Letter: Union apprenticeships good for taxpayers

Trade unions train their workers at no cost to the taxpayers. They train new workers from start to end, and the workers even get paid while they are in training.

All the trades have their own training centers and provide on-the-job training. These training centers are paid for by contractors, and not supported by taxpayers. So when you hire a union contractor you help support the trades and their training centers.

New trainees incur no school debt and taxpayers are not paying for their education.

The building trades recently held an Apprenticeships Expo trade show for high school students at the Plumbers and Fitters Local No. 125 training center. All the trades in the Cedar Rapids and Marion metro areas made presentations to the students, including: Sheet Metal Local No. 263, Roofers Local No. 182, Labors Local No. 43, Painters Local No. 447, Cedar Rapids Carpenters Local No. 308, Iowa City Carpenters Local No. 1260, Insulation Workers Local No. 81, Plumbers and Fitters Local No. 125, Iron Workers Local No. 89, Electricians Local No. 405, Millwrights Local No. 2158, Operators Local No. 234 Brick Layers Local No. 3.

Again, unlike other job-training programs, this is all paid for by the unions and contractors, not taxpayers' money.

Glenn Suchomel

Retired Master Plumber

Member Local No. 125

Chelsea