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Today, we find ourselves as a Local at a pivotal time in our history, along with the entire Building and Construction Trades. Some fifty years ago, the union density in the construction industry was around 87%, today in the state of Pennsylvania, we are at approximately 19%! Luckily, in our area of Western Pennsylvania, we've faired better, thanks to our strong hard-working leadership, the dedication of our members, and our historical ties with our unions' past. Wages and benefits that generation after generation of Laborers have fought for and enjoy as union members are directly affected by these union density figures. Our future wages and benefits will continue to be tied directly to the percentage of Laborers' organized within our jurisdiction. This is why it is so important we as Laborers fight the battle to organize non-union Laborers, and the non-union contractors that employ them in order to strengthen our collective bargaining power. This is the sole purpose behind V.O.I.C.E. training.
So what is V.O.I.C.E Training? "V.O.I.C.E." stands for Volunteer Organizers In Construction Empowerment. The "volunteers" we are referring to are you, the proud members of Laborers Local #373. In this training class, we will get back to what worked in the 1930's when our union density and union market share strengthened and grew... workers organizing other workers. We must all get involved and be part of the movement, not just to survive and maintain what we already have, but to increase our collective strength and give our leaders the bargaining power to better negotiate for us. As hard-working and dedicated Laborers, living wages and benefits are not just needed but deserved. So stand up, get involved, and organize! The future is ours. Keep us strong and make us grow. Take great pride in being a member of Local #373 of the Laborers International Union of North America. *Special thanks goes to Organizer Matt McHugh for writing the above introduction. V.O.I.C.E. class training is a 1/2 day class taught by our Organizers and held at the Training Center on Saturdays. Free lunches are provided. The following is a list of members who have participated in these classes as of April 17, 2004:
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