The foundation of this country wasn’t built by CEOs or laid by hedge fund managers. It was built by union workers. Today, more than ever, we need you in this fight.

Last month, District Council 30’s Women’s Committee hosted their first-ever Hardhats & Handmade Market in Morton, IL. Union tradeswomen from the Central Illinois Building Trades were invited to the event in celebration of sisterhood and solidarity. Thank you to our Women’s Committee sisters for creating such a unique experience and to everyone who attended!

District Council 38 is Building Union Power! Members came together to reconnect, share ideas, and talk about how we can continue building a stronger, more united union. This campaign is about standing together, supporting one another, and ensuring we continue fighting for better wages, safer working conditions, and stronger contracts for all members. Be on the lookout for upcoming Building Union Power campaign meetings and events happening with DC 38. We’re just getting started. Let’s keep building momentum and union power together.

Shout out to the members of Local 550, District Council 10, who make trade shows in Houston happen! DreamCon is an inclusive, personal space for diverse anime and gaming fandoms! We are grateful to help provide these places for people.

Last October, District Council 78, Local 1010 Disney apprentice Cindy Lopez was busy at work when she noticed a man choking. Immediately, she came to his aid and saved him. She didn't tell anyone about what she did, she just went back to work. But the man she helped was so moved, his family contacted Disney. This year, Cindy was awarded a very rare honor: Disney’s Heroes Award. Since the award’s conception in 2008, just over 850 individuals throughout Disney Parks and Resorts globally have received it. The award recognizes people working in non-safety roles who step forward during critical emergencies and make a meaningful difference in someone’s life. We are so proud of you, Cindy! Thank you for your work and for representing our union so beautifully.

Join us in welcoming a new member from Local 49, District Council 77, who is a Sign Maker for the City of Memphis, Estella Cottrell. Every new member makes our union stronger!

General President Jimmy Williams Jr. spoke at the Ohio AFL-CIO Convention yesterday on the importance of every member playing a role in our union. Apprentices are the future of our union, and while learning our trades is paramount, so is learning what it means to be a member of the IUPAT. That's what Building Union Power is all about: being active and involved.

This is a heavy video of one of our apprentices in District Council 3, but it's so important that we share it. Construction has one of the highest rates of suicide in any industry, and more than 5,000 construction workers die by suicide each year, five times the number who die from fatal worksite injuries. The IUPAT is committed to being there for each and every one of our brothers and sisters who suffer from mental health or substance use issues. Your union is here for you, please reach out if you ever need support.

District Council 36 has a new signatory contractor. Welcome to Fine Finish Painting, the newest signatory contractor of Local 823! So glad to have you with us.

It’s back-to-school season! Over the summer, District Council 57 members helped build Bethel Park Elementary School. All of our trades worked together on this new building, making all-day Kindergarten possible for Bethel Park families! Thank you to our members for all they do.

A big shoutout to District Council 91 members, Trey, Luca, and Rick, who are hard at work on the Bank of America project in Merrillville, Indiana! Thank you for all you do.

“This ain’t the same old stuffy union!” Our Building Union Power Summit was a monumental experience. It was the first conference that was half rank-and-file members, but it won’t be the last. We’re rebuilding our union as a fighting, active organization, led by our members. Get involved today!

Our members are the best at what they do! Congratulations to Jackson Aho and Hugo Gutierrez, finalists in the International Surface’s Installer of the Year event, held recently in Salt Lake City. piprolink.com/aho-and-gutier…

In the non-union world, when workers get disciplined or fired, they have very little recourse. When you have a union behind you, you have a voice. When Selena Santos from Local 1756, DC 77, was terminated, she used the grievance process to fight back – and she won! If you have an issue on the job, reach out to your steward or business agent.

College football season is here! Thanks to District Council 57’s members for spending the offseason renovating Beaver Stadium. If you make it out to a Pitt or Penn State game this season, you’re enjoying a football game in a stadium built by union labor!

Congratulations to the newest graduates of Florida’s Finishing Trades Institute! There’s a bright future ahead of you with District Council 78, and we’re excited to be part of it!

District Council 57 keeps welcoming new members! Local 549 welcomed new brother Lamont Loomis, and Local 530 swore in Colton Summers and Sharron Moreland-Jones. Happy to have you in the IUPAT, brothers!

Tomorrow, workers at Labcorp in Georgia will vote to join the IUPAT! Labcorp's CEO, Adam Schecter, has a total compensation package of $19.33 million, and does not want his employees to unionize -- he's been making that clear through surveillance, threats, and promises. Let's all take 30 seconds to send an email to CEO Adam Schecter to show these workers that we have their back: go.iupat.org/MTgYwV

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month to all of the Latino and Hispanic workers who make the labor movement – and the IUPAT – so strong! Thank you for all of your hard work and contributions to our movement.

Today kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month! We want to remember our brother, William Emilio Rodriguez, a house painter in Local 180 in Chicago. He joined at age 19 and served his union with pride until he went to law school, graduating in 1912 as the first Hispanic graduate of the University of Illinois’ law school. He was then the first Hispanic member of Chicago’s City Council, and served as a fighter for the working class until his death in 1970.