DETROIT, Mich.—International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 58 has agreed to bring at least
500 Detroit residents into its apprenticeship programs over the next 10 years, Mayor Mike Duggan’s office announced Nov. 1. The union signed a nonbinding deal to participate in the city’s Skilled Trades Employment Program, pledging to have 25% of its apprentices be city residents by 2022. Local 58 is the third Motor City building-trades union to make that pledge, following Plumbers Local 98 in 2016 and local units of the Michigan Regional Council of Carpenters and Millwrights in 2017. The city told Crain’s Detroit that both unions have fulfilled that commitment, with 29% of Plumbers apprentices and 26% in the Carpenters now city residents. “This is a continuation of IBEW Local 58’s efforts to recruit and communicate our opportunities in Detroit, including our efforts at Randolph Career Tech Center, to career days and job fairs at Detroit schools, as well as community service efforts.” Local 58 business manager Brian Richard said in a statement. The STEP program is also intended to help developers meet the requirement that at least 51% of workers on city-subsidized projects must be from Detroit. Read more
