Trades Declare War On Nonunion Training By Sherie Winston, Engineering News-Record
"The ABC programs do not work," BCTD President Edward C. Sullivan told more than 2,500 delegates from the 15 construction unions on April 18 at the department’s annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C.
The unions are calling for an immediate investigation into poor performing programs and a requirement that they maintain a certain graduation rate by craft. "We have repeatedly urged the Dept. of Labor to take action, with no response," Sullivan said. "If we can’t do it at the federal level, we will get it done in the state courts," he added. Sullivan later told ENR that it was likely that building trade councils or other state-level union groups would pursue legal action to block ABC’s apprentice programs. Local unions are "keyed up" on this issue, he said.