Labor's Own Think Tank

The UCLA Downtown Labor Center sponsored a 2 day conference called the California Construction Academy. It is a think tank for Statewide Building Trades representatives from the most active unions. The focus of the event was economic justice for those who face barriers to employment and rebuilding California’s dwindling middle-class. The statistics are staggering; 35-50% of craft workers will be retiring within the next 3-5 years. The growing need for apprenticeship training needs to be met in order to fill those positions. Union organizers participated in breakout sessions to help identify solutions. The majority of training in the construction industry in Los Angeles is done by Joint Apprenticeship Training.