Whenever Matt Stafford is talking to kids about the benefits of a career in the skilled trades, he points out some of the notable projects that he has helped build with his own hands, from Citizens Bank Park and Lincoln Financial Field to the Pennsylvania Convention Center and even, he adds with a laugh, a local Wawa or two. But beyond just a recruiting pitch, those accomplishments stand out in his own mind when he reflects on his decision to join the International Union of Bricklayers & Allied Craftworkers.
“I am just so proud to be able to build buildings, and to ride by them with my family after they’re done and say, ‘I built that,’” explains Stafford, a Maple Shade resident and the Northeast regional representative for his organization. “A non-union worker can do the same thing, but as a union member I can also say, ‘I built that building, and I got paid a proper living wage, and while I was building that building, there were contributions being made on my behalf to my health care and my retirement savings.’
“I’m proud just like a non-union worker to build a building, but I’m also proud of what kind of money I was making, the kind of life I was able to make for me and my family, and the securities that come with being a union bricklayer and a union construction worker.”
More and more young people today are sharing that sentiment and seeing the skilled trades, as well as membership in a union, as the best long-term fit for their future. While organized labor used to wield tremendous influence in this country, the past two to three decades have seen that power decline as the prevailing thought was that a college education was the logical next step after high school toward a successful career. Now the trend is starting to shift in the other direction, with the rising cost of college and the crippling student loan debt it leads to making the trades a solid alternative.
Workers are attracted to the fair wages, steady employment, opportunities for growth, health care benefits and retirement plans that the skilled trades, and unions in particular, can provide.
“Today, demand for union apprenticeships has surged, with waitlists exceeding 100 in some areas and reaching thousands in areas like Philadelphia,” says William C. Sproule, executive secretary-treasurer for the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters (EASRCC). “The overwhelming interest underscores the growing recognition of skilled trades’ value and the urgent need to expand access to these career pathways.
“Younger workers are becoming increasingly aware of how unions can provide stability and career growth in an uncertain job market. The increased awareness about these advantages, along with a strong desire for work-life balance, is driving more interest in joining the union. This shift in mindset is definitely a positive trend for the future of organized labor.”
Mike Laughlin is the assistant business manager in South Jersey for District Council 21 (DC21), a union that includes painters, glaziers, drywall finishers, wallcoverers and more. He joined the organization more than 30 years ago after completing three years of college, and today many of the union’s members are in the same boat, seeing the appeal of the trades after first giving higher education a try.
“There does seem to be a push, and you see it nationally, to go back to the trades and trade school. It’s another option than just going to college,” he says. “We’ve noticed that probably 85% of our members have some college [experience], and a couple a year come into the program with a bachelor’s degree already. They graduated college and realized that maybe they can’t get a job, or they can’t get a job and make what they can having a building trades career, and they’re straddled with student loans, which puts them in a position where they need to survive. I don’t know where else you can potentially get a six-figure job without going to college.”
It’s important for construction unions to reach students at the high school level and get this message across, which is why many of them participate in career days. Stafford was first introduced to bricklaying by a retired union member-turned teacher at a vocational school and tries to pay it forward to the young people he encounters. EASRCC, meanwhile, offers a Career Connections program that Sproule says helps high school teachers introduce students to carpentry, from the technical skills to job-site safety and the importance of being a dependable professional.
Jill Schiff is the chief operating officer for Associated Construction Contractors of New Jersey, which is not a union but a construction trade association that represents the general contractors and construction managers that hire union craftworkers. Every year, her organization holds a two-day event called Construction Industry Career Day—this year it will take place from May 27-28—with the first day open to the general public and the second to high school students from both comprehensive and vocational schools.
“We’ve been doing this since 2001 and we reach capacity every year for the [student] portion,” Schiff says. “We have over 2,500 students coming this year, and nearly every union construction trade is represented. They have an opportunity to do hands-on activities, which introduces them to the trades. It’s not standing at a table talking to a retiree; it’s working alongside somebody who might be a second- or third-year apprentice, so they can hear about the benefits afforded to them as part of the union and they’ll understand about the training that’s involved.”
That training extends well into their careers, and can result in opportunities for advancement.
“The training centers that the unions have are state of the art, and they provide for lifelong learning,” Schiff adds. “Once you’re done with your apprenticeship it doesn’t mean that you’re done with the training center. There are tons of upgrade classes for journey workers, especially when it comes to safety and new technology. … And whether you’re an apprentice or a journey worker, there’s no cost for you to go back to the training center to learn a new skill. … The more certifications you have, the more marketable you are. You want to be able to tell an employer, ‘I can do that.’”
Laughlin notes that DC 21 has a merit-based system in which members receive higher pay based on the number of continuing education courses they complete. Upgrading is voluntary for the bricklayers, but Stafford adds that many of its members take advantage of the extra training.
“If you just limit yourself to being a bricklayer, then that’s the only opportunities you’re going to have,” he says. “But if you expand your skillset into stonework or welding or the historical preservation and restoration of buildings, that’s more tools in your tool bag, both figuratively and literally, which means more opportunities for work for you.”
For all of these reasons, union membership remains steady and is even rising quickly in many cases. It is also more inclusive than in the past, with organizations not just relying on second- and third-generation members but reaching out to minorities and women to grow their ranks.
“Our membership numbers are up, and the work outlook is forecasted well into 2025 and we have jobs in 2026 and 2027 already,” Laughlin says. “The unknown is if the country politically holds it together—I worry about tariffs and interest rates and how that affects construction. But as we sit right now, we’re looking pretty good for the next few years and expect the growth to continue.”
Schiff agrees, adding that the relationships between union leaders and construction management have improved greatly.
“I think the union construction industry has so much to offer,” she says. “… We have truly come to a place where it is no longer an adversarial relationship; it’s a very amicable relationship, and when we need to pick up a phone, we can, whether it’s a legislative issue or a labor issue, and the conversations are had. The days of picket lines are long gone. … It’s about understanding where the other person is coming from. It goes both ways: The union has taken the time to understand management’s perspective and vice versa. You’re working with people who want to work together and there’s no reason why we have to fight.”
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Published (and copyrighted) in South Jersey Biz, Volume 15, Issue 3 (March 2025).
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