Story By Matt Sorrell
Visuals By R.J. Hartbeck
As seen in STL Made
When Aurora Bihler decided to pursue a career as a union iron worker, she didn’t know where to start. Originally from Joliet, Illinois, she came to the St. Louis area to study fine art and sculpture at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After graduating, she searched for a career where she could put her creativity to work and get her hands dirty while still making a good living. The idea of working with iron was intriguing, but she had no family or friends in the construction trades to give her advice or direction on how to pursue that career.
“When I first got into the trades it felt like I was an anthropologist dropped into a foreign country,” she says. “It was like ‘How do I survive and respect this culture? I don’t speak the language, this is all new to me.’”
AURORA BIHLER, COORDINATOR FOR THE BUILDING UNION DIVERSITY PROGRAM.
Bihler’s experience isn’t unique. Each construction trade has its own apprenticeship process, and trade unions haven’t always had the reputation of being the most welcoming of places, with underrepresented minorities and women making up just 6 percent of the construction workforce. While Bihler did go on to find success in her career as an iron worker, she’s now part of the effort to make it easier for others to enter trade careers in St. Louis through the Building Union Diversity program.
BUD’s union construction pre-apprenticeship program was born in 2014 with the goal of getting more St. Louisans into the construction trades, focusing specifically in expanding diversity within those fields. It’s part of the Missouri Works Initiative, a nonprofit whose goal is creating economic opportunities for Missourians.
“It’s important for our union workforce to look like the neighborhoods they work in,” says Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO (a federation of unions affiliated with the national American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations), which sponsors and supports the Missouri Works Initiative.
THE SPRING 2023 BUD COHORT VISITS TILE, MARBLE & TERRAZZO WORKERS – LOCAL 18 OF MISSOURI AFL-CIO.
To create the BUD program learning materials, several trade unions came together to craft a comprehensive curriculum. It covers basics in construction, math, blueprint reading and tape measure reading, as well as soft skills helpful to launching a successful career.
“The curriculum also covers some life skills about how to have a good attitude at work and how to present well in an interview,” says Megan Price, executive director of the Missouri Works Initiative. “Then throughout the cohort, we’re also taking them to the various apprenticeship training centers. And that is what students really find to be the most exciting part of the course.”
The six-week BUD program is held four times a year at no cost to students, and gives participants a taste of all the building trades so they can find which one suits them best. In addition to hands-on sessions with carpentry, bricklaying, electrical, sheet metal, plumbing and pipefitting, and cement masonry, BUD also focuses on wellness and personnel issues, with classes on subjects from financial literacy to fighting racial and sexual discrimination on the job site.
“The benefit of a cohort is that we continue to find that the model of bringing students together to go through this similar experience creates a lot of synergy, a lot of organic connections for people who are also starting their career and maybe encountering challenges,” says Price. In addition to building networking connections, the cohort also helps establish a peer support system – one way to help combat the high rates of mental health issues among construction workers.
MEGAN PRICE, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE MISSOURI WORKS INITIATIVE.
The first week of BUD is a full five days, but the remaining weeks are only four days long, giving students time to work or take care of getting the documents together they’ll need for their apprenticeship, like birth certificates and social security cards. Students also receive a $100 weekly stipend to help with expenses, and they’re supplied with necessary equipment like boots, high-visibility shirts and vests, work pants, ear and eye protection and a hard hat so they can hit the ground running once the program is completed. Transportation to the various training locations is also provided. Once a BUD graduate is accepted into an accredited apprenticeship program they get a $150 tool stipend as well.
Since its inception, 92 percent of BUD participants have graduated from the program, with 26.5 percent of those graduates being women and 79.2 percent being underrepresented minorities. One of those graduates is Raine McDevitt, who completed the program in November 2022.
“I went to a local private high school and they were like ‘You go to college, you get your fancy degree and you make a lot of money so you can give it back to us,’” says McDevitt. “I wish I’d known about BUD earlier.” McDevitt has a degree in graphic art and tried her hand in that field, then gave coding a shot, all the while supplementing her income with bartending and serving jobs. She heard about the program from a BUD graduate she met at a Women In The Trades meeting and decided to apply.
“I consider BUD one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” says McDevitt, who now works as a tile finisher with Stutte Tile Flooring.
Another crucial part of the program is to give students an overview of all of the trades so they can get a clear picture of which one would be best for them. Bihler plays a key part in mentoring the students to help them find the right career path.
“I think the BUD program did a great job of painting that picture overall,” says Shay Jones, who graduated from the program with McDevitt. “You feel informed and responsible for your decision.”
Jones spent years behind a desk in the home health care industry, while longing to be in a role where she could tap into her creative side. She found her fit as a glazier apprentice with Industrial Walls & Roof North America.
“I’m a baker, and caulking reminds me a lot of icing,” says Jones. “So I found it really easy to work with. I wanted to do something more hands-on, and something where I could see results of my work immediately, something more visible and tangible.”
Jones was also attracted by the competitive wages and benefits trade unions offer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s about a $10,500 net difference between typical trade union and non-union annual salaries.
Once participants find a trade to pursue, often the biggest hurdle they face is finding out how to start the process to become an apprentice. One of the main focuses of BUD is to help students navigate those waters.
“I’d always been interested in the trades, but I didn’t know anything about that world,” says Jones. She feels BUD was invaluable in helping her figure out the necessary steps to successfully apply for her apprenticeship.
Bihler strives to help students realize they have what it takes to succeed in the trades, regardless of their background, and to advocate for themselves, using her own experiences coming up through the union ranks as an example.
“I felt like I was constantly standing up for myself or for other people who did not fit the mold,” Bihler says.
“Now I tell my students, ‘You need to set your limits and don’t let other people do it for you.’”
Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 14
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of May 14, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the change in COVID-19’s public health emergency status to how teens are being negatively impacted by technology to when it comes to savings, nearly half of today’s baby boomers are ill-prepared. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of Child Labor. Last Sunday, CBS ran a 60 Minutes segment on this very topic. Wherein, children under the age of 18 were working the overnight shifts, at numerous slaughterhouses, for an independent contractor. They were cleaning processing equipment with dangerous chemicals around and with dangerous tools. Most of these children were also attending school after their work shifts. Sadly, a few of them have been scarred and several have fallen asleep in their classrooms. Thanks to attentive educators, this packing company and their contractor have been called out. This reminds me of a common saying in airports since 9-11: See something, say something. Profits and capitalism at all costs contradict what unions have worked long and hard to protect: Human Rights, Civil Rights, and Workers’ Rights…for ALL, not just a select few!
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/government-investigation-into-slaughterhouse-cleaning-company-that-hired-children-60-minutes-transcript-2023-05-07/
US workers & Chronic pain
How fentanyl is devastating the USA
Why Narcan matters
Kroger’s Opioids settlement
Mammograms @ 40
COVID-19 Update
More on Loneliness
Teens & Screens
Tech / Teens/ FOMO
Girls / Dance / MH
Kids / Plant therapy
Outdoors & Anxious teens
Workers / MH / Taking time off
Post-partum depression & Suicide
Happiness & Mental tricks
Gun violence & Public Health
Diabetes & Debt
Baby boomers & Retirement savings
When you stop feeling young
Youth & Hearing aids
Breast PUMP law
College: Who needs psychotherapy?
Tired of living?
More on meditating
STL MetroLink & MH
Are you a mosquito magnet?
STL construction strike
Balance of power: Workers & Employers
On honoring a Latino General
40m US students w/ some college but no degrees
Work vs Work-Life Balance
VERY few of us are GOOD at multi-tasking
Blue collar / Child care / Barriers
STL low unemployment rate
Influx of youth & Construction industry
Will India replace China as the world’s factory floor?
1937 Chicago Labor Day Massacre
More on Child Labor
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
CPWR: Residential Safety
UM-Ext: MH Parity Update
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights May 7
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of May 7, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how the DEA is taking a new approach to stemming our nation’s opioid (fentanyl) crisis to how John Legend is supporting efforts to help former prisoners re-enter the workforce to the Surgeon General’s take on the negative impact of isolation and loneliness in our society. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of how a medical doctor’s recent life and death experience (related to a food allergy) on a SWA flight has garnered national attention. Apparently, SWA’s first aid kit did not have an EpiPen to assist her but fortunately another passenger (first responder) was available to administer a shot of epinephrine. Not too long ago, I wrote about my experience last October on SWA’s Flight 928 wherein a first responder and I used Narcan to revive a passenger who was in throes of an opioid overdose. If you recall, afterwards, SWA ignored my request to address the issue in a professional and responsible manner. As I reflect on these two distinct events, I feel a need to ask if SWA’s failure to act months ago had more to do with the “stigma” of drug misuse vs saving face (i.e., flying ill-equipped planes w/ ill-prepared employees)? More importantly, the FAA is in the process of reviewing their minimum standards regarding airlines’ first aid kits. Hopefully, by the end of this summer, we will see ALL commercial carriers carrying Narcan and EpiPens on their flights as well as have flight crews trained to administer these life-saving drugs!
Sources: https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/movement-equip-airplanes-epipens-gaining-traction-rcna82392
https://www.stltoday.com/news/local/columns/tony-messenger/messenger-st-louis-man-who-saved-overdose-victim-pushes-airline-to-carry-narcan/article_54ced5c1-9d10-5867-9101-979b08e9bc3e.html
Kids’ declining MH
Senate / Limits / Social Media / Kids’ MH
Gun assaults on kids more than double during COVID’s peak
DEA’s new Fentanyl strategy
Fentanyl deaths spike
Test strips for Fentanyl
I can, You can, We all can, NARCAN
Will a near death on SWA flight prompt FAA to review rules?
High School suicide results in reviewing current MH system
WHO / COVID-19 / New era
Life after prison
Marijuana & Federal jobs
Sans alcohol & Sober derby
Back pain & Cooking
How to say goodbye
Surgeon General / Isolation & Loneliness (1)
Surgeon General / Isolation & Loneliness (2)
Surgeon General / Isolation & Loneliness (3)
Women & Maternal Health
Period products in men’s restrooms?
Fried foods / Depression & Anxiety
Women / Construction / Injuries
STL-based General Contractor transitions to Safety Helmets
UFCW opposes Kroger merger
More on Child Labor (1)
More on Child Labor (2)
Missouri’s book banning?
Amazon’s affordable healthcare & Privacy?
Are nurses flocking back to hospitals?
Billboard firm sues Carpenters’ Union
Are HS seniors spurning college?
Is community college a waste of time?
College students / Housing crisis / Trailers
NFL & Employment Discrimination
KY High School football player dies
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
MHFA: Mental Health First Aid
QPR: Question, Persuade, Refer (Suicide Prevention Training)
Illume MH Training schedule
National Suicide Prevention Survey
“May is Mental Health Month” Tool Kit
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Job Opportunity: Dislocated Worker Program Coordinator
The Dislocated Worker Program Coordinator is a professional position dedicated to providing Transitional Assistance and Liaison Services between Organized Labor and the Missouri Office of Workforce Development, local Workforce Coordinators, and the Missouri Job Centers.
The MO AFL-CIO is an equal opportunity employer.
Interested candidates should submit an employment application, cover letter, and resume to aphillips@moaflcio.org. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. Candidates selected for an interview will be notified.
Essential Job Functions:
Essential Job Qualifications
Benefits:
Download the application here. Please email completed employment applications, a cover letter, and resume to Amy Phillips at aphillips@moaflcio.org or mail to:
MO AFL-CIO
Missouri Works Initiative
Attn: Megan Price
131 E High St., Ste 100
Jefferson City, Missouri 65101
Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 30
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of April 30, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how one city is taking a different approach to addressing their area’s mental health crisis to how essential oils may impact your mood to the rise of fake nursing degrees. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of the Workers Memorial Day. Over 50 years ago, this nation passed a law to protect (most) workers on the job known as the Occupational Health & Safety Act of 1970. PLEASE take the time to review any or all of the first 4 articles in this week’s blog. There is something for every worker from those in the trenches to those in middle and upper management positions. We all have a duty to not only protect ourselves but our sister and brother workers as well. Nearly 20 years ago, fellow researchers from Washington University’s School of Medicine approached me to form an ongoing partnership to study safety issues on STL construction job sites. Their goal was to help improve conditions that would result in bringing our workers safely home to their families and communities…on a daily basis. In so doing, with the cooperation of BOTH labor & management, WE have done just that! In closing, I remain grateful that this partnership still exists to meet the ever-changing needs of work & society.
Source: https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/completeoshact
Construction Falls resource
May 10th is Safety Professionals Day
Workers Memorial Day
Deaths on the job
Community MH resources
Seattle / Tax / MH
Social media / Teens / MH
Suicides & Guns
Rural gun-related deaths
Trigger-happy America?
Walmart & Opioids
More on Sacklers
Lean into negative emotions
Body-shaming & Meditation
Allergies for Everyone
Hemorrhoids & Treatment
AI fitness coach
Mood & Essential Oils
Benefits of art therapy
Brazil / Poverty / Land Revolt
Garment factory tragedy: 1 decade later
Cheating the H-1B
America’s price for low wages?
Rising cost of college
Fake nursing degrees?
On being Voluntold
Women / Trades / Discrimination
Your digital life after death?
India’s population boom
Nearshoring
NHL’s Alum / Social Worker / CTE
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Impact of opioids on rural workforce
Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 23
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of April 23, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how a US Senator confronted his mental health issues to how a nature hike can improve your well-being to when to retire and upon doing so how one can enter a 2nd (service) career. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of gun violence. To date, there have been more mass shootings in the USA than days in the 2023 calendar. In fact, this year’s number surpasses that of this time last year (131 v 113). Nearly 60 years ago, as I child, my school classmates and I practiced “duck-and-cover” drills in case of an atomic attack. Today, among other drills, 5 year olds are practicing “active shooter” drills. Meanwhile, we have state legislators across this country banning library books v confronting the proliferation of weapons! Just last week, I wrote about the negative impact of ACEs (trauma) on our children’s futures. We have a choice: Look towards a model like the one in Philly or sit on the sidelines while our kids continue to die from senseless violence!
Source: https://www.npr.org/2023/04/20/1170987638/philly-schools-aim-to-lower-shootings-involving-kids-with-conflict-resolution-sk
Stressed workers looking for support from employers
MH & Time Out in the office
US Senator helps break MH stigma
Teen suicide & MH parity?
European model for addressing mental illness
US & Fentanyl traffickers
Mexico’s Fentanyl cartels
Prisons & Opioid treatment
Tranq & Animal vets
Backlash on telehealth scripts
Philly’s approach to Kids’ shootings
Why are kids getting shot for honest mistakes?
More on kids’ shootings
Micro stress & Burnout
Brain – Body connection
MH & Forgiveness
Yoga & Weight loss
Benefits of yoga
Exercise & Life stressors
Nature & Your health
Hiking in spring
Men & Longevity?
Micro-plastics & Your health
When to retire?
Your 2nd career?
On grandparenting
Vets & Mesothelioma
More on Child Labor
Nurses / Hospitals / Gig Work
Gen Z’s side hustle
On being a good manager
Kids / Sports / Concussions
Fletcher’s brain surgery
NHL on DEI & CTE
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Yoga & Meditation
Financial Literacy
Free Resume Headshot
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 16
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of April 16, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how Mental Health and Suicide have impacted the construction industry to the benefits of exercising outdoors to why the nursing profession needs more men. Today, I wish to shed some light on the issue of childhood trauma. Several years ago, a study came forth explaining the concept of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). And, how people who experience 4 or more of these types of trauma often have difficulty with related matters in adulthood. For people under the age of 18, issues like child abuse (i.e., sexual, physical, emotional), a family member going to prison or being killed, divorce, poverty, etc. can negatively impact kids for life. In general, some experts suggest that if a parent abuses a child, then it is likely that this child will abuse his/her children, and so on. Furthermore, since there is a correlation between trauma and addiction, by identifying ACEs early on healthcare professionals may be able to assist victims and communities mitigate their long-term effects.
Source: https://www.ncjfcj.org/wp-content/uploads/2006/10/Finding-Your-Ace-Score.pdf
White House on Tranq (1)
White House on Tranq (2)
White House on Tranq (3)
Judge on Tranq
Philly’s harm reduction & Tranq
Marijuana & Addiction
Suicides in the Navy
MH & Suicide in the Construction Industry
ACE Scores / Kids / Trauma
MH @ Work
MH & AI
VR Therapy
White House & AI
Belonging Barometer
Finding Joy
Family Boundaries
Benefits of exercising outdoors
PTSD Treatment Guide
Guns & Kids
Gun Violence & Mental Illness
Louisville Bank Shooter & CTE?
EIU Faculty Strike
Medical residents unionize
Unions warn of Social Security collapse
Construction industry needs more workers
Cancer coverage for firefighters
Nursing needs more men
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Impact of opioids on the workplace
Chair yoga
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 9
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of April 9, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from how one region in Canada is now requiring Naloxone (Narcan) to be present on various types of at-risk workplaces (i.e., construction job sites) to how oral hygiene impacts one’s health to how important apprenticeships are to the US energy sector. Today, I wish to shed some light on how AI (artificial intelligence) is being used to improve your health. Less than 2 weeks ago, I spoke at a national summit on suicide prevention in the construction industry, in KC, MO. My part as a panelist was to address “innovations” pertaining to the summit’s theme. My fourth and final bullet point focused on the use of AI in this space. And, just yesterday, the WSJ ran an article that really digs into the point I made. Doctors are turning to AI to help aid them in their decision-making processes. By no means are they turning over their responsibility to a machine. Let’s face it, no one professional can keep up with the vast amounts of data produced on a daily basis. In fact, when comes to adverse medication effects, about 70% of them are due to prescription errors. With the assistance of AI, doctors can meld deep learning with deep reasoning.
Source: https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-ai-will-see-you-now-5f8fba14?reflink=integratedwebview_share
MH in the construction industry
Steps to help prevent suicide
New Canadian law requires Naloxone in at-risk workplaces
Couple helps Tranq victims
Non-opioids approach to pain management
San Fran’s new approach to Bupe (Suboxone)
The Good Sam Law?
Do financial wellness programs work?
Debt & Well-being
Not unplugging during time off
Breakfasts for beating stress?
Will this ancient herb clam your stress?
Oral hygiene & Health
AI & Doctors
Why try PT before surgery?
Colonoscopy / Under 50
Couples & Talking/Listening
COVID’s impact on church-going
Yoga & Golf
Deep water exercise
Your mood / Your skin
OSHA / SC / Black workers
Sexual assaults @ military academies
Layoffs during leave
NLRB & NDAs
Labor shortage impacts clean energy transition
Apprenticeships make US
Support in trade apprenticeships: Barriers
Supreme Court & Legal v Ethical
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights April 2
Wellness & Well-being Highlights for the Week of April 2, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the how some communities are addressing homelessness and Mental Health issues to the impact of the Adderall shortage to how pets may reduce allergies in children. Today, I wish to shed some light on how Narcan (The Lazarus Drug) will soon become an over-the-counter (OTC) drug. Because of the seriousness of the opioids crisis across the USA, several states, including Missouri, have had a standing order for anyone who can assist a person in opioids overdose to obtain “naloxone” at their local pharmacy without a prescription. As of this summer, this will be the case in all 50 states. Make no mistake, this is not a cure-all for the opioids epidemic! However, from a harm-reduction standpoint, knowing how to administer this life-saving drug is vitally important. Too often, when I ask people in the construction industry these 3 questions, I get concerned:
The responses typically go like this: 100%, 80%, 10%, respectively. To those 90% in #3 above, I respectfully say: “It takes less than 30 minutes to get the proper training.” PLEASE reach out to your local providers for guidance and supplies. If you think drugs are NOT in your workplace, you are sadly mistaken. Regarding this issue, because of the private atmosphere, “restrooms” are often utilized to partake in related illegal activities and should be monitored on a regular basis. This reminds me of a motto from my time as a Boy Scout some +50 years ago: BE PREPARED!
Sources: https://www.npr.org/2023/03/30/1166969942/fda-approves-the-overdose-reversing-drug-narcan-for-over-the-counter-sales
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7klB8Vza9ac
We need to TALK about SUICIDE
Care of the mentally ill in the USA
MH & Fingerprinting your brain
Exercise & Depression
Homelessness / MH / Compassion
Tranq wounds
FDA & Narcan (1)
FDA & Narcan (2)
Narcan soon to be OTC
Telemedicine & OUD
Fentanyl & Mexico’s border
Fentanyl / Michigan / DEA
Adderall shortage / Kids / School
Adderall shortage & DEA
Mass shootings / Trauma / Coping
Preventive care / ACA / New ruling
Needing to renew Medicaid?
Alcohol & Health risks
AIDS / Foreign policy / Saving lives
How vaccines SAVE lives
Pets / Kids / Allergies
Treating back pain @ home?
Tragedy to Triumph
Finland is THE Happy Place
More on child labor
Dysfunctional labor laws
Black Americans / Slavery / Census
STREIK
Losing faith in the college degree?
Prisons / Rehab / Education
Female athletes / Concussions / Lack of research
Ex-Pat’s star last moments
Upcoming webinar/seminars:
Black Maternal Health
Mental Health First Aid
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
Wellness & Well-being Highlights March 26
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of March 26, 2023
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog consists of topics from the underuse of mental health benefits to the connection between menopause and memory to the impact of a new stomach bug. Today, I wish to shed some light on how the construction industry is in the early stages of addressing head injuries. So, what is this new approach? It consists of switching out traditional hard hats for safety helmets (Think: Rock-climbing style). The CDC reports that between 2003-2010, over 2200 construction workers died from TBIs (traumatic brain injuries)…this represents ~25% of all construction fatalities during that period. While not all TBIs result in death, many lead to self-medication which can lead to suicidal ideation.
Sources: https://stlouiscnr.com/construction-industry-aligns-to-fight-brain-injuries-and-fatalities/
https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2022/11/10/construction-helmets/#:~:text=The%20construction%20industry%20has%20the,100%2C000%20full%20time%20equivalent%20workers
Construction Trades & Substance Misuse
Ted Lasso & MH
Unused MH benefits
Therapy during the workday?
MH meds / Apps / Safety
Lack of access to MH resources
Well-being & Remote Work
Gen Z / Stability / Burnout
Schools & Monitoring MH
Well-being & MH First Aiders
Dream techniques
Sleep & Cannabis
Addressing teacher shortages
Inflation & Housing Costs vs Health Care
Blacks Vets & VA benefits?
Menopause & Memory
The Rise of Colon Cancer
Mobile cancer treatments
New, resistant stomach bug
America’s Drug Crisis: The 4th Wave?
Sacklers & Overseas’ Opioids Profits
Retiring w/ less than US$1m
Construction industry’s attempt to fight head injuries
MI repeals RTW
LA school workers strike (1)
LA school workers strike (2)
France’s public protests
Google & Labor Rights?
UT & Workplace Violence
How HR ghosts workers
Child care / Costs / Worker shortage
Sex abuse & Youth sports
Upcoming seminars/webinars/podcasts:
MHFA courses
Suicide Prevention Training
Mind, Body, and Spirit
NOTE: The links provided above are for informational purposes only. None of these serve as a substitute for medical advice one should obtain from his/her own primary care physician and/or mental health professional. Please contact johngaal@moaflcio.org with related questions or comments.
BUD program featured in theSTL
Story By Matt Sorrell
Visuals By R.J. Hartbeck
As seen in STL Made
When Aurora Bihler decided to pursue a career as a union iron worker, she didn’t know where to start. Originally from Joliet, Illinois, she came to the St. Louis area to study fine art and sculpture at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. After graduating, she searched for a career where she could put her creativity to work and get her hands dirty while still making a good living. The idea of working with iron was intriguing, but she had no family or friends in the construction trades to give her advice or direction on how to pursue that career.
“When I first got into the trades it felt like I was an anthropologist dropped into a foreign country,” she says. “It was like ‘How do I survive and respect this culture? I don’t speak the language, this is all new to me.’”
Bihler’s experience isn’t unique. Each construction trade has its own apprenticeship process, and trade unions haven’t always had the reputation of being the most welcoming of places, with underrepresented minorities and women making up just 6 percent of the construction workforce. While Bihler did go on to find success in her career as an iron worker, she’s now part of the effort to make it easier for others to enter trade careers in St. Louis through the Building Union Diversity program.
BUD’s union construction pre-apprenticeship program was born in 2014 with the goal of getting more St. Louisans into the construction trades, focusing specifically in expanding diversity within those fields. It’s part of the Missouri Works Initiative, a nonprofit whose goal is creating economic opportunities for Missourians.
“It’s important for our union workforce to look like the neighborhoods they work in,” says Jake Hummel, president of the Missouri AFL-CIO (a federation of unions affiliated with the national American Federation of Labor – Congress of Industrial Organizations), which sponsors and supports the Missouri Works Initiative.
To create the BUD program learning materials, several trade unions came together to craft a comprehensive curriculum. It covers basics in construction, math, blueprint reading and tape measure reading, as well as soft skills helpful to launching a successful career.
“The curriculum also covers some life skills about how to have a good attitude at work and how to present well in an interview,” says Megan Price, executive director of the Missouri Works Initiative. “Then throughout the cohort, we’re also taking them to the various apprenticeship training centers. And that is what students really find to be the most exciting part of the course.”
The six-week BUD program is held four times a year at no cost to students, and gives participants a taste of all the building trades so they can find which one suits them best. In addition to hands-on sessions with carpentry, bricklaying, electrical, sheet metal, plumbing and pipefitting, and cement masonry, BUD also focuses on wellness and personnel issues, with classes on subjects from financial literacy to fighting racial and sexual discrimination on the job site.
“The benefit of a cohort is that we continue to find that the model of bringing students together to go through this similar experience creates a lot of synergy, a lot of organic connections for people who are also starting their career and maybe encountering challenges,” says Price. In addition to building networking connections, the cohort also helps establish a peer support system – one way to help combat the high rates of mental health issues among construction workers.
The first week of BUD is a full five days, but the remaining weeks are only four days long, giving students time to work or take care of getting the documents together they’ll need for their apprenticeship, like birth certificates and social security cards. Students also receive a $100 weekly stipend to help with expenses, and they’re supplied with necessary equipment like boots, high-visibility shirts and vests, work pants, ear and eye protection and a hard hat so they can hit the ground running once the program is completed. Transportation to the various training locations is also provided. Once a BUD graduate is accepted into an accredited apprenticeship program they get a $150 tool stipend as well.
Since its inception, 92 percent of BUD participants have graduated from the program, with 26.5 percent of those graduates being women and 79.2 percent being underrepresented minorities. One of those graduates is Raine McDevitt, who completed the program in November 2022.
“I went to a local private high school and they were like ‘You go to college, you get your fancy degree and you make a lot of money so you can give it back to us,’” says McDevitt. “I wish I’d known about BUD earlier.” McDevitt has a degree in graphic art and tried her hand in that field, then gave coding a shot, all the while supplementing her income with bartending and serving jobs. She heard about the program from a BUD graduate she met at a Women In The Trades meeting and decided to apply.
“I consider BUD one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” says McDevitt, who now works as a tile finisher with Stutte Tile Flooring.
Another crucial part of the program is to give students an overview of all of the trades so they can get a clear picture of which one would be best for them. Bihler plays a key part in mentoring the students to help them find the right career path.
“I think the BUD program did a great job of painting that picture overall,” says Shay Jones, who graduated from the program with McDevitt. “You feel informed and responsible for your decision.”
Jones spent years behind a desk in the home health care industry, while longing to be in a role where she could tap into her creative side. She found her fit as a glazier apprentice with Industrial Walls & Roof North America.
“I’m a baker, and caulking reminds me a lot of icing,” says Jones. “So I found it really easy to work with. I wanted to do something more hands-on, and something where I could see results of my work immediately, something more visible and tangible.”
Jones was also attracted by the competitive wages and benefits trade unions offer. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there’s about a $10,500 net difference between typical trade union and non-union annual salaries.
Once participants find a trade to pursue, often the biggest hurdle they face is finding out how to start the process to become an apprentice. One of the main focuses of BUD is to help students navigate those waters.
“I’d always been interested in the trades, but I didn’t know anything about that world,” says Jones. She feels BUD was invaluable in helping her figure out the necessary steps to successfully apply for her apprenticeship.
Bihler strives to help students realize they have what it takes to succeed in the trades, regardless of their background, and to advocate for themselves, using her own experiences coming up through the union ranks as an example.
“I felt like I was constantly standing up for myself or for other people who did not fit the mold,” Bihler says.
“Now I tell my students, ‘You need to set your limits and don’t let other people do it for you.’”