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Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 8
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of July 8, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog offers you a look at how a popular “Happiness” professor deals with her mental health—to a current rise in COVID plus views of its after effects—to smattering of US Supreme Court rulings…from “immunity” to OSHA. This week I would like to take this opportunity for you to participate in 2 quizzes: one on ACES (childhood trauma) and the other to see if you handle our kids’ Math. Far too often, some of us tend to pass judgement on issues we are somewhat “removed” from. A few of you may remember me touching on the topic of ACES (Adverse Childhood Experiences) many months ago. Just maybe, if WE took the time to grasp a better handle on how “early” trauma impacts one’s future—as an adult—WE might create some empathy towards others in the workplace and community. The book that changed my mindset on this matter a couple of years ago is “The Body Keeps the Score” by Dr. B. Van Der Kolk. A book that was published in 2014 and yet still appears—for weeks at a time—on the NYT Bestsellers list. ACES have been linked to mental health, toxic stress, and negative coping mechanisms. To be sure, WE cannot ignore one’s upbringing…it is part of one’s DNA. To expect people to “leave issues at the door” is akin to asking a tiger to change its stripes. Bluntly put, how you or I view a situation and/or solve problems is directly linked to who/what we are and how we react. PLEASE take the quiz linked below as the first step in this journey.[1]
Finally, last week a number of reports indicated that our nation’s K-8 students’ test scores have not recovered after COVID…as was hoped for. I think it would behoove all of us to take a step back and dig deeper into this critical matter…our nation’s future! Without a doubt, math (and reading) has been linked to one’s success in life. While school districts across the nation have invested in recovering from learning loss related to the pandemic still more needs to be done. So, once again, empathy plays a major role in our ability to understand what others—often beyond our inner circle—are facing. Therefore, I kindly request that you test your math skills via the related link below.[2] And, join me in opening OUR minds and hearts. Thank you!
Sources: [1] https://www.pathfinder.health/post/ace-quiz
[2] https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/interactive/2024/dc-school-math-quiz/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNzE5ODA2NDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNzIxMTg4Nzk5LCJpYXQiOjE3MTk4MDY0MDAsImp0aSI6Ijk5MTM2ZGE3LTgwOGYtNDIwZi1hMGY2LTc0Yjk2N2FlOGIzOCIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS9lZHVjYXRpb24vaW50ZXJhY3RpdmUvMjAyNC9kYy1zY2hvb2wtbWF0aC1xdWl6LyJ9.eZCBL9bOBVI__woP7kKR8kHB5awnszHFqksrBbgQJNw&itid=gfta
Childhood Trauma & The ACES Quiz
How Happiness works?
Rethinking a spouse’s Suicide
High functioning Depression
Protecting workers from HEAT
More on HEAT (1)
More on HEAT (2)
A case of Ageism?
Toy Guns / Parents / Warning
Stress / Sperm / Offspring
A Men’s Retreat
COVID on the rise
COVID & Stomach Pain
COVID & Infections
Stress & Chronic Disease
More on Legalized Marijuana
Adults & Multivitamins?
Low Impact Exercises
Amputation & The Brain
Ants & Amputation
Frogs & Fungus
Unions & Loyalty?
Supreme Court & Presidential Immunity?
Supreme Court & Federal Agencies
C Thomas & OSHA Ruling
More on OSHA
STL Catholic Church & Slavery
WEF & Harassment
Girls & STEM
ESTL & Pension
Italy / Foreign Labor / Supply Chain
Boeing’s guilty plea?
Greece & 6-day Workweek
Work / Burnout / Remedy
Students’ tests scores
Test your MATH skills
Wellness & Well-being Highlights July 1
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of July 1, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog offers so much to write about but too little time and space. Here’s my best shot: There was the US Surgeon General’s announcement to elevate our nation’s GUN VIOLENCE as a threat to Public Health—to how a prominent Catholic Church in the west STL county area placed a notice in their weekly bulletin in an attempt to recruit young men for a militia—to how many hospital closings/mergers are not reducing costs as promised. This week I would like to touch on the recent US Supreme Court ruling regarding the Sacklers’ opioids settlement.1 Many of my blogs over the past 3 years have touched on the negative impact of the US opioids epidemic and how the rich truly got away with murder. No doubt that this ruling will help some while hurting others. Several states and communities have been waiting for the millions of dollars resulting from the proposed settlement to assist them with funding localized prevention, intervention, and postvention programs with sights set on stemming the tide of this scourge. Furthermore, families who have lost members will no longer receive payments tied to their losses.
The greater good of this recent ruling may be difficult for some to understand. After all, in my opinion, it was more about setting a precedent concerning the misuse of our bankruptcy laws going forward than making victims and/or communities whole (I would argue that anyone’s loved one’s life is worth more than $3500 – $48000). To allow a family of billionaires total immunity from future related law suits was a bridge too far for the majority of our Justices. Although the lower court may have agreed that something was better than nothing in moving our nation forward, the supreme court in this land felt otherwise. They did so, having more time to contemplate the ramifications of the settlement on the table. To be sure, it is easy to play armchair quarterback…consider this: A family enriches themselves (via deceitful marketing, etc.) to the tune of $11b since the early 1990s (and moves the bulk of those gains to offshore banks) while over 220 people/day2 were dying from opioid overdoses in 2022…but this family is only required to pay $6b for the offense plus walks away from ANY future damages related to their nefarious actions. While I am not a big fan of this far right-leaning court, as for now, I believe they did the right thing!
Sources: [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/27/us/supreme-court-opioid-settlement.html?unlocked_article_code=1.3E0.IXFb.Pp0XhjtA0d-n&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
[2] https://usafacts.org/articles/opioid-addiction-deaths-and-treatment-latest-analysis-data/
Supreme Court on the Homeless
Construction’s Alarming Rate: Suicide
US Surgeon General & Firearm Deaths (1)
US Surgeon General & Firearm Deaths (2)
US Surgeon General & Firearm Deaths (3)
Firearm Violence: Advisory Report
Stats on Gun Shootings
Is Gun Violence a Public Health Crisis?
UN & Nitazenes
Buffalo & Recent OD Deaths
Your PCP & Addiction Treatment
Supreme Court & Opioids Settlement (1)
Supreme Court & Opioids Settlement (2)
Supreme Court & Opioids Settlement (3)
Supreme Court & Opioids Settlement (4)
MO / Rehab / Children & Fentanyl
Working w/ Your Hands & MH
CEOs & MH
Extreme HEAT & MH
MH / Canada / COVID
Too much Alcohol?
IUD & Abortion Laws
Drs / Saving Mothers / Abortion
Women vs Men: Incarceration
Forever Chemicals & Skin
Healing Crystals & Ethics
Drs / Apple Watch / Personal Metrics
Quick Stress Relief
Tylenol risks?
HELP: STL Co & Ticks
Gut Resilience
More on Student Loans
Cicadas & Song’s Impact
TX & D-B
Canada & Replacements
Ironworkers & Harassment
Catholic Church calls for Militia
More on Impact of Diversity
Tech & Your Money 50 years Later
Girls & STEM
Marriage & Name Change
COVID’s Retirement Wave
Hospitals Closings = Rising Costs
Inflation & Charity
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
FREE Suicide Prevention Seminar (7/31/24)
Sept 9, 2024: Suicide Prevention Construction Standdown
988 & Geo-routing
Farmers & Coping w/ Stress
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 June 24
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of June 24, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights how our Military system’s mishandling of recent mental health crises has resulted in more suicides—to how heat impacts your brain and why employers need to take action—to the US Surgeon General’s call for placing WARNING labels on social media in an attempt to protect our youngest and most vulnerable citizens…and the pushback to his efforts. This week I would like to discuss the concept of SOCIAL HEALTH. Up to this point in my blog, I have focused on the importance of balancing the PHYSICAL aspects of safety with the MENTAL aspects of safety. This past week, I found an article making the case for moving beyond the above-mentioned binary model. As such, the author, Kasley Killam, posits that while physical health deals with one’s body and mental health is about one’s mind…SOCIAL HEALTH focuses on relationships. I have to say that at first glance this seemed like a sub-topic under the mental health umbrella. However, upon reading the entire article, I admit that Killam is on to something…. Since COVID, there has been a lot said about isolation, loneliness, and the importance of connection. As I reflect on writing my doctoral dissertation nearly 20 years ago, I recall a book that positively impacted my work which was certainly ahead of its time by Robert Putnam: Bowling Alone. It is interesting to see how aspects of Putnam’s book have played out in Killam’s work. A couple of Killam’s finding’s that hit home are (a) over the past 20 years the amount of time people spend alone has increased by 24 hours per month and (b) ~20% of adults in the USA do not have anyone to reach out to for help. This lack of connection has negative effects on our nation’s health as it can increase the risks of strokes by 32%, dementia by 50%, and early death by 29%. Some may say: How does this apply to worker wellness? Research shows that worker loneliness costs the US economy over $400b/year in lost productivity. In the end, connection is not only good for the individual but society as well. Why? Because by maintaining old and/or forming new connections we can create opportunities to develop meaningful and innovative approaches to contemporary issues. Here are 3 SOCIAL HEALTH take-aways that may be worth considering going forward:
Source: https://amp.theguardian.com/wellness/article/2024/jun/14/what-is-social-health
EEOC Guidelines / Harassment / Contractors
US Military & Suicides
Employers / Employees / HEAT
HEAT & Your Brain
More on Trafficking FENTANYL
The 3rd Rail—SOCIAL Health
C-Level / Worker: Well-being GAP
Employers & MH
Stigma / Paretnal Leave / Dads
Abortion & Primary Care
Social Media / Sex Content / Teens
Tweens & Screens
US Surgeon General & Social Media Warning
USSG Social Media Warning & Science?
USSG Social Media Warning & Fear
Your Brain’s Wate Removal
More on Childhood Obesity
Alzheimer’s Gene Treatment?
US Map: Legal Weed
Walking & Back Pain
Tips for Jet Lag
Causes of Sleep Paralysis
Teamsters & RNC?
Strike / Nurses / Temps?
Anit-Scab Bill
MN firm recruiting workers from Puerto Rico
Mentoring Female Surgeons
Sports: Women / Race / Track
W Mays: The GOAT
Upcoming webinars etc.:
MCCA MH & Suicide Prevention: Impactful Video
FREE Mental Health First Aid courses
FREE Resilience Training
AI & Labor’s Future
SDOH & Dementia
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 June 17
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of June 17, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights to how there may be a link between hair treatment, race, and cancer—to how efforts are being made to protect workers from this summer’s heat—to more evidence that alcohol can be dangerous. This week I would like to discuss culture. It is no secret that many of our union members (including me) own firearms for sporting purposes. To be clear, I have NEVER felt threatened that the “US Government” was coming to take my firearms from me…whether a R or D was in Office. Like most things in life, there are plusses and minuses. Think cellphones: On one hand, they are great for instantaneously communicating with others around the world; on the other hand, as reported in this blog more than once, experts believe there is a link between teens’ negative mental health and being “addicted” to their cellphones. As such guns are no doubt part of our country’s social fabric. I find it interesting that in states like Wyoming, Montana, and Alaska there is a link between guns and suicides. Thankfully, a MT community is addressing this matter. If you go back a few issues in this blog, I promoted a course called CALM (Conversations on the Access to Lethal Means). This course offers a variety of tools we can use to prevent accidental deaths and suicides. Lock boxes for medications, gun locks, and gun safes are just a few of these measures. Which takes us to the second article. Last week, the US Supreme Court struck down a Trump-era ban on bump stocks…these devices essentially convert a semi-automatic gun into an automatic gun. Having an older brother and sister-in-law who were caught in the crossfire in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017 (THE DEADLIEST MASS SHOOTING IN US HISTORY), I must say that this recent decision is one that leans away from common sense. Allowing a person to operate a firearm as an automatic weapon beyond the battlefield seems senseless to most of the people I have talked to on this issue. Having the highest court in the land support such nonsense while ignoring ethical issues in their own house is nothing short of hypocrisy. Sadly, “speaking with a forked tongue” appears to be the soup du jour in today’s culture!
Source: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2024/06/14/bump-stocks-supreme-court-machine-gun-bruen-cargill/
Canada & Workplace MH
Guns / Suicide / MT
STL / Teens / Drug Treatment?
Outdoor Heat Safety
Criminalizing Tiny Homes?
Hair Relaxers / Cancer / Race?
Racism / Depression / Youth
Sadfishing
Is there a correlation between burnout & inclusion?
More on alcohol risks
Sports / Women / Menstruation
Sex & Intimacy
Home Health tests & Doctors
US Supreme Court & Bump Stocks
US Supreme Court & Starbucks Union
Police & Child Sex Abuse
A deadly fall = Lawsuit
UAW’s Fain investigated
MO / Kratom / Union
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Finding Summer Meals for <18 yo in MO
UM-Ext Support for the Workplace
Promoting Workplace Safety for Youth
Developing a Heat Illness Prevention Program
Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 10
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of June 10, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights how even in one of the most conservative states (FL), there is a harm reduction program assisting people with SUD/OUD—to how some odd versions of cancer have recently emerged since the end of the pandemic—to empirical evidence revealing how heading the ball in soccer is dangerous. This week I would like to discuss a new and exciting program addressing our youth’s mental health crisis. The Youth Mental Health Corps (YMHC) will train and pay peers stipends. A second-order goal of the program is to develop tomorrow’s social workers, therapists, etc. As AmeriCorps was an outgrowth of the Peace Corps nearly 30 years ago, the YMHC follows in AmeriCorps’ path. A major focus of the initial project is on Latino/a/x youth. Reports suggest that nearly ½ of these youth—18 to 25—do not reach out for help. A big issue is that many Latinos feel the effects of discrimination in our society—especially immigrants—and this impacts their self-worth.
Accordingly, I tip my hat to a long-time friend and colleague, Sal Valdez, as he expressed his joy regarding the above mentioned matter earlier this past week. Rightfully so, since he has been a champion of ALL workers of color for years and currently serves as the ECORN-MO chair. In addition, James Pursell, LEAN-STL, Laborer Peer Specialist, sent me as well. He expressed how awesome this specific youth peer project is and hopes to see it grow. This coming from one-half of a local team that has won numerous awards throughout the STL region over the past year for their dedication to brother and sister members and their families struggling with mental health, substance misuse, and suicidal ideation.
How long will it be before other trades, industrial sectors, and non-profits implement creative solutions like YMHC or LEAN-STL? In closing, I paraphrase my buddy, Brandon Anderson (AGC-MO VP Safety), “When it comes to mental health, the time has come…our region needs less talk and more action.”
Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/youth-mental-health-corps-rcna155574
A Youth Corps for MH
Harm Reduction in FL?
Narcan in Soulard
Canada’s New Suicide Prevention Plan
MDMA Therapy &PTSD
Gun violence’s footprint
Race / Death / Maternity
Lung cancer / Treatments / Cure?
COVID & Cancer?
More on Grief & Loss
DOL & LBGTQI+ Rights
Avocados & Healthy Eating
MH & Brain Superfoods
Financial Health
Don’t Call me!
Telephonophobia
Study: Pickleball & Injuries
Smart Bandages?
Heading in Soccer (1)
Heading in Soccer (2)
The Future of Labor
Update: IBT & ALU
Unionizing Pharmacists?
The Cost of Cheap Labor
Labor shortages in Construction
UK Labor / Businesses / Apprenticeship Funding
Upcoming webinar, etc.:
The Impact of Sleep
Where to go for help (Warm lines, etc.)
Suicide Prevention Program
Wellness & Well-being Highlights June 3
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of June 3, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights provides yet another twist in the efforts to reduce opioid deaths: Medetomidine…while at the same time dives into how people in NC and CO are responding to the OUD crisis—to the ongoing debate on how to address HEAT in the workplace—to the election of Mexico’s next president…a woman for the first time in their history. This week, as we come to the close of Mental Health month, I would like to discuss how a Cook County sheriff’s department is utilizing virtual technology to provide Mental Health assistance in the field. In a world of what appears to be across the board worker shortages, innovation is key to remaining relevant. Hardly a week goes by where a news story does not mention: 1) the Mental Health needs of a given community or sector and, then, immediately follows up by saying there is a shortage of MH professionals in the US; and 2) another seemingly innocent citizen has been shot by a police officer. As noted, police are not the best qualified to help someone with a MH crisis. Yet, nearly 1 in 4 deadly law enforcement shootings involves a person with a serious mental illness. This is why and how the CVAP (co-responder virtual assistance program) comes into play. De-escalation is key to keeping ALL parties safe. In fact, the use of a police-provided tablet to connect a person requiring assistance with a MH counselor in real time not only protects the counselor but allows for a more efficient use of this counselor’s time to handle additional calls. While one may argue that in-person encounters may be more effective, we must keep in mind that ~40% of people in the US live in an area with a shortage of MH professionals…especially when it comes to rural and economically-stressed urban areas. Recent stats show that nearly 60% of CVAP calls were related to MH and >20% involved SUDs. More importantly, the CVAP was used 650 times in 2021 without a resulting arrest or use of force!
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mental-health-counselors-911-sheriff-virtual-solution/
Women / Vets / Homelessness
Construction Work & Road Safety
Medetomidine: The New Fentanyl OD Culprit
KUSH & Sierra Leone
>300k US Children Lost Parents to ODs
CO high school students & ODs
NC’s fight against opioid ODs
Harm Reduction + Clean Needles = Illegal?
Sheriff / MH Counselors / Technology
PTSD & Canadians
American Workers & Loneliness
AI & Loneliness
Leadership & MH
Employers & Men’s MH
Clergy & MH
Vets / CO / Gun Safes
Stress & Personality
How to stop checking your phone?
On letting Go
EI Rules
SDOH & Well-being
Money = Happiness?
Update: Menstruation
GLP-1’s Rebound
Deadly HEAT in the Workplace
More on HEAT laws
Tattoos & Cancer?
Natural Laxatives?
Update: Sleep & Blue Light
Nursing Homes & Quality Care?
Update: Seniors & Medicare
Medical Debt in America
Strike: Canada / US border?
Update: UAW / MB / NLRB
Why Americans don’t take PTOs
Unsupervised Trains
STL Construction Industry loses another Titan
J Gibson’s Rightful Place in History
Boarding Schools / Sexual Abuse / Catholic Church
Mountain Climbing & Sexual Abuse
Women / Construction / Pledge
Apprentice Ironworkers Wanted in STL
Work Ethic: Reality v Myth
College / Careers / Value
Strong Dollar & Vacations
Mexico’s Next President?
Alito’s arrogance
Trump’s untruths
Trump & Union voters?
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Mental Health in Construction: Suicide Prevention event (7/31)
Construction Safety Education
Youth Health & Safety webinar
Update: CPWR Grants on Suicide Prevention & Opioid Awareness
First Aid for All
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 27
Wellness & Well-being Highlights
for the
Week of May 27, 2024
This week’s edition of our Worker Wellness & Well-being blog highlights an AI-based suicide prevention program for Vets that uses an algorithm that fails to take into account the sexual harassment/trauma female soldiers have experienced—to the importance our workers’ financial wellness regarding both mind and body—to how & why Mexican cartels have turned inward to now extort Mom & Pop tortilla shops. This week I would like to discuss the 2 breaking articles pertaining to Fentanyl in the USA. In the first article, the author eluded to the fact that related overdose deaths in 2023 were down from the year before…so, therefore, Fentanyl deaths in the US have peaked.1 He went on the say, “The opioid epidemic appears to have entered that final phase.” On so many levels this is a misguided assumption. First and foremost, while this author did indicate that Narcan played a significant role in the aforementioned decrease, he totally missed acknowledging the advent of the 4th Wave of the US Opioids Crisis: Polysubstances (I wrote about the “4 Waves” just a few weeks ago in this blog). The second article provides us with a different perspective by suggesting that related youth overdose deaths are actually increasing.2 These authors posit that Fentanyl-related deaths for children 12-17 yo have doubled since the start of COVID. Experts point to the easy access of “fake” pills plus pandemic isolation/trauma3, 4 as culprits in this spike. Fortunately, schools are stocking Narcan and teaching people in the community about the dangers of Fentanyl. Unfortunately, many doctors are ill-prepared to counsel these younger patients on opioid misuse. In the DC area alone, Hispanics make up 40% of these visits. NOTE: While White teens comprise most of the opioid-related deaths nationwide, Black and Hispanic teens are now dying at a faster rate. If one buys into the notion that adolescence is about pushing boundaries and experimentation then it is incumbent upon those of us who are older and wiser not forget the new adage: ONE PILL CAN KILL.
Sources: [1] https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/21/briefing/has-fentanyl-peaked.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare
[2] https://wapo.st/3wQENC8
[3] https://www.relias.com/resource/racial-trauma-understanding-race-based-traumatic-stress?utm_source=pardot&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=7013w000002HbayAAC
[4] https://go.timelycare.com/l/916941/2024-05-17/t52m2/916941/1715969310eIvUsRm1/Report_Call_For_Campus…
Vets / Suicide Prevention / AI
Youth / Hmong / Suicide
Youth OD Deaths & Fentanyl
US Fentanyl Deaths: Update
Employers / Safety / SUD / Workers
Cannabis or Alcohol?
Cannabis / Seniors / Poisonings
A Tie-dyed Trip
Race-based Trauma
Mental Disorders & Teens
Financial Wellness (1)
Financial Wellness (2)
Financial Therapy: Handling Money & The Mind
Birdwatching & MH
Coping w/ Anxiety
Agreeing to Disagree
Anger’s damage: Mental & Physical
“Period Poverty” Awareness
AI & Skin Cancer
Report on Student Loneliness
How to Cook Cicadas
Disneyland’s Union Actors
Held hostage: Hospitals / Unions / Insurance Plans
Boilermakers’ corruption
BMW/VW & Forced Labor?
Mexico / Cartels / Tortillas
What ALL workers want?
Ukraine & Women in the workforce
Women in construction (1)
Women in construction (2)
Why double-major in college?
Paying for friendships?
Chocolate turmoil (1)
Chocolate turmoil (2)
Paid College Athletes?
TBIs & Family Decisions
Upcoming webinars, etc.:
Sleep Hygiene
Student Loneliness
FREE Diaper Distribution
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.
Bre’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative
As a single mother of three young children, Bre was looking for a sustainable career that would empower her to provide for her family. “I heard about the Apprentice Ready Program in St. Louis through my son’s dad. He graduated and became a laborer,” says Bre. “I decided to apply because I love working with my hands and wanted to experience something new and different. So, I was willing to take a chance to better my future for my children and myself.”
Bre really appreciates that the Missouri Works Initiative is focused on helping others and having genuine people available who listen and understand. “What I liked most about the program is that my instructor, Ms. Aurora Bihler, took her job extremely seriously to help make sure we all did or had what was needed to succeed,” shares Bre. “She did that by going out of her way sometimes to help me take care of business so that I could be successful in the Building Union Diversity (BUD STL) program as well as out in the construction field.”
Additionally, Bre appreciated the immersive aspects of the Apprentice Ready Program and access to necessary materials. “I enjoyed the hands-on activities we did, whether doing the tile for a floor mock up or making a mini air duct. I also liked how at the end of the program they pay for your exact tools which you will need on the job.”
Bre’s perseverance has paid off as she now enjoys a successful new career. Not only has she improved her life and the lives of her children, but she has advocated for pumping facilities on the job site, which paves the way for other mothers in the trades. “The program has changed my life because, since completing the program, I have become a painter,” shares Bre. “My children and I now have our own house and I’m able to provide for my family consistently.”
Are you a single mom looking for a reliable career with great growth potential? Bre encourages you to enter the trades. “Join the Apprentice Ready Program, it’s a win-win situation! You’ll have fun, learn new and important information, and get access to various resources to help you succeed. It’s a great step towards a career.”
Start your journey here.
Partner Spotlight: Larry Woods
The Diversity Division of The Metropolitan Sewer District (MSD) partnered with the Missouri Works Initiative’s Building Union Diversity Program (BUD STL) in St. Louis to establish the Workforce Development Grant Program. According to Larry Woods, Diversity Construction Supervisor with the MSD, “Our Diversity Division is unwavering in its commitment to the initiation and support of programs and endeavors designed to create a trained, qualified workforce of minorities and females in the field of sewer construction. The Workforce Development Grant Program has helped create a pool of qualified individuals including minorities and women. The resultant workforce is equipped to fulfill our pre-set “boots on the ground” workforce goals for our capital improvement projects. This approach also allows for employment opportunities for under- and unemployed individuals within the communities we serve.”
Larry’s role with the program is multifaceted, including vital behind-the-scenes work to help students get hired and to ensure underrepresented individuals are gainfully employed on job sites. “I regularly speak to the new cohorts of the Building Union Diversity Program discussing the requirements, opportunities, and benefits associated with employment in the sewer construction industry,” says Larry. “This active engagement also involves hosting on-site job tours where participants can gain real-life insights and understanding of the industry.” Woods regularly attends the Apprentice Ready Program in St. Louis-hosted hiring events and graduation ceremonies and provides continual follow-up support to program graduates, ensuring their transition into the industry is as smooth as possible.
“I wholeheartedly believe that Missourians who participate in this program stand to gain immensely. The program affords participants invaluable skills and resources and provides a solid foundation of support. With these tools, individuals are empowered to secure occupations in a trade, in turn enabling them to earn a decent living and provide for their families,” says Woods.
With the unique opportunity to see students through the whole program, Larry’s favorite aspect is watching them come full circle. “If I had to narrow down my favorite aspect of the program, it would undoubtedly be witnessing the journeys of the individuals who participate in the program. From the initial stages right through to their ultimate success, being able to chart this progression is deeply rewarding. Regular updates and heartfelt expressions of gratitude from participants serve as constant reminders of the significance of our efforts,” shares Larry.
Woods believes the BUD STL Apprentice Ready Program is already shaping the social and economic landscape. “By opening up opportunities to individuals who are often overlooked or underserved, the program is cultivating a new generation of construction industry workers,” he says. “This fresh intake of talent and innovation broadens the scope of inclusion within the industry. In doing so, those who may have previously encountered barriers to entry are being given a platform to succeed. These individuals not only contribute to the existing workforce but are also an integral part of future infrastructural upgrades. In essence, the program is paving the way for sustained, long-term development that will serve our needs now and into the future.”
Keon’s Story: Missouri Works Initiative
Keon is a graduate of the Missouri Works Initiative’s very first Mid-Missouri Apprentice Ready Program cohort. “I had wanted to get into a union and learn more about them. I saw the program advertised online, so I signed up for it,” says Keon. “They were able to give me all the information I needed and help me get started.”
When asked about his favorite aspect of the Apprentice Ready Program, Keon shared that the opportunity to see the trades in action and meet union members really made an impression on him. “I liked how we got to visit different halls and sites,” he said. “We learned so much about all the different kinds of trades professions there are.”
Now that Keon has graduated, he is looking towards the future. “I got to apply to do something I like doing,” says Keon, “but I’m also looking forward to retiring one day with great benefits! I’m also OSHA certified and CPR/First Aid/AED certified as well.”
If you or someone you know is looking for a career that will last for the long haul, Keon encourages you to apply for the Missouri Works Apprentice Ready Program. “Do it!” Keon says. “It was amazing and you’ll learn a lot of things. It doesn’t hurt to try something new or to get more information about something you already know. There was a person named Doug Swanson who taught labor history to us and said that you should always want to know more!”
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