
UM, AND WITH, YOU KNOW, WORKFORCE SHORTAGES, THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE NOT WORKING RIGHT HERE, IT DOESN'T MAKE SENSE TO EVEN WANT TO FARM IT OUT.
SO WE WANT TO KEEP EVERYTHING, UM, RIGHT HERE IN THE CITY OF HOUSTON, SURROUNDING AREAS.
BUT INFRASTRUCTURE ALWAYS IS GONNA BE THE BIGGEST THING.
WE HAVE JOBS, UM, WE HANDLE FROM, SORRY, UM, THE BORDER OF LOUISIANA ALL THE WAY DOWN TO BOARD OF MEXICO.
WE HAVE TO COVER THAT COMPLETE AREA.
WE HAVE 1800, WELL, 1900 PLUMBERS NOW IN OUR PROGRAM.
BY JULY, WE'LL HAVE 600 APPRENTICES.
WE'LL PROBABLY END UP WITH AROUND 700, A LITTLE BIT OVER 700 APPRENTICES FOR NEXT YEAR.
UM, OUR DOORS ARE ALWAYS OPEN.
UM, WE WANT TO TRAIN, YOU KNOW, THE NEXT GROUP OF PROFESSIONALS TO WEATHER THE STORMS NO MATTER WHAT IT BE, UH, COMING UP IN AND AROUND THIS, THIS AREA, THIS CITY TO STATE.
SO, UM, I THINK EVERY UNION STEPPING UP TO THE PLATE, WE JUST NEED, YOU KNOW, THE OUTSIDE PUBLIC TO KIND OF HELP US.
UH, I THINK IN THE PAST THEY KIND OF KEPT THIS UNION THING A SECRET.
THEY DIDN'T GET OUT VERY MUCH.
THEY DIDN'T DO MUCH ADVERTISING.
THEY DIDN'T PUT IT OUT THERE THAT MUCH.
SO NOW WE'RE TRYING TO, YOU KNOW, PUT IT OUT THERE A LITTLE BIT MORE.
BUT WE NEED A LOT OF INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO HELP US GET OUR, OUR NAME AND OUR MESSAGE OUT THERE.
SO WE APPRECIATE ANY OF Y'ALL COULD GIVE US AB ABSOLUTELY.
AND, UM, I KNOW WE HAVE OUR VICE CHAIR IN Q UH, CHATEAU, I, I GOTTA GIVE YOU A SHOUT OUT ONE, NOT JUST AS ONE OF THE LEADERS OF LOCAL 68, BUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE PLUMBER STEPPING UP DURING, UH, THE FREEZE AND REPAIRING PIPES.
HE WAS OUT THERE WITH HIS LITTLE BOYS, NOT YOUR OLDER ONE, GIVING OUT WATER WITH US, UH, IN FOURTH WARD, FRIEDMANS TOWN AT THE VILLAGES, TAKING CARE OF FOLKS.
I MEAN, Y'ALL WERE RIGHT THERE.
NOT JUST REPAIRING PEOPLE'S PIPES, BUT MAKING SURE PEOPLE HAD CLEAN WATER TO DRINK AS WELL.
SO IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU HERE.
I'M GLAD YOUR SONS ARE DOING WELL.
I REM I REMEMBER, I THINK WE BROUGHT SOMETHING OUT FOR HIM BECAUSE IT WAS, IT WAS THIS LITTLE BOY ON HIS BIRTHDAY WAS GIVING OUT WATER, VOLUNTEERING WITH OUR OFFICE IN FREEMANS TOWN TO HELP OUT DURING THE WINTER STORM.
WE NOT, I'M GONNA GO BACK AND SEE THAT LADY AND HELP HER OUT.
WELL, HE CAN COME BACK ANYTIME A CALL
UH, VICE CHAIR, JUST WANNA, UH, HIGHLIGHT TWO THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED.
UH, FIRST OF ALL BEFORE THAT LIKE, IT, IT, IT HAS, IT CANNOT BE A HIDDEN SECRET, RIGHT? YES.
'CAUSE THE TWO THINGS THAT YOU MENTIONED IS ECONOMIC INDEPENDENCE, RIGHT? SIX FIGURES.
UM, THAT, THAT BRINGS A LOT, UH, TO A COMMUNITY.
UM, A HOMEOWNER REVENUE WHEN IT COMES TO, UH, TAXES FOR THE CITY.
IT'S IMPORTANT, RIGHT? UH, AND THEN, AND THEN THE OTHER ONE, WHICH IS KEEPING IT LOCAL AS WELL.
THE ONLY WAY A CITY CAN BE SUCCESSFUL IF YOU RECYCLE THOSE DOLLARS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.
UH, SO TOO MANY TIMES I HEAR STORIES OF FOLKS THAT, UH, LIVE OUTSIDE OF THE CITY LIMITS, YOU KNOW, UH, BUT WORK, YOU KNOW, WORK WITHIN.
AND SO THOSE DOLLARS ARE NOT COMING BACK TO THE CITY OF HOUSTON.
AND SO I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO HIGHLIGHT THOSE TWO, THOSE TWO THINGS.
AND UM, AS YOU CONTINUE TO DO OUTREACH AND MARKET MARKETING, LET ME KNOW, UH, LOVE TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE NOT A HIDDEN SECRET, RIGHT? UM, WE NEED FOLKS TO HAVE GOOD PAIN, UH, YOU KNOW, JOBS INSIDE OF THE CITY OF HOUSTON AND IT TRICKLE EFFECT, AGAIN, IT'S PUBLIC SAFETY AS WELL.
ANY PROGRAMS Y'ALL HAVE, ANY UM, THING WE CAN BE A PART OF? WE LOVE TO, YOU KNOW, I MEAN IF IT'S, IT'S KIDS, KIDS ARE OUR HEART.
WE'VE GOT A SOFT SPOT FOR THOSE KIDS COMING OUT THAT ARE A LITTLE BIT LOST.
BUT VETERANS, UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE JUST SWITCH IN TRADES, THAT'S HUGE.
PEOPLE GO DOWN A PATH AND YOU GO FIVE YEARS AND YOU DECIDE THIS ISN'T FOR YOU.
YOU'RE FOLLOWING YOUR PARENTS' DREAM AND YOU WANNA MAKE A SWITCH.
WE DON'T WANT YOU TO MAKE THAT BAD SWITCH.
COME HERE WHERE YOU'LL GET INSURANCE FOR YOUR CHILDREN, YOUR FAMILY, UM, AND YOU'LL GET A, A SIZABLE RETIREMENT THAT'LL COVER YOU, YOUR SPOUSE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.
SO, YOU KNOW, IT'S IMPORTANT TO MAKE THOSE, UH, THINGS, UH, APPARENT I GUESS OF WHERE.
I THINK CHATEAU SAID YOU WERE THE THE STAR PUPIL
[01:05:01]
HELLO.UM, I STARTED THE APPRENTICESHIP FIVE YEARS AGO, SO I WILL GRADUATE THIS MAY, THANK GOODNESS.
UM, AS I FEEL LIKE YES, IT WAS A LONG FIVE YEARS.
I ALSO FELT LIKE I JUST STARTED YESTERDAY.
AND THAT'S WHAT I TELL PEOPLE WHEN THEY COME TO ME.
WHY HAVE YOU DONE THIS FOR FIVE YEARS? THAT'S A LONG TIME.
YOU COULD HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE.
YES, I COULD HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE.
BUT WHAT THEY DON'T UNDERSTAND IS I'M WALKING OUT OF THIS NOT OWING A DIME.
AND I HAVE GONE TO COLLEGE, YOU KNOW, WHENEVER I GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL, I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I'M GONNA GO TO COLLEGE.
I'M GONNA DO WHAT MY PARENTS WANT ME TO DO.
AND I CAN'T SAY THAT I DIDN'T TRY, RIGHT? I GOT THERE AND I WAS LIKE, I ABSOLUTELY HATE THIS.
SO I STARTED BEING A SERVER AND I WAS A SERVER FOR A LONG TIME, LIVING THE DAY TO DAY, UM, LIFE, TRYING TO PAY MY BILLS DAY TO DAY.
AND UM, IF I KNEW I WASN'T GONNA MAKE RENT, OKAY, I'LL PICK UP AN EXTRA SHIFT.
COVID CAME AROUND AND I CALL THAT MY BIGGEST BLESSING.
A LOT OF PEOPLE SAY THAT, YOU KNOW, COVID HIT THEM HARD FOR ME.
I WAS LIKE, YOU KNOW WHAT? I DON'T HAVE A JOB ANYMORE.
I NEED TO FIND SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA BE STABLE, SOMETHING THAT'S GONNA, YOU KNOW, PAY MY BILLS IN THE LONG RUN.
YOU KNOW, I'M 24 YEARS OLD LIVING ON MY OWN AND I GOTTA DO WHAT I'VE GOTTA DO.
SO I CALLED MY UNCLE AND I SAID, LOOK, I NEED A JOB.
I NEED SOMETHING MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY OUTSIDE.
AND HE SAID, OKAY, I'LL GIVE YOU THE NUMBER TO THE PLUMBER'S LOCAL AND I'M GONNA SEND YOU THEIR WAY.
AND I CALLED THE BUSINESS MANAGER THERE AND HE SAID, YES, WE WANNA TAKE ALL THE GIRLS THAT WE CAN.
WE WANNA SHOW THEM THAT WOMEN CAN DO IT TOO.
I CALLED DOWN THERE, STARTED THE APPRENTICESHIP THAT FALL AND LIKE I SAID, ABOUT TO GRADUATE IN MAY.
I ALREADY HAVE MY JOURNEYMAN LICENSE.
MED GAS LICENSE, JUST DID MY BACKFLOW.
SO LITTLE BY LITTLE DOING ALL THESE THINGS THAT ARE GONNA MAKE ME SUCCESSFUL IN THE LONG RUN.
UM, I THINK THAT IN MANY INDUSTRIES, ESPECIALLY IN CONSTRUCTION, THAT WOMEN ARE ALWAYS SEEN IN LEADERSHIP OR SKILLED ROLES.
BUT WITH PROGRAMS LIKE THE HOUSTON AREA PLUMBING JOINT APPRENTICESHIP COMMITTEE, WOMEN HAVE A CHANCE TO PROVE THAT THEY CAN EXCEL IN THESE FIELDS.
ALSO, IT'S LIKE SAYING WE CAN DO THIS JUST AS WELL AS ANYONE ELSE.
THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM HELPS WOMEN TAKE THEIR PLACE IN TRADES THAT HAVE TRADITIONALLY BEEN MADE MALE DOMINATING, SHOWING THAT THE WORLD, THEY'RE JUST COMPATIBLE.
YOU CAN TALK ABOUT YOUR CURRENT JOB THAT I JUST LANDED, WHICH I AM NOW THE SOUTHWEST PIPE TRADES ORGANIZER FOR LOCAL 68.
SO I'M NOT LEAVING THE LOCAL, BUT I'M BRANCHING OUT THERE AND LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING THAT WITH THEM.
AND YOU'RE RIGHT, WOMEN CAN DO A JOB JUST AS WELL.
AND I MIGHT ADD SOMETIMES EVEN BETTER.
UH, SEE A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS IN THE AUDIENCE.
DID ANYONE ELSE WANNA SPEAK PUBLICLY TODAY? MOST TIMES NO.
UM, SEEING NONE, I WANNA THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH FOR THE PRESENTATION AND THE GREAT QUESTIONS.
ONE, TWO QUESTIONS THAT I DID HAVE.
UM, IF Y'ALL DON'T WANNA COME BACK UP FOR IT, THAT'S FINE, FINE.
WE CAN TALK OFFLINE IS WE TALK ABOUT OP OPPORTUNITIES, SECOND CHANCE OPPORTUNITIES, OPPORTUNITIES FOR VETERANS.
UM, I'VE COME ACROSS A LOT EVEN AT COUNCIL, BUT ALSO JUST WITH THIS LAST FREEZE IN THE WARMING CENTERS, PEOPLE THAT ARE JUST DOWN ON THEIR LUCK AND THEY MAY BE UNHOUSED.
UM, ARE Y'ALL DOING ANY OUTREACH TO THOSE IN OUR HOMELESS COMMUNITY? UM, AND ARE THERE OPPORTUNITIES THERE? AND FOR US TO KIND OF SEND FOLKS YOUR WAY.
UM, AND ALSO IF YOU COULD SPEAK TO THOSE WITH DISABILITIES, WHAT OPPORTUNITIES MAY THEY HAVE UH, IN THESE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS? SO WE ARE, WE ARE REACHING OUT TO DIFFERENT GROUPS WITH THOSE DIFFERENT TYPES OF, UM, INDIVIDUALS.
WHAT WE CAN SAY FOR SECOND CHANCERS ARE RETURNING OUT OF THE PRISON SYSTEM.
SOME THE, NOT A BACKGROUND CHECK IS DONE BY THE CONTRACTOR.
SO IT DEPENDS ON THE TYPE OF WORK, UM, UH, THE, ON THE JOB SITE.
BUT I CAN SPEAK FOR THE IRON WORKERS THAT DO SAY THAT THEY HAVE SECOND CHANCE, MANY SECOND CHANCE, UH, INDIVIDUAL, UH, UNION MEMBERS.
AND IT REALLY, THEY TAKE ANYONE THAT CAN, THEY CAN DO THE JOB.
UM, FOR THE HOMELESS, UM, POPULATION.
I HAVE TO GET BACK TO YOU ON THAT ONE AND TALK TO OUR OUTREACH STAFF TO SEE WHICH SPECIFICS GROUP, UM, THAT THEY'VE REACHED OUT TO.
BUT I CAN DEFINITELY, YOU HAVE MY INFORMATION, UM, AND WE CAN FOLLOW UP.
YEAH, IF Y'ALL COULD FOLLOW UP WITH MY OFFICE ON THAT.
UM, THERE'S A FEW FOLKS I HAVE IN MIND AGAIN, JUST DOWN ON THEIR LUCK, WANT, WANNA WORK.
UM, AND THIS MAY BE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR THEM AS WELL.
UH, AGAIN, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE.
UH, I ALSO WANNA GIVE A SPECIAL THANKS TO IT AND
[01:10:01]
HTV THEY'RE ALWAYS, UH, ON WITH US, JUST BEHIND THE SCENES AND WE APPRECIATE IT.UH, THE COMMITTEE CALENDAR FOR 2025 HAS BEEN POSTED.
I DO WANNA NOTE THOUGH, UM, WE ARE ON STANDBY AS HPOU ENTERS NEGOTIATIONS.
SO THE NEXT COMMITTEE MEETING WILL BE SCHEDULED AROUND WHEN THOSE NEGOTIATIONS COMPLETE AND THAT CONTRACT IS READY FOR US TO DISCUSS.
UH, SO WE'RE, WE'RE KIND OF IN A HOLDING PERIOD ON THAT, SO STAY TUNED.
AS A REMINDER AGENDA AND PRESENTATIONS CAN BE FOUND ONLINE ON THE COMMITTEE'S WEBSITE.
AND A RECORDING WILL ALSO BE POSTED ON HTVS WEBSITE.
UH, THIS MEETING IS ADJOURNED AT 3:10 PM THANK YOU VERY MUCH.