We need to be loud and proud, reminding employers that when they need skilled craftsmen and women, Boilermakers are the answer.
As I look back on the 35th Consolidated Convention, I’m filled with hope for the future. The Convention gave us an opportunity to reflect on where we’ve been and look at the challenges we have overcome. But even more, it gave us the opportunity to decide where we are going.
When I stood before our delegates, I spoke about a vision for this Brotherhood—a union united in purpose with expanding opportunities for every member. I see our union preparing the next generation of Boilermakers for the next generation of work. That vision did not end when the Convention adjourned.
The Convention’s theme—United in Purpose, Unstoppable in Progress—encapsulates my vision for this union. We’ve spent the past two years rebuilding and strengthening this organization. We have invested in organizing, recruiting and training. We’re working to rebuild relationships with our allies in the labor movement. We’ve also expanded our legislative efforts to ensure the Boilermakers have a voice whenever decisions affecting our work are being made.
We’ve modernized the way we organize and recruit, making it easier for workers to become Boilermakers. We put organizers in the field and recruiters to work, helping us meet the growing demand for skilled craftsmen and women. Those efforts are producing results. But we don’t look at those accomplishments and say that our work is done. No, it’s quite the opposite.
The future of this Brotherhood will be determined by what we do next. There are nonunion workers who earn poverty wages and lack the benefits and security that come from having union representation. They are the Boilermakers of tomorrow. And make no mistake, we have an obligation to reach them. We have a responsibility to lift the working class out of the prison of low wages and unsafe working conditions. Remember—before you joined the union, someone showed you the way.
That means every one of us has a role in organizing and recruiting. Talk to a young person you know and explain the benefits of working in a union trade. Show a worker who has never experienced union solidarity what that means in practical terms. Make sure the next generation understands that being a Boilermaker is more than having a job. It means they’re not out there fighting the boss alone.
We also must prepare for the work ahead. The industries we serve are changing. New manufacturing facilities, power projects, energy infrastructure, data centers and other major projects are creating opportunities. But opportunities do not automatically become Boilermaker work. We must be at the table, protecting our jurisdiction while building relationships. We need to be loud and proud, reminding employers that when they need skilled craftsmen and women, Boilermakers are the answer.
That requires continued investment in training. We need to make sure our apprentices have the skills they need today while preparing them for the work of tomorrow. Because our greatest asset has never been a building, a bank or a piece of equipment. The union’s greatest assets are the skilled men and women working in shipbuilding, railroads, cement plants, manufacturing and field construction. Without you, we perish.
When we were at Convention, we were one Brotherhood. And that can’t change now that we’re home. What happens in the years ahead will not be determined by what one person does at International Headquarters. It will not be determined by what one local does or what one area accomplishes. It will be determined by what all of us do together. We must be committed to training, protecting our work and supporting our local lodges.
The generations before us built this Brotherhood one job at a time, one apprentice at a time and one local at a time. They sacrificed so that we could have good jobs, support our families and retire with dignity. Now it is our turn. Convention has given us the direction, mandate and opportunity to sow a bright future for the generations to come. Our best days are not behind us; they’re ahead of us.
Now let's get to work.
