Philadelphia native Quinzel Washington, 27, fell in love with construction as a child. But when he was ready to enter the working world, he found that joining the field isn’t as easy as walking up to a construction company and getting a job. During his search for employment, Washington saw that Eastern State Penitentiary’s Masonry Academy was…Read More…

A coalition of contractors, developers, labor, trade groups and corporations, have launched an initiative called “Everybody Builds,” to improve the diversity of workers in the city’s construction industry. It marks the first time such a group has come together to work towards a goal of diversifying an industry that activists have criticized and protested against…Read More…

Dear Editor: When you’re driving by a construction site, do you ever wonder how all those moving parts meld together in an organized and coherent effort? How do all those construction workers seem to approach the task with a single-mindedness that later results in a grand new structure?  On a well-run project, the secret is…Read More…

The construction industry has a long way to go when it comes to creating a more diverse workforce. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that in 2021, 87.9% of construction workers identified as White. In order to attract more people of color, the industry needs to take concrete steps to ensure it is creating…Read More…

September 2, 2022 WASHINGTON—Today, the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) announced a final rule amending the Federal Management Regulation to enable access to GSA-controlled facilities by union organizers to educate employees of private sector government contractors working in these facilities about the benefits of organizing, collective bargaining, and union membership. This rule is the latest in the…Read More…

As Labor Day approaches, it’s fitting that unions get the recognition they deserve for leading the fight to improve the lives of millions of Americans — union and nonunion alike — by providing access to the middle class and the American Dream. Sadly, it’s getting harder and harder for today’s tradespeople to access the upward…Read More…

Philadelphia’s building trades offer a rare opportunity: A stable career offering good pay and benefits, with no need for a college degree. But Black people, people of color, and women have been kept out of these unions for hundreds of years. Today, unions, Black trades workers, and other organizations are working to address this inequity…Read More…

NEWARK, NJ, UNITED STATES, August 23, 2022 – Seven Barringer High School students recently graduated from an eight-week-apprenticeship program in carpentry under the direction of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EASRCC). The program introduces students to a carpentry career through job placement with union contractors and favorable entry into the official union…Read More…

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — The Power 99 “Rise + Grind” morning show is partnering with the community to help provide 300 free backpacks in the Mayfair community of Philadelphia. A group of five siblings was among the children who were able to receive backpacks on Friday. “They’re almost ready for school, but yeah, it’s a good thing…Read More…

The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters,  in Partnership with their first ever Entrepreneur Seminar, on July 26, at the Northeastern Carpenters Apprentice Training Fund. The seminar’s purpose was to encourage and educate members interested in starting their own contracting businesses. “EASRCC has always been on the forefront of supporting our industry partners and…Read More…