manufacturing, labor union leadership or industry training and education.

Seizing Opportunity
The development of a training system allowed LIUNA to react to new industry opportunities on a nationwide basis. Recognizing the growing need for hazardous remediation of old industrial areas and other dangerous properties the union targeted this work as a union priority for training. In 1987 the Environmental Protection Agency made $85 million available for hazardous materials training in support of its clean up efforts. LIUNA aggressively sought a portion of these funds— first targeting superfund sites and then community sites in the 1990’s, as the movement for environmental justice grew. Today over 24 percent of all of LIUNA’s training is in the area of hazardous materials and the union is a leader in the industry.

Targeting Communities
Targeting hazardous remediation work means working in older industrial inner city communities where unemployment and poverty levels are high. In addition to accessing government funds for training new entrants, the union also partnered with government agencies and community organizations to identify and recruit local trainees. Like the approach taken by the Alameda Corridor Jobs Coalition, LIUNA helps assure that publicly funded projects have a real community benefit through access to good jobs.

Targeted Training
A local community partner, Young Community Developers Inc., helps train candidates in life skills and basic skills prior to entry into a rigorous screening and construction training program. The union works with contractors to guarantee jobs for successful graduates. The 276 hour construction training program includes:

• 80 hours Hazardous Waste Worker
• 80 hours General Construction
• 40 hours Asbestos Abatement
• 40 hours Lead Abatement
• 36 hours Microbioremediation

Results
In the past five years 90 students have been trained. Today 88 percent are still employed and 86 percent of them are members of the union. Trainees have gone from minimum wage employment and welfare checks to jobs that pay $20-30 per hour. Some have even begun their own contracting businesses.

Contact information
Laborers’ International Union of North America
Donna Gross-McDaniel
Program Administrator
Laborers’-AGC Education and Training Fund
107 Cameron Parke Place
Alexandria, VA 22304
Phone: 703-960-3145
Fax: 703-960-3146
E-mail: dmcdaniel@laborers-agc.org