2021-2023 Biennial Budget Focused on Working Families and Those Negatively Affected by The Pandemic
Madison – Jake Castanza, Executive Director of The Wisconsin Building Trades Council, released the following statement on Governor Tony Evers’ 2021-2023 Biennial Budget Address:
“What we are seeing is a governor who keeps their promise and acts responsibly for the hard-working people of Wisconsin. The past year was layered with unprecedented challenges for many people in Wisconsin. Vision and ideas aimed towards uplifting everyday people will bring Wisconsin Forward to a strong and successful recovery and prepare us for our journey on this path to get through the pandemic.”
The 40,000 working men and women of the Wisconsin Building Trades Council are incredibly grateful for Governor Evers’ as he sees the importance of reinstating prevailing wage laws in Wisconsin, ending the embargo of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) on publicly funded projects, investing in our state’s infrastructure with the I-94 Expansion, banishing the one-week waiting period for the unemployment insurance, implementing the recommendations from the Governor’s Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Misclassification, and ending anti-worker Right-to-Work laws which have been a catalyst for the downward slide of workers’ rights and benefits in Wisconsin.
Additionally, Governor Evers is preparing Wisconsin’s future workforce by planning over $29 million for workforce development, including $1 million in the Fast Forward program, which is dedicated to training workers for “Green Jobs.” With this growing industry and Wisconsinites needing jobs, these funds should be monitored by appropriate agencies, but more importantly, administered to trusted registered apprenticeship programs managed by Joint Apprenticeship Training Committees and Joint Apprenticeship Committees. WBTC member registered apprenticeship programs have been doing the heavy lifting for decades. Member programs are home to over 6,500 apprentices (80%+) of Wisconsin’s apprentices and have graduated 82% of all construction apprentices since 2002. Utilizing these dollars to further catalyze the young workers in Wisconsin’s best and most established registered apprenticeship programs will exponentially benefit individuals and taxpayers throughout our state while providing the highest quality service at the lowest cost.
Governor Evers is focused on achieving a higher standard for quality of life in our state and what government can and will do to protect everyday workers, families, and taxpayers’ interests. The Evers administration utilizes real-world information and metrics to ensure that the state uses tax dollars responsibly to support Wisconsin workers and small businesses, allowing all Wisconsinites to thrive during this economic recovery.
The Wisconsin Building Trades Council (WBTC) is a membership organization representing the interests of 15 trade organizations and over 40,000 working men and women across the entire State of Wisconsin. The trade organization members of the WBTC are:
• Bricklayers and Allied Craftworkers District Council of Wisconsin
• International Association of Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers
• International Association of Sheet Metal, Air, Rail, and Transportation Workers Local 18 And Local 10
• International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers And Helpers Union 107
• International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers
• International Brotherhood of Teamsters Local 200
• International Union of Elevator Constructors
• International Union of Operating Engineers Local 139
• International Union of Painters and Allied Trades District Council 7 & DC 82
• Ironworkers District Council of North Central States
• North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters
• Operative Plasterers’ and Cement Masons’ Local 599
• The Wisconsin Laborers’ District Council
• The Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association
• United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers, & Allied Workers
