Building Trades and AFL-CIO offer Specialized Construction oriented Organizing classes for HFIAW Organizers

The Heat and Frost Insulators and Allied Workers understand the importance and impact that Organizing has on our union. As such, we value the opportunity to train our Local Organizers to the highest degree.

For the last several years, our International Organizing Department (IOD) has financially supported the training for Local Organizers to attend five different construction organizing classes conducted by the National Building Trades' Training Academy (BTTA).

In 2015, an additional class provided by the AFL-CIO's Organizing Institute (OI) was added to the list of classes the IOD provides financial support for our union’s Organizers to attend.  The purpose of this class is not necessarily designed to teach organizing strategies, techniques and tactics; instead the primary focus of the OI's class is to assess a potential Organizer's skills and ability to effectively communicate and interact with people to encourage them to join or sign with our union. 

Excellent communication skills are crucial for an HFIAW Organizer.  Since the General Executive Board's requirement that all newly appointed Local and International Organizers must complete the OI’s 3-day Evaluation class, our IOD has sponsored 27 Organizers who have finish the course successfully.

This course is next scheduled for Feb. 10-12 in Chicago and again March 17-19 in Atlanta. More details about the course and up-to-date course schedules can be found on our International’s OMS Request Management System website.

The International Organizing Department is extremely proud of the high quality and professional Local and International Organizers that have successfully completed the AFL-CIO OI classes. 

The Instructors with the Building Trades Academy have repeatedly praised the seriousness and professionalism of our union’s Local and International Organizers. 

"I have been told by BTA [National Building Trades' Training Academy] Instructors that our Union has some of the best Organizers they have ever taught" said Todd Dunnahoe, Organizing Director, HFIAW Department of Organizing.

The other BTA classes cover a range of subjects that include: Construction Labor Law, Basic Organizing Tactics, Strategic Organizing, Research, as well as Digital and Media Communications.

As a result of our union's commitment to training, the HFIAW believes our members benefit from a Local Organizer being able to effectively work against non-signatory contractors undermining wages, benefits and working conditions that are contained in our collective bargaining agreements.

Pictures are of a role-play training exercise during a recent BTA class where the Local Organizer is trying to get a non-signatory contractor, played by an International Organizer/Assistant BTA Instructor, to become a signatory contractor. Pictured is Local #80 Organizer trainee JT Humphreys and NYNESC International Organizer Scott Curry and Local #41 Organizer Kevin Anspach with CSC International Organizer Tom Williams.

Also pictured is the group of participants from the Organizing Institute training that included Organizers from various AFL-CIO Unions across Canada and The United States. The HFIAW was proudly represented by Joseph Costa from Local 1, St. Louis and Craig Guilfoyle from Local 91, White Plains.

 

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Special thanks to Todd Dunnahoe, Director, Department of Organizing, for providing information for this post.

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