SWPTA News

Work With Your Hands

Humans Started Out Working With Their Hands People are expressive beings. Whether we do this through art or words, or through the work we do every day, people’s personalities come out through the things they do. It’s easy to see how an artist does this with paints on a canvas, but it’s no small secret

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Skilled Trades: An Alternative to College

These days, we seem to think a college graduate is the right goal to make for all kids. High school education is geared toward preparing students to succeed at four-year colleges. Part of this is because high schools base their worth and prestige on the number of students they send to four-year universities. This may

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Post Union Life

Labor unions exist to provide skilled tradespeople with training, proper working conditions, and representation. One of the hard-fought benefits provided is reliable retirement plans for workers who have given a life of loyal service. Few Americans have enough to live on once they retire, and while this isn’t by design, it is partially due to

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Earn While You Learn

If you’re interested in pursuing a skilled trade, you are someone who is skilled using their hands to create and repair. So much of what workers in these industries do is tied to physical ability that oftentimes the best way to learn how to do them is to simply do them.  Earn as You Learn

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Union welder in the pipe and construction trades

How Unions Help All Workers

Labor unions are organizations created by workers for the purpose of negotiating with employers. These organizations work by uniting workers and using their collective presence to create bargaining power. Unions play a major role not only in procuring higher wages, but also securing better benefits and safer working conditions. Although unions are run by union

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Union construction workers join hands together in a huddle circle.

Not All Unions are Created Equal

Most people believe private and public sector unions are essentially the same. However, this assumption is incorrect. Given that their methods for achieving results are fundamentally similar, it’s easy to understand why this is a common misconception. This article will explore how the two differ. Public Sector vs. Private Sector The key purpose of a

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The UA Union is a family

Unions Take Care of Loved Ones

To put it simply, when workers come together to form a labor union, they have the power to make things better for themselves. Through collective bargaining agreements, unionized workers can negotiate changes that can improve workplace conditions. These changes may take the form of higher pay, more flexible work hours, and better benefits. However, unions

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Union construction hat and American flag - good pay

Unions: The Difference in Pay is Made Up In Benefits

Downsizing, part timing, contracting, and sending jobs overseas are becoming trends in the business world. These trends are all a part of a conscious effort to lower salaries and shed the responsibility of providing employees with the benefits they need. Unions were developed as a countermeasure to ensure worker’s rights and secure the benefits they

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