Washington, D.C. (February 9, 2021) – Terry O’Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – made the following statement today:

 

LIUNA commends Speaker Pelosi, Chairman Robert C. Scott (D-VA-3) and members of Congress who voted in favor of passage of the bipartisan H.R. 447, the National Apprenticeship Act of 2021. This important bill invests in keeping union apprenticeship programs strong. Registered Apprenticeship Programs, like the apprenticeship programs which LIUNA has implemented for decades, help workers earn while they learn.

 

H.R. 447 invests more than $3.5 billion over five years in expanding opportunities and access to Registered Apprenticeship Programs and Pre-Apprenticeships Programs, among others. The bill creates nearly a million new apprenticeship opportunities on top of the current expected growth of the apprenticeship system. It would also yield $10.6 billion in net benefits to U.S. taxpayers in the form of increased worker productivity and decreased spending on public assistance programs and unemployment insurance.

 

LIUNA urges the U.S. Senate to follow the House’s bipartisan lead and pass the National Apprenticeship Act this year.

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The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers’ International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build the United States and Canada.