[00:00:20]
I'M STILL, I'M STILL WAITING ON MY PEN.
YOU KEEP, YOU KEEP THROWING ME UNDER THE BUS, MAN.
THAT'S LIKE THE THIRD TIME YOU SAID THAT TO ME.
AND I WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR COMING, UH, HERE THIS MORNING TO, UM, SUPPORT OUR P TWO A PROGRAM, UH, PARTICIPANTS, WHICH P TWO A STANDS FOR PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP NEW JERSEY.
AND I'M STANDING HERE NEXT TO THE CO-FOUNDER, JOHN BLYDEN, UH, OF P TWO A.
AND THIS IS FOR OUR NATIONAL APPRENTICESHIP WEEK, WHICH WE'RE A COUPLE WEEKS BEHIND JERSEY MONTH.
IT'S, OH, IT'S ALL MONTH, SO WE'RE NOT BEHIND.
SO, AND YOU JUST HEARD FROM THE COMMISSIONER OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, ROB ANGELO.
NEXT TO HIM YOU HAVE MIKEY CHERYL, CONGRESSWOMAN FROM THE 11TH.
NEXT TO HER YOU HAVE BERNARD KALARI, WHO'S THE CHIEF OF STAFF EASTERN REGION.
AND YOU HAVE BRIAN, WHO LAST NAME ESCAPES ME, HAUSER BRIAN HAUSER FROM LOCAL ONE, THE ELEVATOR UNION.
AND HERE WE HAVE MIKE STROM, WHO IS THE EASTERN REGION MANAGER AND INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, AND ONE OF, OH, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA.
AND ONE OF THE SMARTEST MEN I KNOW BECAUSE HE RECRUITED ME 17 YEARS AGO.
I SEE PAUL OVER HERE, THE BUSINESS MANAGER FROM LOCAL THREE, PAUL RODAN.
WE HAVE DERRICK BROOKS, WHO'S HERE REPRESENTING MANNY AMADOR FROM LOCAL 4 72 2.
AND HE'S THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF LOCAL 1 0 8, WHO'S ALSO HERE.
AND RIGHT NOW I WANT TO TURN THE PROGRAM OVER TO JOHN BLYDEN.
I GUESS A COUPLE OF Y'ALL DIDN'T HAVE COFFEE, SO I MIGHT NEED TO WAKE YOU UP A LITTLE BIT.
WHO GOT THE POWER? WE GOT THE POWER.
WHAT KIND OF POWER? UNION POWER.
WHOSE CITY? OUR CITY WHOSE WORK? OUR WORK.
YOU NEED ONE MORE? Y'ALL WANT ONE MORE? ALRIGHT.
I DON'T KNOW, BUT I'VE BEEN TOLD, I DUNNO WHAT I'VE BEEN TOLD.
LO AND TRICKS WILL NOT DIVIDE.
LO AND TRICKS WILL NOT DIVIDE WORKERS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S REALLY INTERESTING BEING PART OF P TWO A LIFE COMES FULL CIRCLE.
SO WHEN I THINK OF THESE PRE-APPRENTICE, THEY ALL ATTENDED AN INFORMATIONAL SESSION WHERE THEY HAD TO MAKE A DECISION WHETHER OR NOT THEY WANTED TO TRUST US WITH LEADING THEM TO THEIR CAREER.
AND ONE OF THE THINGS WE TEACH THE STAFF IS JUST BE REAL.
LET 'EM KNOW ALL THE THINGS THAT WE HAVE IN COMMON.
SO I SHARED WITH THEM SOMETHING BRIEFLY ABOUT MYSELF.
[00:05:01]
I HAD ZERO KIDS.BY THE TIME I WAS 23, I HAD THREE KIDS.
AND I'M GETTING READY TO START MY ONE YEAR BID.
AND I WAS THINKING TO MYSELF, MAN, MY LIFE IS OVER.
AND YOU KNOW, THERE'S NO SUCH THING AS A HALFWAY CROOK.
SO I WAS THINKING, OKAY, SINCE MY LIFE IS ALREADY OVER, LET ME THINK OF THE WAYS THAT I'M GONNA HAVE TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS WAY OF LIFE.
BUT THEN AFTER A COUPLE WEEKS, I STARTED THINKING ABOUT WHAT WOULD IT TAKE FOR ME TO LEAVE THIS LIFE ALONE? AND I THOUGHT, MAN, IF I CAN MAKE $500 A WEEK.
NOW, MIND YOU, I WAS MAKING FIVE GS A DAY.
I WAS TIRED OF LOOKING OVER MY SHOULDER.
I HAD THREE KIDS, LIKE I MENTIONED, MY YOUNGEST DAUGHTER HAD A HEART ELEMENT.
SO I SAID, MAN, IF I HAD MEDICAL BENEFITS FOR MY YOUNGEST, YOUNGEST DAUGHTER, THAT'D BE COOL.
I SAID, YOU KNOW, IF I HAD A CAREER WHERE I WORKED 30 YEARS, I HAVE DIGNITY AND RESPECT.
I WOULD LEAVE THIS LIFESTYLE ALONE.
SO UPON LEAVING, YOU KNOW, THAT YEAR BID, YOU KNOW, I WENT, MY MOTHER DONE DEPLETED MY, MY, UH, ACCOUNT.
SO I HAD NO MONEY, BUT SHE DID ONE THING.
SHE HAPPENED TO KNOW THE BUSINESS MANAGER OF LOCAL 1 99, THE LOCAL LABORERS UNION.
SO I WAS ABLE TO GET IN AND I STARTED WORKING IN THE FIELD.
I DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME FOR THE STREETS.
ONE STORY I ALSO SAID TO THEM WAS THAT WORKING IN THE FIELD, NO MATTER WHAT I DID IN THE PAST, WHO I THOUGHT I WAS ON THE JOB SITE, I STARTED FROM THE BOTTOM AND I GOT REMINDED EVERY LUNCHTIME AND BREAKFAST.
'CAUSE I WAS THE GUY WHO WOULDN'T HAD TO GET THE COFFEE AND DONUTS.
AND DON'T YOU KNOW HOW MANY DAYS WHEN I WAS ASKED TO GET THE COFFEE AND DONUTS, I WAS READY TO SAY, FORGET THIS.
BUT SOMETHING INSIDE SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT? LIKE MIKE SAID, THEY DIDN'T HAVE AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AT THE TIME.
AND THE YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN, THE MEN AND WOMEN THERE, THEY WAS INVESTING IN ME.
SO THIS WAS MY COST TO BE AN INVESTED IN.
SO WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO BECOME A UNION ORGANIZER, I OFTEN LOOKED AROUND AND WONDERED, WOW, HOW COME THERE'S NOT MANY STORIES LIKE MINE? NOW I'M TALKING 20 YEARS AGO.
I JUST TOOK ADVANTAGE OF AN OPPORTUNITY.
BUT THEN THERE WAS A PLA ON THE PORT IN WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, WHERE IT'S GONNA BE ALL UNION.
SO OF COURSE THE NON-UNION, THEY WAS IN A UPROAR.
THEY STARTED TO SAY, HEY, THE UNION DON'T HIRE AFRICAN AMERICANS.
SO I WAS CALLED INTO A MEETING AND I WAS TOLD, LISTEN, WE NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO SHOW THE COMMUNITY WE'RE REAL.
SO FIRST THING I DID WAS REACH OUT TO MY MENTOR IN NEW YORK, VAUGHN CHAMBERS, WHO WORKS WITH BERNARD AND MIKE, AND WE WAS ABLE TO GET THE P TWO A MODEL AND WE BROUGHT IT TO DELAWARE.
SO SINCE 2019, AND I HAVE THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR BACK THERE IN DELAWARE, GWEN MOTLEY, SINCE 2019, WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO PATHWAY OVER 200 PEOPLE INTO THE TRADES.
AND WHAT MADE THIS SO SPECIAL, WE WAS ABLE TO KEEP IT GOING EVEN WHEN COVID SHUT EVERYTHING DOWN.
AND I ALSO WANT TO MENTION THAT P TWO A NEW YORK HAS BEEN EXISTENCE FOR OVER NINE YEARS AND HAVE PATHWAY OVER 900 PEOPLE.
SO, SO LAST YEAR I GOT A CALL, UH, ME AND WAYNE WAS CALLED INTO A MEETING BY OUR REGIONAL MANAGER, AND I TURNED IT OVER TO WAYNE TO TALK ABOUT THAT MEETING.
OUR FORMER REGIONAL MANAGER, UH, WAS RAY PACINO.
AND HE CALLED US INTO A MEETING.
HE SAID, LISTEN, LOOKING AT THE SUCCESS OF P TWO A IN NEW YORK, THE SUCCESS OF P TWO A IN DELAWARE, WE NEED TO START A P TWO A IN NEW JERSEY, RIGHT? AND WE WERE CHARGED WITH DOING SO.
SO WE PUT P TWO A IN NEW JERSEY TOGETHER, UH, BASICALLY ON THE LABORERS DIME.
WE DID ONE CLASS, UH, OVER A YEAR AGO AND SOME SUCCESS WITH, WITH, UH, THOSE FOLKS.
BUT THIS PARTICULAR P TWO A, UM, AND BERNARD CALLS IT A NEW, A NEW, A NEW REBRAND.
AND, AND WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR FOR RECOGNIZING OUR GRANT APPLICATION.
AND THAT'S WHY YOU GUYS ARE HERE BECAUSE WE'RE ABLE TO GET FUNDING.
FOR A NEW ORGANIZATION, A REBRAND, UH, TO GET A STATEWIDE, UH, GRANT IS PRETTY MUCH KIND OF UNHEARD OF, RIGHT?
[00:10:01]
SO, AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO DOING A LOT OF BIGGER AND BETTER THINGS.AND WE LOVE THE DIRECTION OF WHERE THE LABORS ARE GOING WITH MIKE AND HIS LEADERSHIP, AND BERNARD AND HIS LEADERSHIP.
YOU KNOW, THE WAY THEY'RE STEERING THE SHIP AND, UH, ENCOURAGING US TO DO MORE WITH WHATEVER WE HAVE.
SOMETIMES IT'S LIKE, NOW IT IS WITH MORE, WE HAVE A LITTLE MORE, UH, OPPORTUNITY TO GET MORE PEOPLE ENGAGED AND BRINGING FOLKS IN.
LIKE, LIKE BRIAN, UM, FROM THE ELEVATORS, UH, WHICH IS A FRIEND OF BERNARD, WHICH WAS IMPERATIVE TO US, RIGHT? ONE OF THOSE LOCAL UNIONS, BERNARD CALLED HIM.
WE MET WHAT AT NEW BRUNSWICK? WE MET THE FIRST TIME.
SECOND TIME WE MET, WE WERE IN MAYOR BARAKA'S OFFICE.
AND YOU COMMITTED LIKE RIGHT AWAY TO TAKE PEOPLE INTO YOUR LOCAL UNION.
UH, IT, IT IS A FANTASTIC PARTNERSHIP THAT WE'RE BUILDING.
AND SO WE'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO SOME OF YOU GOING INTO THE ELEVATOR, UH, LOCAL ONE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM.
BUT BEFORE I GET TOO DEEP INTO THAT, I WANT TO GIVE THE CONGRESSWOMAN AN OPPORTUNITY TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS AND UNDERSTAND THIS.
THESE FOLKS ARE HERE FOR YOU BECAUSE THEY BELIEVE IN THE PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, THE PRE-APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT THE LABORERS HAVE PUT TOGETHER HERE THAT WE STARTED.
AND JESUS JUST, WE'RE HERE FOR YOU, MAN, CONGRESSWOMAN.
I GOTTA TELL YOU, UM, BECAUSE IT REPRESENTS A COUPLE THINGS THAT ARE NEAR AND DEAR TO MY HEART.
UM, WHEN JOHN WAS SPEAKING SO POWERFUL, DID HE JUST, OH, THERE YOU GO.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT OCCURS TO ME AND, AND WHAT I THINK ABOUT UNIONS AS OPPORTUNITY, THEY JUST PRESENT SUCH WONDERFUL OPPORTUNITIES TO SO MANY PEOPLE.
AND THE REASON I DEEPLY BELIEVE THAT IS BECAUSE IF IT WASN'T FOR A UNION, I WOULDN'T BE HERE.
I WOULDN'T BE A MEMBER OF CONGRESS.
MY FAMILY LOST EVERYTHING IN THE GREAT DEPRESSION.
MY GRANDFATHER HAD TO MOVE BACK IN WITH HIS GRANDPARENTS.
THEY LOST THEIR HOUSE, THEY LOST THEIR JOBS, BUSINESSES, EVERYTHING.
AND THEN WORLD WAR II HAPPENED AND MY GRANDFATHER WENT INTO WORLD WAR II AND HE CAME HOME AND HE NEEDED A JOB.
AND HE GOT A GOOD UNION JOB ON THE FACTORY FLOOR OF THE HAMILTON FISHER AUTOBODY PLANT.
AND BECAUSE OF THAT UNION JOB, HE WAS ABLE TO RAISE HIS EIGHT KIDS.
HE WAS ABLE TO MAKE SURE HE HAD BENEFITS WHEN HE FINISHED WORKING.
HE AND MY GRANDMOTHER, WHEN THEY HAD MEDICAL PROBLEMS AT THE END OF THEIR LIVES, THEY DIDN'T BANKRUPT OUR FAMILY.
THEY HAD GOOD BENEFITS AND HE HAD DIGNITY.
HE HAD A JOB THAT HE WAS PROUD OF BECAUSE HE WAS PROUD OF THE WAY IT HELPED HIM SUPPORT HIS FAMILY.
AND SO, WHEN I WAS AT THE US ATTORNEY'S OFFICE, I DID THE REENTRY PROGRAM THERE, OUR DIS OUR FIRST FEDERAL REENTRY PROGRAM FOR THE DISTRICT OF NEW JERSEY.
AND PART OF WHAT WE REALLY NEEDED TO DO AS PEOPLE WERE COMING OUTTA FEDERAL PRISON WAS MAKE SURE THEY HAD GOOD JOBS.
AND THE JUDGE WOULD OFTEN SAY, YOUR FIRST JOB ISN'T YOUR LAST JOB.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES THE FIRST JOBS WERE A LITTLE ROUGH, BUT IF WE GOT SOMEBODY A UNION APPRENTICESHIP, WE KNEW THAT GUY WAS SET.
WE ALMOST FELT LIKE THEY COULD JUST GRADUATE THE REENTRY PROGRAM RIGHT THERE.
BECAUSE IF YOU GET A UNION APPRENTICESHIP, YOU'RE SET IN SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS BECAUSE THEY GOTTA TELL YOU, YOU KNOW, THE TOUGHEST PART ABOUT STARTING A NEW CAREER IS YOU'RE GONNA DOUBT YOURSELVES.
THERE ARE GONNA BE DAYS WHEN YOU'RE THINKING, OH MAN, I DON'T KNOW WHAT I'M DOING.
EVERYBODY ELSE SEEMS TO KNOW WHAT THEY'RE DOING.
OR, THESE DAYS ARE REALLY LONG, AND I, MAN, I'M, I'M TIRED, I'M BUSTING MY BUTT.
BUT YOU'RE GONNA KNOW, BECAUSE YOU WENT THROUGH THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, YOU'RE GONNA KNOW YOU'RE QUALIFIED TO DO IT.
YOU MIGHT, YOU MIGHT HAVE WHAT WE CALL IMPOSTER SYNDROME WHEN YOU THINK EVERYBODY ELSE KNOWS WHAT THEY'RE DOING, EXCEPT ME.
BELIEVE ME, I'VE BEEN THROUGH IT.
UM, YOU'RE GONNA KNOW, THOUGH, BECAUSE OF THE APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM THAT YOU CAN DO IT, BECAUSE YOU'RE GONNA KNOW THAT SO MANY PEOPLE BELIEVE IN YOU AND HAVE INVESTED IN YOU TO DO THIS JOB.
AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE THE SUPPORT OF SO MANY PEOPLE TO GET THAT JOB DONE.
THAT YOU'VE GOT THIS, AND BECAUSE OF THIS GOOD UNION JOB, YOU'RE GONNA BE ABLE TO SUPPORT YOUR FAMILY.
AND I WAS JUST TALKING TO FRED, WHO, WHO
[00:15:01]
WORKS FOR ONE OF OUR LOCAL PAPERS, AND FRED SAID, YOU KNOW, DON'T GO INTO JOURNALISMHE SAID, THAT'S A DEAD END JOB RIGHT NOW.
BUT YOU COULD GO INTO POLITICS IF YOU WANNA REPRESENT YOUR COUNTRY OR YOUR COMMUNITY, YOU CAN GO INTO SO MANY DIFFERENT THINGS BECAUSE UNION MEMBERS REPRESENT THE PEOPLE.
YOU GUYS BUILD THE MIDDLE CLASS.
YOU GIVE OPPORTUNITY NOT JUST TO YOURSELVES, BUT TO YOUR FAMILIES AND TO YOUR COMMUNITIES.
YOU ARE GOING TO BE THE LEADERS OF YOUR COMMUNITIES.
AND SO, I JUST WANNA THANK YOU.
I WANNA THANK YOU FOR, FOR GETTING INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM.
UM, AND I WANNA THANK YOU FOR ALL THE THINGS I KNOW YOU'RE GONNA DO FOR OUR COMMUNITIES AND FOR YOUR FAMILIES.
THANKS FOR HAVING ME HERE TODAY.
GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATULATIONS.
SO AT THIS TIME, WE'RE GOING TO SHOW A SHORT VIDEO OF OUR P TWO A CLASS, AND THEN WE'LL MOVE THIS BIG SCREEN OUT OF THE WAY.
LET ME JUST QUICKLY, I JUST WANNA RECOGNIZE THE CHIEF OF STAFF TO JOE DESO FOR ELIJAHS HERE, THE CHIEF AND MAYOR OF ROSELAND, JIM SPANGA AND I, I SEE MY CHIEF OF STAFF BACK THERE, ANTOINETTE RICHARDSON.
I LEARNED A LOT OF MATH, HONESTLY, A A LOT OF MATH.
UM, I LEARNED MYSELF MOST IMPORTANTLY, LIKE HONESTLY, HOW STRONG I CAN BE.
I LEARNED A LOT OF WISDOM FROM A LOT OF GREAT PEOPLE.
UM, FROM THE WORDS THAT THEY GAVE ME, OH MY GOD, I LEARNED A LOT.
I LEARNED NOT, UH, JUST ABOUT MATH AND OTHER PEOPLE.
I LEARNED A LOT MORE ABOUT MYSELF.
I LEARNED THAT I HAVE OTHER THINGS GOING ON WITH MYSELF THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF.
AND I, MOST OF ALL, I LEARNED THAT WHEN YOU OPEN UP TO PEOPLE YOU NEVER KNOW WHO CAN HELP YOU.
I LEARNED THAT THERE'S DIFFERENT ASPECTS TO CONSTRUCTION.
UH, THERE'S, UH, UNITY AND, UH, ORGANIZATION MORE THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS.
IT'S, UH, REALLY BASED ON WORKING TOGETHER TO BUILD TOGETHER.
I ACTUALLY LEARNED A LOT IN P TWO A.
I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT MANAGING MY FINANCES, UH, ABOUT ORGANIZING THE COMMUNITY.
UH, I LEARNED ABOUT THE POLITICS BEHIND WHY UNION IS NECESSARY.
I LEARNED HISTORY ON THE UNION.
UM, YOU KNOW, PEOPLE FOUGHT AND DIED FOR ME TO HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
AND, UM, I LEARNED ABOUT MY CLASSMATES, ALSO MET SOME FRIENDS.
UM, AND I JUST LEARNED HOW BLESSED I AM, MAN.
P TWO A IS THAT, YOU KNOW, BROTHERHOOD AND SISTERHOOD AND THAT IT'S, IT IS, IT IS, IT IS.
YOU KNOW, IT'S NICE TO HELP THE COMMUNITY OUT TO GET BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT WE COME FROM AND HELP UPLIFT EACH OTHER.
AND, YOU KNOW, JUST TAKING THE POSITIVE STEPS TO THE FUTURE.
MAKE EVERYTHING BETTER FOR ONE ANOTHER.
WELL, YOU GOTTA TAKE ACCOUNTABILITY.
YOU GOTTA BE PRESENT AND LEARN.
IT'S NOT TOO LATE IF YOU TRYING TO, YOU TRYING TO DO SOMETHING AND BETTER YOURSELF.
'CAUSE IF YOU REALLY WANT IT, YOU STILL GOT THE OPPORTUNITY TO GO GET IT.
SECOND CHANCES ARE THERE, SOMETIMES YOU JUST HAVE TO LOOK FOR THEM.
SOMETIMES YOU GOTTA GO THROUGH THE STRUGGLES TO, TO FIND THE GOLD.
YOU GOTTA DIG THROUGH DIRT TO FIND GOLD.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT, UH, IT REALLY GAVE, GAVE ME A, A SECOND CHANCE, YOU KNOW, AN OPPORTUNITY TO BETTER MYSELF.
SO I LEARNED THAT, THAT, YOU KNOW, I CAN DO IT.
I JUST HAVE TO LOOK HARD ENOUGH AND, AND TAKE ADVANTAGE WHEN THEY PRESENT THEMSELVES.
[00:20:01]
A LOT THAT I DIDN'T KNOW.NOT AS MUCH AS, YOU KNOW, THE MATH AND EDUCATIONAL PART, BUT JUST HOW THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT WERE FOR US.
YOU KNOW, LIKE I'M, I'M WHAT YOU WOULD CALL A LONG SHOT
AND THERE'S PEOPLE OUT HERE THAT'S DEFINITELY, THEY'RE, THEY'RE FOR US, YOU KNOW? AND I DIDN'T KNOW THAT.
I THOUGHT I HAD TO FIGURE IT OUT ALL ON MY OWN.
SO GETTING TO KNOW THAT IT'S ENCOURAGING HOW WE ALL CAME TOGETHER AND LIKE, UH, WE STARTED FROM IT.
IT WAS KIND OF ROUGH IN THE BEGINNING, BUT WE JUST GOT THAT CAMARADERIE AND WE JUST ALL CAME TOGETHER.
IT JUST BROUGHT IT, BROUGHT EVERYBODY INTO ONE AND JUST LIKE UNITY.
AND THEN IT'S LIKE, PRETTY MUCH IS AN EXAMPLE OF LIKE THE UNION UNIONIZING.
MY FAVORITE PART OF P TWO A WAS JUST LEARNING NEW THINGS, BRUSHING UP ON MATH, UM, JUST GETTING TO KNOW MY CLASSMATES, THE COORDINATORS, EVERYBODY.
AND WITH EVERYTHING, HOW LIKE, EVERYBODY CAME TOGETHER AND IT WAS JUST LIKE, YOU JUST SEE HOW MANY PEOPLE JUST REALLY WANT US SUPPORTING US AND WANT US TO STRIVE.
AND I JUST LOVE COMING HERE AND JUST BEING A PART OF THE PROGRAM.
MY FAVORITE PART WAS, IT WAS A, A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR A PERSON THAT'S BEEN LOOKING FOR SEEKING EMPLOYMENT OR EVEN SEEKING, TRY TO GET INTO UNION OR ANYTHING.
IT'S NOT EASY TO GET INTO A UNION OR EITHER A CONSTRUCTION JOB, PERIOD.
I DON'T WANT THE PLENTY OF CONSTRUCTION SITES TO TRY TO, OH, THEY HIRING, THEY HIRING YOU GO DOWN THERE.
OH, WE'RE NOT HIRING NO MORE, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH.
SO I TOOK, AS I SEEN A FLYER ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM, COME TO THE INFORMATION SESSION.
I SAID, WHY NOT GIVE IT A SHOT? IT DON'T HURT THE TRIBE.
WORST THING YOU GET IS NO OR DON'T GET CALLED BACK.
SO I DID IT, GOT A CALL BACK, GOT AN INTERVIEW, GOT A CALL BACK, GOT ACCEPTED.
MY FAVORITE PART OF P TWO A WAS GETTING TO KNOW THE STAFF AND MY FELLOW CLASSMATES.
MY FAVORITE PART OF P TWO A WAS JUST KNOWING I'M STARTING A CAREER.
YOU KNOW, HAVING THE DIFFERENT TRADES COME IN AND, UH, KNOW THAT I HAVE THEIR BACK AND THEIR INVESTMENT.
UM, I'D LIKE TO THANK MR. JOHN BLIDEN FOR HELPING US TO PUT THIS TOGETHER.
UM, MY FAVORITE PART WAS JUST EVERYDAY COMING IN WITH HOPE, KNOWING THAT I'M GONNA START A CAREER.
UH, MY FAVORITE PART WAS CONNECTING WITH THE OTHERS, WITH MY PEERS.
UM, YOU KNOW, THE BOND THAT WE BUILT, HELPING EACH OTHER OUT, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE UH, YOU KNOW, NOT EVERYBODY WAS, WAS, UH, SHARP WITH THE MATH.
SO, YOU KNOW, US HELPING EACH OTHER OUT BUILDING THE FRATERNITY AMONG OURSELVES.
UH, THAT, THAT HAD TO HAVE BEEN MY FAVORITE, FAVORITE PART.
I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND P TWO A FOR OTHER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE ANY, UH, PAST CRIMINAL HISTORY OR ANYTHING THAT YOU FEEL IS, UH, DETERRING YOU FROM STARTING A CAREER.
UH, AND IF YOU HAVE AN INTEREST IN CONSTRUCTION, OF COURSE, UM, THERE'S A LOT OF DIFFERENT UNIONS INVOLVED.
UM, YOU HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT CAREER PATHS YOU CAN TAKE.
AND EVEN THE KNOWLEDGE OUTSIDE OF CONSTRUCTION IS GOOD FOR LIFE.
UM, AND I BELIEVE WE'VE BUILT SOME GOOD RELATIONSHIPS WITH POWERFUL PEOPLE.
UM, AND IT IS JUST, IT'S INVALUABLE.
LIKE YOU CAN'T PUT A NUMBER ON ON WHAT WE HAVE.
I WILL DEFINITELY RECOMMEND DTA FOR ANYONE WHO I WILL SAY GENUINELY WANTS TO CHANGE AND NEED SUPPORT.
P TWO A IS DEFINITELY THE PLACE FOR THAT.
THE STAFF IS OVERFLOWING IN SUPPORT AND NOT JUST, UM, WITH THE WORK, BUT THEY C THEY CARE.
THEY LITERALLY CARE ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL, WHAT'S GOING ON AT HOME.
THEY HAVE, YOU KNOW, TIME WHERE YOU CAN COUNSEL WITH ANOTHER STAFF MEMBER OR EVEN YOUR CLASSMATES.
YOU FIND THAT THEY BECOME LIKE YOUR FAMILY.
SO I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND P TWO A TO SOMEONE I STRONGLY RECOMMEND, RECOMMEND P TWO A TO OTHER PEOPLE.
'CAUSE IT GIVES YOU PEOPLE'S SECOND OPPORTUNITY WAS, WHICH WAS A BLESSING FOR ME.
IT WAS, I, I, I SEEN AN OPPORTUNITY, A LIFE CHANGING OPPORTUNITY, AND I JUST TOOK ADVANTAGE OF IT.
I, I, I'VE BEEN TELLING EVERYBODY ABOUT IT, BROTHERS, COUSINS, NEPHEWS, ANYBODY THAT'S OF AGE, I WANT THEM TO COME HERE AND TRY TO GET THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I FEEL LIKE THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR ANYBODY.
IS IT BEEN A, BEEN A PLAN SIX WEEKS? UM, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE NEED TO BRUSH UP ON THAT
[00:25:01]
ONLY ON THEIR MATH AND STUFF.BUT, UM, FAR AS IT'S A GOOD PROGRAM BECAUSE THEY TRYING TO HELP YOU TO BETTER YOURSELF.
WE WANT YOU TO HAVE A CAREER AND WANT YOU TO BE GREAT AND SUCCEED IN LIFE.
SO OF COURSE, I RECOMMEND P TWO A FOR OTHER PEOPLE.
IT IS OPPORTUNITY FOR YOU TO LEARN NEW THINGS, TRADES, AND IT'S OTHER.
YOU DON'T HAVE TO JUST STAY IN P TWO A.
SO IT IS, I I DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED IT TO OTHER PEOPLE 'CAUSE IT WOULD, IT OPENED MY EYES AND A LOT OF DOORS TO OTHER THINGS THAT I NEVER THOUGHT I COULD BE IN THIS POSITION.
SO JUST REALLY HAPPY I GOT THIS OPPORTUNITY.
I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND P TWO A FOR OTHER PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IF YOU DON'T HAVE, UM, AN INITIAL PATHWAY INTO GETTING INTO CONSTRUCTION AND YOU'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTO CONSTRUCTION, CARPENTRY, ELECTRICIAN, UM, OR PLUMBING.
UH, THIS IS A GREAT WAY FOR YOU TO SWITCH CAREER PATHS AND DO SOMETHING FOR YOURSELF AS WELL AS YOUR FAMILY AND YOUR FUTURE.
I TOLD A COUPLE OF MY FRIENDS ABOUT IT, YOU KNOW, FRIENDS THAT COME FROM A SIMILAR BACKGROUND AS ME THAT, YOU KNOW, WANT TO BETTER THEIR LIVES.
AND I'M JUST WAITING FOR THE NEXT INFO SESSION TO LET 'EM KNOW WHEN IT IS.
AND SO THEY CAN HAVE THE SAME OPPORTUNITY THAT I'VE BEEN GIVEN.
I'VE ACTUALLY ALREADY BEEN RECOMMENDED IT, YOU KNOW, I'M TRYING TO GET MY LITTLE BROTHER TO LET GO OF HIS LITTLE JOB THAT HE, YOU KNOW, 'CAUSE IT WAS HARD.
I LEFT THE JOB TO COME HERE, YOU KNOW, AND IT WAS LIKE, MAN, THE HOLIDAYS ARE COMING.
IS THIS THE RIGHT TIME TO DO THIS? BUT LIKE, WHY WOULDN'T IT BE THE RIGHT TIME IF THE, IF THE OPPORTUNITY WAS THERE? AND SO FAR SO GOOD.
I HAVEN'T EVEN GOT OUT TO WORK TO WORK.
AND IT FEELS LIKE IT PAID OFF.
YES, I WOULD RECOMMEND P TWO A FOR OTHER PEOPLE BECAUSE P TWO A ACTUALLY IS CHANGING MY LIFE, UH, IS SO I KNOW IT COULD CHANGE OTHER PEOPLE'S LIVES AS WELL.
AND I DEFINITELY WOULD WANT THAT FOR MY BROTHERS OR MY SISTERS IN THE COMMUNITY LABOR JURISDICTION.
BOTH UNION MEMBERS, 1158 IBW BW AND NOT THE LABORERS.
[00:30:01]
HOLD THAT.WAYNE, IF, IF I COULD SPEAK BEFORE MAYBE A LITTLE BIT OUT OF, UH, THE SEQUENCE OF THE, THE SHOW TODAY I GOT 10 30, I HAVE TO DO SOMETHING.
BUT FIRST OF ALL, I WANNA THANK OUR FEDERAL PARTNER, REALLY THE CONGRESSWOMAN TO BE HERE THIS MORNING, RIGHT? BECAUSE WITHOUT FEDERAL PARTNERS AND, AND ALL OF THE WORK THAT SHE'S DONE IN CONGRESS, I THINK, YOU KNOW, DEVELOPING, UH, I MEAN DELIVERING THE INFRASTRUCTURE BILL, THE CHIPS ACT, THE, THE, THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT AND ALL HER HARD WORK AS A CONGRESSWOMAN FROM THE HERE, THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
THERE, THERE ARE BILLIONS OF DOLLARS THAT ARE GONNA BE FLOWING HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY TOWARDS DIFFERENT KINDS OF INFRASTRUCTURE WORK AND DEVELOPMENT THE LIKE.
AND WITHOUT YOUR HARD WORK AND, AND REALLY YOUR DEDICATION.
AND TO US IN NEW JERSEY, WE WANT TO THANK YOU ON BEHALF OF ALL OF US IN THIS ROOM.
ALSO, ALSO WANT TO THANK THE, THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOR, A LONGTIME FRIEND OF OURS, UH, ROB ANGELO.
UH, BUT, UH, WHEN WE HAD, UH, FIRST INQUIRED TO ROB ABOUT THIS KIND OF GRANT OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO PULL OFF A P TWO A HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY, SAID ABSOLUTELY RIGHT AWAY, JUST, UH, PUT IT IN THE APPLICATION, GIVE US SOME GUIDANCE ON HOW TO DO THAT.
AND I THINK WE SCORED JUST ABOUT A MILLION DOLLARS.
BUT THAT MILLION DOLLARS IS GONNA GO TOWARDS NOT JUST THIS CLASS, BUT A A A SERIES OF CLASSES.
WE HAVE A, A GOAL THAT WE WANT TO REACH AS FAR AS PLACEMENT, UH, IN P TWO A.
AND SO, ROB, WE WANNA THANK YOU, COMMISSIONER.
WE WANNA THANK YOU FOR YOUR DEDICATION TO APPRENTICESHIP HERE IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY AND ORGANIZED LABOR AS A WHOLE.
AND YOU'RE A DEAR FRIEND OF OURS, SO WE WANNA THANK YOU VERY MUCH AS WELL.
UM, REALLY TO THE COMMISSIONER, A LONG TIME FRIEND, YOU KNOW, THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMISSIONER'S, UH, RIGHT HERE, THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS, UH, WAYNE RICHARDSON.
AND AS WAYNE SAID BEFORE, I KNOW WAYNE A. LONG TIME, UH, WHEN I FIRST ENCOUNTERED WAYNE ON A JOB SITE 17 YEARS AGO IN AN ORGANIZING DRIVE, HE WAS THE ONLY GUY THAT REALLY HAD THE COURAGE TO STAND UP AND, AND FIGHT AGAINST WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HIS WORK LOCATION.
AND AT THE END OF THAT ORGANIZING DRIVE, IT DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR ME.
IT DIDN'T WORK OUT FOR WAYNE, BUT IT WORKED OUT FOR WAYNE BECAUSE WE HIRED WAYNE IMMEDIATELY AND BROUGHT HIM INTO OUR UNION BECAUSE WE JUST KNEW THAT THAT WAS THE KIND OF LEADER THAT WE WANTED.
AND SO, WAYNE, WE WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR LEADERSHIP AS WELL.
NOT JUST IN OUR UNION, BUT HERE IN THE ESSEX COUNTY AS WELL.
YOU KNOW, LOOK, THESE GUYS TAKING ON P TWO A IN NEW JERSEY AS IMPORTANT, UH, WORK, RIGHT? SO, AND AS JOHN HAD SAID BEFORE, UH, FOR ABOUT 10 YEARS, WE'VE BEEN RUNNING THIS PROGRAM IN NEW YORK STATE AND REALLY IN NEW YORK CITY AND WITHIN THE BUILDING TRADES, AND TO GET OUR FRIENDS LIKE BRIAN AND THE ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS.
AND, AND OUR GOAL HERE IN NEW JERSEY IS TO SIMPLY DO THIS, IS TO GET EVERY SINGLE BUILDING TRADE UNION INVOLVED IN THIS PROGRAM.
THIS IS NOT A LABORERS PROGRAM.
THIS IS A BUILDING TRADE PROGRAM.
THIS IS THE GREATEST ORGANIZING OPPORTUNITY THAT WE COULD HAVE, IS BY RUNNING P TWO A.
UH, WE STARTED WITH, UH, JUSTICE AFFECTED INDIVIDUALS.
UH, WE ARE WORKING WITH MARGINALIZED BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES, PEOPLE THAT HAVE BEEN REALLY JUST BOXED OUT OF THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES.
AND WE WANT TO BE ABLE TO OPEN UP THOSE LINES OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR EVERY COMMUNITY, UH, ACROSS OUR STATE HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
SO WHILE WE STARTED HERE IN NEWARK AND, AND WE'RE GONNA BE DOING SOMETHING IN JERSEY CITY, WE WANT TO, WE WANNA SEE THIS WORK THROUGHOUT THE WHOLE ENTIRE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
AND I DO THINK IT'S ESSENTIAL THAT WE WE'RE BRINGING FOLKS IN, UH, FOLKS THAT DIDN'T GET A CHANCE OR MAYBE HAVE FELT LIKE THEY JUST DIDN'T GET THE OPPORTUNITY OR MISSED THE APPRENTICESHIP CALL, OR DIDN'T THINK THAT THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES WERE FOR THEM.
UH, WHETHER IT BE MEN, WOMEN, UH, YOU ARE WELCOME IN OUR UNION AND WE KNOW THAT IN THE LABORS UNION THAT YOU HAVE A PLACE IN OUR UNION.
AND SO AS AN INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT, A PERSON THAT'S BEEN A MEMBER OF MY UNION FOR ALMOST 40 YEARS, I SOUND OLD WHEN I SAY THAT, RIGHT? BECAUSE, UH, PEOPLE SAY TO ME LIKE, WHAT TIME, HOW OLD WERE YOU WHEN YOU GOT IN? I WAS 16 AND A HALF YEARS OLD WHEN I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO JOIN THIS UNION, BECAUSE I'M LIKE, YOU, I DROPPED OUTTA HIGH SCHOOL.
SCHOOL WASN'T GONNA BE FOR ME.
MY FATHER WAS ALREADY A MEMBER OF THIS UNION.
AND HE SAID, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU'RE COMING DOWN TO THE UNION HALL.
I WENT DOWN TO THE UNION HALL, I WENT TO WORK.
I JOINED THE NAVY AT 18 AND A HALF.
THAT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY.
THAT'S ANOTHER PART OF MY HISTORY.
CAME HOME, I HAD MY BRUSH WITH THE LAW.
BUT YOU KNOW WHAT, I HAD THE STRUCTURE OF THIS UNION TO YOU MAKE THE CHOICE ABOUT WHICH PATH I WANTED TO GO DOWN IN MY LIFE, AND I STUCK WITH THIS UNION.
UM, I THOUGHT THAT THAT VIDEOTAPE WAS A LITTLE BIT LIKE A NFL KIND OF THING WHERE I WAS WATCHING.
I WAS LIKE, WOW, LOOK AT ALL THE LINEMEN ON THIS NFL TEAM HERE.
AND SO REALLY, I MEAN, FOR ME, IT'S A HIGH HONOR TO BE HERE TODAY.
I MEAN, UH, YOU KNOW, AS A PERSON WHO'S BEEN ORGANIZING WORKERS FOR REALLY ALMOST 30 YEARS OF MY LIFE ALREADY, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANOTHER FORM OF ORGANIZING FOR ME, RIGHT? AND, AND BRINGING PEOPLE INTO OUR UNION IS HOW WE STRENGTHEN OUR UNION.
BUT IT'S HOW WE SHARPEN OUR VOICES IN OUR COMMUNITIES AS A WHOLE.
THERE'S A LOT GOING ON IN OUR COMMUNITIES AND, AND WHETHER THE OPPORTUNITIES COME OUR WAY OR THEY GO AGAINST US, IT'S GONNA TAKE EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US, FROM OUR FEDERAL PARTNERS TO OUR STATE PARTNERS, TO OUR COUNTY COMMISSIONERS, TO US AS RANK AND FILE PEOPLE, OUR
[00:35:01]
BUSINESS MANAGERS AND OTHER PEOPLE CONNECTED TO OUR ORGANIZATIONS, TO BE ABLE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT BACK AGAINST THOSE THAT WANT TO DO US ALL IN.AND REALLY WHAT WE'RE FIGHTING AGAINST IS GREED.
AND WE'RE NOT FIGHTING AGAINST YOU BEING BLACK.
ME BEING WHITE OR HUMAN BEING BROWN, OR YOU BEING A MALE, HIM BEING A FEMALE.
AND, AND THE ONLY PEOPLE THAT CAN LEVERAGE GREED IS US.
IT'S THOSE THAT SAY, NO, WE DEMAND A MIDDLE CLASS, A VIBRANT MIDDLE CLASS ARE STRONG MIDDLE CLASS, A MIDDLE CLASS FILLED WITH OPPORTUNITY SO THAT IT'S NOT JUST ME, BUT IT'S A GENERATIONAL CHANGE THAT HAPPENS IN OUR COUNTRY.
AND THAT'S WHAT REALLY UNIONS PROVIDE IN THIS COUNTRY.
THERE'S NO GREATER SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENT THAN ORGANIZED LABOR.
AND I'M CONVINCED OF THAT AS A MEMBER OF ORGANIZED LABOR IN, IN MY WHOLE ENTIRE CAREER.
I'M A SECOND GENERATION LABORER.
MY SON IS A THIRD GENERATION LABORER.
AND MAYBE ONE DAY WE'LL BE GRANTED WITH GRANDCHILDREN AND THOSE WILL BECOME LABORERS AS WELL.
AND WE HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH PEOPLE BEING LABORERS BECAUSE YOU KNOW WHAT? THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THE WORK THAT WE DO.
IT'S FILLED WITH DIGNITY, IT'S FILLED WITH RESPECT.
WE GET GOOD WAGES AND GOOD BENEFITS.
AND I JUST REALLY WANTED TO STEP OUT OF MY TURN TO SPEAK, BUT I WANTED TO THANK ALL THE PEOPLE THAT WERE HERE TODAY.
AND THIS IS, UH, YOU KNOW, AGAIN, WE'RE A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATE, YOU SAID, AND, UH, WELL, YOU, BUT YOU SAID IT RUNS ALL MONTH IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
I'M REALLY FROM NEW YORK, BUT THEY'RE ALLOWING ME TO START TO CARRY MY JERSEY CARD AROUND.
SO WE ARE GRATEFUL TO, TO NEW JERSEY TO ALLOW TO HAVE A, A WHOLE ENTIRE MONTH WHERE WE RECOGNIZE, UH, APPRENTICESHIP, BUT WHERE WE RECOGNIZE PROGRAMS LIKE P TWO A.
UM, AND WHILE IT SAYS THIS IS THE SECOND CLASS, UM, AND WHAT BERNARD HAD SAID BEFORE, THE REBRANDING OF PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP IN NEW JERSEY, I THINK TODAY IS AN INAUGURAL EVENT THAT WE'LL HAVE MORE OF THESE EVENTS, WE'LL HAVE MORE.
AND YOU AS BEING MEMBERS OF THE INAUGURAL CLASS, WILL COME BACK AS ALUMNI AND SAY, HEY, YOU'RE INVOLVED IN THE GREATEST PROGRAM THAT YOU'VE HAD OPPORTUNITY.
SO DON'T SQUANDER AWAY THE OPPORTUNITY, BECAUSE PART OF THIS PROGRAM IS THE MENTORING THAT GOES ON BEHIND THE WORK, RIGHT? SO ONCE YOU COME OUTTA THIS PROGRAM, THERE'S SOME MENTORING THAT STILL GOES ON.
WE JUST DON'T THROW YOU OUT INTO THE SHARK TANK AND SAY, GOOD LUCK.
WE, WE TRY TO CONTINUE TO MENTEES AND GUIDE YOU THROUGH YOUR CAREER SO THAT YOU BECOME AN ELEMENT OF THIS PROGRAM DOWN THE ROAD AS WE CONTINUE TO REACH OUT TO PEOPLE AGAIN THAT WE'RE, THAT WE'RE SEEKING TO ORGANIZE INTO OUR UNION.
SO CONGRATULATIONS TO YOU ALL.
I KNOW YOU WORKED HARD FOR SIX WEEKS, LIKE I SAID TO YOU A COUPLE OF DAYS AGO, OUR JOB IS TO GET YOU PLACED, BUT YOU JUST HEARD WHAT THE MISSION REALLY IS.
IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT OUR UNION, BUT IT'S THE ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS.
IT'S THE CARPENTERS, IT'S THE BRICKLAYERS, IT, THE PLUMBERS, IT'S THE STEAM FITTERS, THE ELECTRICIANS.
IT'S EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM.
BECAUSE WE ARE SAYING TO THEM THAT WE HAVE A GROUP READY ON DAY ONE THAT CAN BECOME VALUABLE APPRENTICES TO ANY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM IN THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY.
SO WE JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU AND THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY TO GIMME A FEW MINUTES TO TALK TO YOU.
AND MIKE, MIKE WILL BE BACK AGAIN LATER.
SO FOR ENCORE, SO
UH, I THINK, UH, SECRETARY OF LABOR, YOU MIGHT OWE US 400,000 BECAUSE WE GOT 600.
YOU DON'T COME HERE WITHOUT A CHECK.
SO, UM, WE JUST HAVE A CERTIFICATE FOR ALL OF YOU GUYS BECAUSE, UH, THEN WE WERE JOKING.
WAYNE WANTED TO MOVE THE SMART BOARD SO YOU GUYS COULD SEE THE SEAT.
[00:40:30]
OH, OKAY.WAYNE JUST SUGGESTED I READ THIS OUT LOUD.
SO THE 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY CELEBRATES.
AND NEXT WE HAVE CHRISTOPHER DICKERSON.
BE IT KNOWN THAT THE UNDERSIGNED MEMBER OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESS, THE HONORABLE MIKEY, SHE OF THE 11TH CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT OF THE GREAT STATE OF NEW JERSEY, CELEBRATES YOU UPON THE OCCASION OF YOUR GRADUATION FROM PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP NEW JERSEY.
G LOUIS LABOY, GLAD YOU TOOK OFF THAT SAN FRANCISCO HAT YOU IN, YOU IN GIANTS COUNTRY.
TELL YOUR BROTHER HE'S GOTTA GET STARTED.
[00:45:08]
NEXT UP.YOU'VE ALREADY MET HIM PREVIOUSLY, UH, HE CAME AND SPOKE TO THE CLASS.
I KNOW YOU ALL REMEMBER HIS PASSIONATE, UH, SPEECH AND ASKED THE BUSINESS MANAGER FROM LOCAL THREE, PAUL RODAN.
AND THANK YOU, UH, FOR HAVING ME, UH, THE BUSINESS MANAGER.
I'VE BEEN IN THE LOCAL SINCE 1985, UH, JUST LIKE YOU FOLKS.
AND SOME OF THE STORIES THAT YOU'VE HEARD, UM, EVERYBODY HAS A STORY, YOU KNOW, ON THEIR PATH OF HOW THEY GOT TO WHERE THEY ARE.
LIKE YOU GUYS, AS YOU KNOW, COME TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY AS PART, AS FAR AS OUR ORGANIZATION IS CONCERNED.
UM, YOU KNOW, IT WAS REALLY, REALLY EXCITING TO HEAR SOME OF THE STORIES YOU GUYS SHARED, JUST LIKE BLYDEN SHARED HIS STORIES.
I'M SURE YOU GUYS ALL HAVE STORIES AS HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.
AND I COULD TELL YOU THAT, UM, YOU KNOW, AS FAR AS A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT I'VE HEARD WAS SECOND CHANCES, UH, HEARD A LOT ABOUT MATH AND I HEARD A LOT ABOUT OPPORTUNITY.
UM, BUT I COULD TELL YOU THIS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE THE LAST OPPORTUNITY THAT YOU'RE GONNA NEED IF YOU MADE IT THIS FAR.
AND IT SEEMS THAT YOU GUYS ARE PRETTY DEDICATED, UH, AND COMMITTED TO THE CAUSE.
AND THAT'S PART PROBABLY BY 85% OF WHAT IT TAKES TO BE PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION AND BE SUCCESSFUL IS TO BE DEDICATED AND COMMITTED, UH, TO, TO, TO WHAT THE, UH, ORGANIZATION HAS TO OFFER.
UM, I CAN TELL YOU, UM, A LOT OF THE, SOME OF THE OTHER STORIES THAT ARE SOME OF THE OTHER THINGS THAT WE SHARED WAS, YOU KNOW, THINGS, ACCOMPLISHMENTS THAT SOME PEOPLE FROM THE ORGANIZATION HAS HAD.
LIKE MIKE, MIKE RA MENTIONED, YOU KNOW, HE WAS, UH, 16 AND A HALF YEARS OLD WHEN HE GOT INTO THE LOCAL AND HE WENT INTO THE NAVY.
AND TODAY HE'S THE EASTERN REGIONAL MANAGER.
YOU KNOW, I MYSELF GOT IN AT, AT 18, IN 1985, YOU KNOW, I CAME FROM THE STREETS.
I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN THE PROJECTS IN MANHATTAN ON HUNDRED 10TH STREET AND LEXINGTON AVENUE, BETWEEN LEXINGTON AND PARK.
AND I CAME INTO JERSEY CITY IN 1983 BECAUSE THE DRUG AND THE, UH, THE, THE VIOLENCE, YOU KNOW, THAT WAS HAPPENING.
MY MOTHER MOVED ME INTO JERSEY CITY.
AND IN 1985, I WAS FORTUNATE ENOUGH TO GET INTO THE LABORS UNION, UM, BACK THEN.
UM, YOU KNOW, AND, AND HERE I AM TODAY AS THE BUSINESS MANAGER, AS MIKE IS THE, THE, THE EASTERN REGIONAL MANAGER.
SO WHAT I'M SAYING IS, IS THAT YOU GUYS ARE ON YOUR WAY RIGHT TO MANY, MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES, WHICH IS ANOTHER WORD THAT I HEARD.
UM, YOU KNOW, NOT JUST WITH THE LABORS.
YOU KNOW, FIRST OF ALL, I WANT TO THANK BRIAN HOUSER FROM LOCAL ONE, UM, WHICH I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO WORK WITH NUMEROUS, UH, YOUR, YOUR, YOUR COUNTERPARTS FROM LOCAL ONE BACK IN GOLDMAN SACHS, UH, UH, WAS PROBABLY THE LAST JOB BEFORE I WENT INTO OFFICE IN 2000.
SO I KNOW MANY, MANY OF YOU GUYS THANKS TO THE CARPENTERS AND THANKS TO THE, UH, OTHER TRADES THAT, UH, HOPEFULLY IN THE FUTURE WE'LL PARTICIPATE IN.
I THINK YOU GUYS ARE SETTING A PRECEDENT IN THE TONE, YOU KNOW, FOR THE TRADES, YOU KNOW, ONCE THEY SEE HOW SUCCESSFUL THIS PROGRAM IS, IS AND IS GONNA CONTINUE TO BE, I'M SURE EVERYBODY'S GONNA JUMP ON BOARD.
BUT I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU GUYS, UH, FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, I'M REALLY EXCITED THAT THE LOCAL HAVE RECEIVED SOME OF YOU GUYS BECAUSE YOU GUYS SACRIFICED THE TIME.
UM, I KNOW IT'S NOT AN EASY, UH, CLASS TO TAKE OR TO, OR TO GO THROUGH SIX WEEKS IS, IS IS NOT A SHORT TIME, BUT IT'S NOT, IT'S NOT A LONG TIME AS WELL.
BUT, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE YOU GUYS CAN COUNT ON THAT WE'LL ALL BE, UH, HERE IN THE ROOM WAITING AND LOOKING FORWARD.
AND I'M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING SOME OF YOU GUYS AT THE OFFICE AND GOOD LUCK AND CONGRATULATIONS AGAIN.
NEXT UP WE'RE GONNA HEAR A FEW WORDS FROM DERRICK BROOKS, BUSINESS AGENT FROM LOCAL 4 72, WHICH IS HEAVY IN THE HIGHWAY.
YOU'LL HEAR THOSE TYPES OF TERMS, BUT, UH, HEY, DERRICK WILL LET YOU KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THAT MEANS.
HOW YOU DOING, GUYS? UM, THE OPPORTUNITY OF THIS ORGANIZATION IS GREAT.
YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE YOU'RE GONNA BE AT.
YOU IN THIS ORGANIZATION, YOU WORK FROM THE BOTTOM AND YOU START FROM THE TOP.
I STARTED IN THIS ORGANIZATION IN 2000 AS A LABOR HEAVY HIGHWAY, LABOR, SHOVELING, DITCHES, UH, DRILLING JACKHAMMERING ALL DAY LONG, GOING HOME, CAN'T EVEN OPEN MY HANDS.
HAD TO OPEN MY FINGERS LIKE THIS, BUT I KEPT ON WORKING, YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? JUST WORK, WORK, WORK.
NEVER, NEVER WORRY ABOUT THE NEXT.
KEEP ON IF YOU DO WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO EVERY DAY ON THE JOB.
YOU KNOW, IF SOMEBODY ASK IF, IF A FOREMAN, IF THIS IS, IF BIGGEST THING, IF A FOREMAN SAYS TWO PLUS TWO
[00:50:01]
IS FIVE, IT'S FIVE.YOU JUST DO WHAT YOU GOTTA DO.
YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN? BECAUSE AT THE END OF THE DAY, YOU KNOW, EVERYTHING IS THE FOREMAN'S JOB TO GET YOU GUYS TO DO THE RIGHT THING.
SO, UM, WE NEVER CAME AND SPOKE TO YOU GUYS, BUT HEAVY HIGHWAY, WE DO, WE DO LIKE, UM, BRIDGE WORK, ASPHALT, JACKHAMMERING, UH, UTILITY WORK, DIGGING, CONDUITS, UH, TRAFFIC CONTROL, LIKE MPT, IF YOU EVER SEE THOSE GUYS.
I CLOSED EVERY HIGHWAY IN THIS STATE.
YOU KNOW, I WAS THE GUY, I WAS NUMBER ONE WHEN PEOPLE GAVE ME THE FINGER.
I WAS NUMBER ONE, YOU KNOW, AND, AND, AND, UH, LIKE, UH, RICHARDSON WAYNE SAID HE, THIS IS GIANTS COUNTRY.
SO, SO WE SO SHORT, UH, A SHORT STORY.
WE HAD A, UM, WE HAD EMERGENCY.
I WORKED FOR MOUNT CONSTRUCTION, WE HAD EMERGENCY ON 4 95.
WE HAD TO GO OUT THERE, FIX IT, PUT PLATES OUT, AND I'M THE TRAFFIC GUY.
IT WAS A FOOTBALL GAME ON A SUNDAY.
AND YOU KNOW WHAT TYPE OF HEART I HAD, I HAD ON, RIGHT? I HAD A COWBOY HORROR HAT ON.
YOU KNOW, I DON'T KNOW HOW MANY TIMES I HAD TO PICK UP CONES THAT DAY 'CAUSE PEOPLE KEPT ON RUNNING MY CONES DOWN.
BUT THIS IS A GREAT OPPORTUNITY.
YOU KNOW, SIX WEEKS IS, IS A LONG TIME.
BUT IF ANYBODY COMES AT 4 72, I, I HANDLED AN APPRENTICES FROM DAY ONE UNTIL THEY GRADUATE.
SO I'M LIKE, I'M LIKE, HUH, I'M ON YOU.
I'M TOUGH LOVE, YOU KNOW, I DON'T WANNA HEAR, UH, THIS, I CAN'T GO TO WORK.
I CAN'T DO THIS WHEN A, WHEN A BUSINESS AGENT, I DON'T CARE WHAT ORGANIZATION YOU'RE GOING TO.
THREE THINGS WE HATE TO ASK, HATE TO HEAR WHAT TYPE OF JOB IT IS.
MY ANSWER LABORING, UH, WHERE'S THE JOB AT NEW JERSEY? HOW, HOW LONG IS THE JOB? I COULD GUARANTEE YOU TWO HOUR SHOW UP TIME AND EVERYTHING AFTER THAT IS ON YOU.
SO, UM, CONGRATULATIONS AND HOPE TO SEE YOU GUYS SOON.
SO WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING AND YOU SEE THE HIGHWAY, THAT WAS A FOUR-LANE HIGHWAY INTO A ONE-LANE HIGHWAY, THAT'S HIM.
YOU SEE DEREK OUT THERE IN HIS DALLAS COWBOY.
SO THAT'S ONE, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE ALL HATE IS WHEN WE ARE SLOWED DOWN, WHEN WE'RE TRYING TO GET SOMEWHERE AND YOU HAVE THOSE TRAFFIC CONES UP, BUT THOSE ARE MEN AND WOMEN WHO WORK FOR THE LABORERS WHO ARE OUT THERE WORKING.
SO THEY'RE EMPLOYED WHEN YOU SEE THAT.
RIGHT? NEXT UP WE'RE GOING TO HAVE BRIAN HOUSER FROM THE ELEVATORS, UH, LOCAL ONE JUST TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHAT THEY COVER AND WHY HE'S HERE TODAY.
BRIAN HAUSER, LOCAL AND ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS.
UM, THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO CAME OUT TODAY.
IT'S A LITTLE SURREAL FOR ME TO STAND IN FRONT OF SOME PEOPLE HERE, LIKE BERNARD, THAT I CONSIDER MENTORS HAVE HELPED CHANGE MY LIFE.
AND, UH, I'M GLAD TO SEE ALL YOU GUYS GOING THROUGH SOMETHING THAT'S ABOUT TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
UH, IT'S DEFINITELY CHANGED MINE AND, UH, I LOOK FORWARD TO IT CHANGING YOURS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ELEVATOR CONSTRUCTORS.
WE COVER NEW YORK CITY AND FIVE BOROUGHS AND HALF IN NEW JERSEY.
UM, WE HAVE SERVICE CONSTRUCTION MODERNIZATION, LIKE I'VE TOLD YOU GUYS IN OTHER MEETINGS.
AND, UH, LISTEN, THIS IS SOMETHING THAT LOCAL ONE IS HONORED TO BE A PART OF.
AND WE'RE GLAD THAT WE CAN HELP PEOPLE, UH, MAKE CHANGES TO THEIR LIFE AND REINFORCE THE IDEA THAT YOUR PATH, YOUR, UH, YOUR PATH DOESN'T EQUAL YOUR FUTURE.
YOU KNOW, WHATEVER YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WHATEVER I'VE DONE IN THE PAST, WE COULD ALL MOVE FORWARD FROM THOSE THINGS AND GIVE EVERYBODY AN OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE A DIGNIFIED PATH TO RETIREMENT AND TAKING CARE OF THEIR FAMILIES.
YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR THAT THEME OVER AND OVER AND OVER ALL THROUGHOUT THE YEARS, WHEREVER YOU END UP, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LABORERS, WE DON'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU DID IN THE PAST.
WE WANT TO KNOW WHAT YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR FUTURE, RIGHT? AND YOU'LL HEAR THOSE WORDS, AND IT'S TRUE.
YOU HEARD FROM JOHN BLIND, RIGHT? HE GOT HIS OPPORTUNITY.
YOU WANT TO HEAR THAT OVER AND OVER AND OVER.
REMEMBER THAT QUESTION I ASKED YOU EARLIER? IT WAS THE SAME QUESTION I ASKED YOU WHEN I FIRST MET YOU.
WHAT WAS THE QUESTION? WOULD YOU HIRE YOU AT THAT TIME? ALL OF YOUR HANDS DIDN'T GO UP.
WHERE ARE YOU TODAY? WOULD YOU HIRE YOU?
[00:55:08]
THAT'S THAT CHANGE, THAT'S THAT CAMARADERIE.AND, AND SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT REALLY STRUCK ME IN TERMS OF, SO WE KNOW HOW THESE PROGRAMS GO, JOHN AND I, UH, AND BERNARD, YOU'LL COME IN NOT KNOWING ONE ANOTHER.
AND IN A FEW WEEKS YOU SEE WHAT HAPPENS.
SO ONE DAY YOU GUYS WERE DOING MATH, AND I CAME BY THAT PARTICULAR DAY AND I WALKED OUTSIDE AND YOU GUYS, SOME OF YOU WERE, YOU WERE ON THE DOOR EXPLAINING THE MATH PROBLEMS TO OTHERS.
YOU I TOLD JOHN, I SAID, JOHN, YOU GOTTA SEE THIS.
SO I KNEW IT WAS GONNA BE A GREAT CLASS.
I KNEW YOU GUYS WERE GOING TO COME TOGETHER.
AND IT'S WHAT UNION MEMBERSHIP AND UNIONS ARE ALL ABOUT, RIGHT? YOU BECOME A TEAM, YOU BECOME ONE, YOU BECOME STRIVING FOR THE SAME THING.
WE WANT DIGNITY AND RESPECT, AND YOU WANT TO BE COMPENSATED FAIRLY FOR YOUR WORK, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT A LOT TO ASK, RIGHT? THAT'S NOT A LOT TO ASK.
AND WE'RE AT THE POINT NOW WHERE IF YOU STEP ON ONE OF THEIR TOE, THEY'RE ALL GONNA SAY, OUCH.
IF YOU MESS WITH ONE OF 'EM, THEY'RE ALL GOING TO STAND UP.
THAT'S WHAT UNIONISM AND UNION BROTHERHOOD IS ALL ABOUT.
WE'RE ALL STRIVING FOR THE SAME THING.
SO WITH THAT, NEXT UP IS THE CHIEF OF STAFF, MR. BRIAN CALIGARI.
AND YOU GUYS REMEMBER BRIAN? OH, I'M SORRY, I'M LOOKING AT BERNARD.
I DID GET YOUR LAST NAME RIGHT THERE.
THIS ISN'T THAT EASY BEING UP HERE.
UM, I'VE BEEN RUNNING THROUGH MY HEAD.
UM, I, I WANNA THANK THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOR FOR ATTENDING, FOR BEING HERE, FOR ALL THAT YOU DO FOR ORGANIZED LABOR, UM, FOR THE MILLION DOLLARS THAT
WELL, ACTUALLY, WE, JUST TO CLEAR THE RECORD, WE, WE APPLIED FOR $300,000 IN CAMDEN WITH CAMDEN COMMUNITY COLLEGE AND A PARTNERSHIP.
SO IT'S ALMOST A MILLION, UM, WITH THE 600 THAT WE GOT HERE.
UM, SO MIKE WASN'T FAR OFF, YOU KNOW, UM, SHE'S NO LONGER HERE, BUT CON CONGRESSWOMAN, MIKEY CHERYL, UM, YOU KNOW, MY, MY MAN, MY LEADER, MY BOSS, MIKE STROM.
UM, YOU KNOW, THERE'S A, A SAYING, RIGHT? THAT A PEOPLE WITHOUT A VISION WILL PERISH, RIGHT? AND, AND I'M SO GRATEFUL THAT I WORK FOR AN ORGANIZATION THAT HAS A LEADER THAT HAS A VISION, AND I GET TO BE ONE OF THE PEOPLE THAT GETS TO EXECUTE THAT VISION, RIGHT? AND, UM, LONG SHOTS WHEN THEY HIT, THEY PAY OFF BIG, RIGHT? AND, AND YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING THAT I ALWAYS SAY, RIGHT? I WAS A LONG SHOT TOO.
UM, TODAY I'M THE FAVORITE THOUGH,
THE SMART MONEY'S ON ME, RIGHT? AND, AND I COULDN'T ALWAYS SAY THAT, RIGHT? AND, UM, ONE THING I WAS THINKING ABOUT THIS MORNING AS I WAS COMING HERE, RIGHT? UH, YOU KNOW, YOU HEAR THIS MOTIVATIONAL SAYING, RIGHT? IF YOU CAN IMAGINE IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT, RIGHT? BUT THERE'S THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT, RIGHT? IF YOU CAN'T IMAGINE IT, YOU CAN'T ACHIEVE IT.
AND IF YOU GREW UP THE WAY I GREW UP, RIGHT? IN POVERTY, IN PUBLIC HOUSING, RIGHT? SINGLE PARENT HOUSEHOLD, WE DIDN'T IMAGINE MUCH MORE THAN MAYBE HAVING SOMETHING TO EAT LATER ON IN THE DAY.
WE DIDN'T GET TO, TO, TO LOOK PAST THE IMMEDIATE, NONE OF US IMAGINED THE LIFE THAT I HAVE TODAY.
NONE OF US, RIGHT? IT WAS ONLY WHEN SOMEONE, RIGHT, SOMETHING, RIGHT? THE LABORERS RIGHT? GAVE ME THE OPPORTUNITY AND THEN IMPARTED THAT VISION INTO MY IMAGINATION.
AND SOMEONE BELIEVED IN ME, RIGHT? BEFORE I EVEN BELIEVED IN MYSELF AND TOLD ME THAT I COULD BE SOMEBODY, THAT I COULD BE A GOOD FATHER, THAT I COULD BE A GOOD EMPLOYEE, THAT I COULD BECOME AN ORGANIZER ONE DAY, RIGHT? THAT I COULD BE HERE STARTING IN JANUARY.
MIKE HAS MADE ME THE ASSISTANT REGIONAL MANAGER.
AND, AND, AND I DON'T SAY THAT BRAGGING, RIGHT? BUT IF YOU CAME FROM WHERE I CAME FROM, YOU'D WANT TO BRAG, RIGHT? BECAUSE I WAS DESTINED TO EITHER DIE OR BE INCARCERATED FOR A REALLY LONG TIME.
AND BECAUSE I COULDN'T FIND, YOU KNOW, THE, THE BUILDING, RIGHT? I WENT THROUGH THE COURTHOUSE.
I CAN'T TELL YOU HOW MANY TIMES I PUT MY STUFF IN THAT TRAY AND WALKED THROUGH THAT METAL DETECTOR NOT KNOWING WHAT MY FATE WAS GONNA BE WHEN I WENT IN FRONT OF A JUDGE.
[01:00:01]
REALITY.AND THE ONLY WAY THAT I GET TO SHOW THE GRATITUDE THAT I HAVE IS BY LOOKING FOR OTHER PEOPLE THAT I COULD HELP, RIGHT? THAT, THAT I COULD PAY THIS FORWARD, THAT I GET THE PRIVILEGE OF BEING IN SOMEONE'S STORY, RIGHT? AND, AND AS CORNY AS THIS SOUNDS, RIGHT, AND, AND I I I, I WANNA SAY THIS FIRST BECAUSE I WOULD BE REMISS IF I DIDN'T SAY YOU GUYS ARE DOING, I MEAN, AN AMA.
I I COULDN'T HAVE DONE IT BETTER, RIGHT? I, I WATCHED THE VIDEO OF YOU FOLKS AND, AND, AND WHAT HAS HAPPENED WITH THIS GROUP IN THE LAST FIVE WEEKS, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU STILL GOT ONE MORE WEEK TO GO, UH, YOU'RE NOT DONE YET.
JOHN WAYNE, YOU KNOW, GWEN IN THE BACK, THE, THE SILENT KILLER, UM, WHO MAKES SURE THAT THAT MONEY'S THERE AND, AND THAT 'CAUSE NOTHING PAYS THE BILLS LIKE MONEY, RIGHT? ALL THE TIMES THAT I CAME HOME AND I WANTED TO CHANGE MY LIFE, I NEEDED TO FEED MY FAMILY.
AND IT WASN'T UNTIL I GOT INTO THE LABORS UNION THAT I EARNED ENOUGH MONEY, LIKE JOHN SAID, RIGHT? TO ACTUALLY BE ABLE TO FEED MY FAMILY, RIGHT? SO AS WE PARTNER, RIGHT? AND, AND THIS IS A PARTNERSHIP, WE NEED EVERYBODY, RIGHT? WE, WE, WE NEED FOLKS IN THE COMMUNITY.
WE NEED OUR FRIENDS IN ELECTED OFFICE, RIGHT? WE NEED FOLKS THAT HAVE THIS STORY, THAT, THAT ARE WILLING TO SHARE THE STORY.
I'M NOT EMBARRASSED ABOUT WHO I WAS.
I'M NOT EMBARRASSED ABOUT THE BAD CHOICES I MADE, RIGHT? THEY, THEY HAVE BECOME MY STRENGTH BECAUSE I GET TO IMPART THAT ON SOMEONE ELSE, RIGHT? AND WHAT BETTER WAY TO LIVE THAN TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF SOMEONE'S STORY, LIKE I SAID BEFORE? AND WHAT I'M GONNA END WITH IS THIS, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND AS CORNY AS THIS SOUNDS RIGHT, I'M GONNA SHARE IT BECAUSE IT'S ON MY HEART, RIGHT? IS THAT BECAUSE OF THIS UNION? AND, AND I DIDN'T FEEL THIS WAY WHEN I GOT IN.
I WAS YOUNG, I WAS SELFISH, I WAS AGGRESSIVE.
I, I, I JUST, YOU KNOW, I DIDN'T KNOW ANY BETTER, RIGHT? AND, AND I GREW UP IN THE LABORERS UNION, RIGHT? I BECAME A MAN HERE, RIGHT? AND THE THING THAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT YESTERDAY, RIGHT? 'CAUSE I'M GETTING OLD NOW, RIGHT? I AM 50, RIGHT? AND I'M LIKE, ALL I WANT IS FOR FOLKS WHEN THAT DAY COMES TO GO UP TO MY CHILDREN AND SAY, YOUR DAD HELPED ME.
I JUST WANNA KNOW THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT I HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIVES, RIGHT? AND, AND, AND THAT I HAVE HELPED YOU WITH THE STUFF THAT I'VE BEEN THROUGH.
AND I PRAY THAT YOU GUYS DO THE SAME.
TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS OPPORTUNITY.
'CAUSE THERE ARE PEOPLE THAT ARE COUNTING ON YOU TO DO THIS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST YOUR FAMILY, IT'S THE PEOPLE THAT YOU'RE GONNA HELP.
I SEE, UH, STATE CHAIRMAN, COUNTY CHAIRMAN, EAST ORANGE CHAIRMAN, MR. LEROY JONES IS IN THE AUDIENCE.
NEXT, WE'RE GONNA HAVE A VERY, VERY INTEGRAL AND IMPORTANT PIECE OF LABOR.
OUR NEW JERSEY STATE LABOR DEPARTMENT OF LABOR COMMISSIONER, MR. ROB ANGELO, PLEASE COME UP.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT SOUNDS LIKE A FANCY TITLE.
I WAS A LABORERS FROM 2002 TO 2006.
I WAS SCARED BY THE MATH ALSO.
I WAS JUST DUMB POLITICAL GUY.
BUT THEY WOULD, WE DID LIKE AN APPRENTICESHIP THING THAT FOR THE POLITICAL FOLKS.
SO I'VE GOT A MAJOR, MAJOR KUDOS, UH, TO ALL OF YOU.
AND I KNOW I HAD THIS GREAT TITLE OF THE STATE NOW.
UH, BUT MY LABORERS ANNUITY PROVIDED MY DOWN PAYMENT IN MY FIRST HOUSE BACK IN 2005.
MY LABORERS ANNUITY IS PUT MY SON THROUGH COLLEGE FOR HIS FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE.
SO YOU GUYS HAVE GREAT THINGS AHEAD OF YOU.
UH, AND LUIS, YOU AND I A LONG SHOT, BUT YOU'RE NINERS ARE THIS WEEK AGAINST MY EAGLES.
ALL RIGHT? UM, UH, JUST REAL QUICK, I COULDN'T SAY HOW PROUD I AM TO BE PART OF THIS PROGRAM.
THE STATE IS SUPPORTING A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
UM, GOD, THE CONGRESSMAN WAS HERE.
I WISH I WOULD TELL, TELL HER MORE, THAT WE NEED MORE FEDERAL FUNDING FOR THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS STATE MONEY.
THIS IS MONEY THAT ALL OF YOU PAY INTO YOURSELVES.
THIS IS FUNDED BY EVERY HOUR YOU WORK.
A PAYROLL TAX COMES OUT A LITTLE BIT IN YOUR PAY, IN YOUR PAY STUB.
THIS HELPS FUND PROGRAMS LIKE THIS.
AND A SECOND, I'M GONNA MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT ANOTHER PROGRAM WE'RE GONNA BE FUNDING.
I HAVE TO SORT OF RAISE THE BAR HERE, UH, IN NEW JERSEY AS WELL.
UH, BUT WE'RE REALLY PSYCHED ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP.
IN FACT, I JUST WAS CLEANING OUT MY, MY NIGHTSTAND YESTERDAY.
I FOUND THIS PEOPLE, ALL THOSE NOTES ON, WHAT IS THIS? I'VE GOTTA THROW IT OUT.
IT WAS NOTES I TOOK DOWN AFTER MY INTERVIEW WITH GOVERNOR MURPHY.
UH, BACK IN THE DAY, UH, BEGINNING THIS ADMINISTRATION.
AND HALF THE WORDS ON THERE WERE ABOUT APPRENTICESHIP AND BUILDING MORE PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP.
IT DIDN'T SAY PAID TWO FEET AWAY, BUT IT SAID BUILDING PATHWAYS FOR APPRENTICESHIP, HELPING MORE FOLKS GET INTO THE TRADES, HELPING UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES GET INTO THE TRADES, MAKING APPRENTICESHIP MORE ACCESSIBLE FOR PEOPLE ACROSS THIS STATE.
BECAUSE IT IS THE TRUE AND TR TRIED AND TRUE, MOST EFFECTIVE WAY TO GET PEOPLE INTO A MIDDLE CLASS AND UPPER CLASS, UH, CAREER.
[01:05:01]
MIDDLE CLASS CAREERS.PEOPLE IN THE UNION MAKE GREAT MONEY.
AND IF YOU LOOK AT THE, THE ECONOMICS OF IT, PEOPLE IN THE UNION WHO WORKED THERE FOR A LONG TIME, THEY'RE IN THE UPPER CLASS, UH, IN THIS STATE BECAUSE THE BENEFITS THAT ARE PROVIDED BECAUSE OF YOUR HARD WORK.
AND I'M PROUD THAT WE'RE IN A STATE THAT WE PROVIDED OVER $50 MILLION, UH, TO APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMMING IN THE STATE.
ALL OUT-OF-STATE MONEY, YOU ALL HELP FUND.
YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES GOVERNMENT GETS A BAD RAP.
IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS BECAUSE OF THESE INVESTMENTS, WE'VE DOUBLED THE NUMBER OF APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS IN NEW JERSEY.
NOT A LOT OF STUFF IN GOVERNMENT GETS DOUBLED, UH, IN JUST FIVE YEARS.
I WANNA THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING A PART OF THAT.
UM, THIS, THIS, YOU ALL KNOW THE GRANT THAT YOU'RE GETTING, UH, BUT I WANT TO ALSO SAY, YOU KNOW, APPRENTICESHIP OBVIOUSLY IS A START IN THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES.
UH, BUT WE'VE BEEN DOING A LOT OF WORK TO MAKE SURE THIS OPPORTUNITY'S AVAILABLE OUTSIDE OF THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES AS WELL.
WE HAVE APPRENTICESHIPS IN THE HEALTHCARE, CERTIFIED NURSING ASSISTANTS, DEMENTIA CARE PROFESSIONALS.
WE HAVE APPRENTICES WORKING IN COLD FUSION GROUNDSKEEPERS BECAUSE APPRENTICESHIP IS ABOUT AN EMPLOYER INVESTING IN YOU.
SO IT'S NOT JUST ABOUT LABORERS INVESTING IN YOU, IT'S ABOUT ALL THEIR SIGNATORY CONTRACTORS WHO ARE ALL PAYING INTO THE APPRENTICESHIP FUNDS DAY IN AND DAY OUT.
EVERY SINGLE HOUR THAT SOMEONE'S WORKING.
LIKE DEREK TALKED ABOUT, EVEN THOUGH HE'S A DIRTY COWBOYS FAN, UH, BEING OUT ON THE HIGHWAY EVERY HOUR HE WORKED, HE AND HIS EMPLOYER WERE PUTTING MONEY INTO AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM TO HELP FUND THE TRAINING LIKE THIS FOR FOLKS THAT ARE NEVER GONNA WORK FOR THEM.
THAT'S WHY I LOVE THE CONSTRUCTION TRADES APPRENTICESHIP BECAUSE YOU HAVE EMPLOYERS, CONTRACTORS WHO EVERY DAY ARE KICKING EACH OTHER'S ASS TRYING TO GET SOME JOBS SOMEWHERE.
BUT AT NIGHT THEY'RE PUTTING EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR THEY CAN TO INVEST IN A WORKFORCE THAT'S NEVER GONNA WORK FOR THEM.
BUT THEY KNOW THAT THEY'RE HAVING THIS WORKFORCE FOR THEIR, FOR THEIR COMMUNITY, FOR THEIR INDUSTRY IS BETTER FOR EVERYBODY.
SO WHEN, WHEN WAYNE, EVERYONE ELSE TALKS ABOUT HOW IMPORTANT THE UNION IS, IT'S ALL A PART OF OUR EMPLOYERS AS WELL.
UH, SO TODAY I'M PROUD TO ANNOUNCE, UH, THAT THE STATE IS GOING TO BE INVESTING $10 MILLION, NOT JUST IN TRAINING, BUT IN HELPING BUILD MORE APPRENTICESHIP FACILITIES AROUND THE STATE.
SO FOLKS IN NEWARK, FOLKS IN JERSEY CITY, FOLKS IN CAMDEN, FOLKS IN VIOLIN AND BRIDGETON AND PATTERSON AND PASSAIC CAN HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO GO TO APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM AS WELL.
'CAUSE IF WE HAVE ANY NEEDED ACCESS, BECAUSE I KNOW THE LABORERS TRAINING FACILITY, UH, THE ONE I WENT TO IS DOWN IN JAMESBURG.
THE OTHER ONE'S IN FOLSOM, NEW JERSEY, EVERYBODY HERE ARE FOLSOM.
UH, NO, IT'S NOT EASY TO GET TO.
UH, SO THESE OPPORTUNITIES CAN'T BE ONLY AVAILABLE TO FOLKS, UH, WHO HAVE A CAR, WHO HAVE THE MEANS, UH, TO GET THERE BACK AND FORTH.
SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE WORKING TOGETHER WITH OUR, WITH OUR GREAT PROGRAMS ACROSS STATE, NEW JERSEY.
I'M GONNA CALL UP MY FRIEND, UH, TIM SULLIVAN COMING UP REAL.
HE'S THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE NEW JERSEY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
UH, HE, HE'S THE ONE THAT WORKS WITH THE EMPLOYERS TO BRING GOOD EMPLOYERS TO OUR STATE.
AND SINCE DAY ONE OF THE MURPHY ADMINISTRATION, UH, WE HAVE BEEN, UH, TIED THE HIP, UH, BECAUSE WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
UH, WE DON'T DO MUCH WITH EMPLOYERS WITHOUT TALKING TO HIM.
HE DOESN'T DO MUCH WITH WORKING ABOUT WORKERS WITHOUT TALKING TO US.
UH, AND THIS IS FI, WE'RE IN YEAR SIX NOW, ALMOST WITH THE MURPHY ADMINISTRATION.
I THINK WE'RE REALLY HITTING OUR STRIDE ON THESE KIND OF INVESTMENTS TO MAKE SURE THAT EMPLOYERS KNOW THAT THEY CAN'T BE IN THIS STATE UNLESS THEY'RE WORKING WITH OUR MR INVESTING IN OUR WORKFORCE AS WELL.
THEY'RE CALLED TIM SULLIVAN, MY GREAT PARTNER FOR THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY.
FIRST AND FOREMOST, FOLKS, CONGRATULATIONS.
THANK YOU FOR, UH, EVERYTHING YOU'RE DOING, AND BEST OF LUCK TO EVERYTHING THAT, UH, THAT COMES AHEAD OF YOU.
UH, AS THE COMMISSIONER SAID, UH, AND WE STEAL EACH OTHER'S LINES ALL THE TIME, BUT, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ARE TWO SIDES OF THE SAME COIN.
WE, WE TALK ABOUT CREATING PATHWAYS FOR GOOD CAREERS, GOOD FAMILY SUSTAINING JOBS IN NEW JERSEY.
UM, TALK ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITIES TO, TO BUILD AND STRENGTHEN, UH, THE TRADES OVERALL AND TO DIVERSIFY AND BRING MORE FOLKS INTO THE UNION AND, AND PUT 'EM ON THAT PATH TO A, YOU KNOW, MIDDLE CLASS OR BETTER, UH, FUTURE.
THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BUILD TRAINING CENTERS AND EXPAND TRAINING CENTERS AND PUT 'EM IN AND HELP LOCATE 'EM IN PLACES THAT ARE EASIER TO GET TO, MORE ACCESSIBLE, MORE AFFORDABLE, TO GET TO GIVING FOLK MORE FOLKS OPPORTUNITY, WE THINK IS A, A WIN-WIN ACROSS THE BOARD.
SO, UH, LOOKING REALLY FORWARD TO PARTNERING, CONTINUING TO PARTNER WITH ROB AND THE, THE TEAM AT, UH, AT THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, OUR TEAM AT THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY FOLLOWING GOVERNOR MURPHY'S LEAD TO SAY, WHAT CAN WE BE DOING TO PUT A SHOULDER IN FOR WORKING FOLKS IN THIS STATE? MAKING SURE THAT THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO, TO BRING DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION TO THE TABLE, UH, WHEN WE THINK ABOUT HOW WE'RE THINKING ABOUT PATHWAYS TO NOT JUST APPRENTICESHIP, BUT TO, UH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT AND CAREER OPPORTUNITIES ALL ACROSS THE BOARD.
AND THIS IS, THIS IS AN EXCITING OPPORTUNITY AND ONE WE'RE THRILLED TO BE, UH, TO BE WORKING ON.
SO THANKS FOR LETTING ME, UH, COME BY AND SAY HELLO.
BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, CONGRATS AND GOOD LUCK AND ALL THAT MATH SOUNDS HARD TOO.
I'M, I WAS, I WORK IN THE ECONOMICS DEPARTMENT, BUT I'M NEVER A MATH GUY.
UM, AND SO, UH, THAT YOU GET GETTING THROUGH THAT IS, UH, IMPRESSIVE.
SO GOOD LUCK AND EVERYTHING, AND, UH, APPRECIATE THE CHANCE TO WORK ON THIS WITH YOU, ROB.
SO, REAL QUICK, UH, I'M GONNA READ A PROCLAMATION FROM MINE AND TIM BOSSES GOVERNOR MURPHY.
UH, AND YES, THIS SAYS APPRENTICESHIP MONTH, NOT JUST WEEK, HERE IN NEW JERSEY.
WHEREAS THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY RECOGNIZES THAT REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP IS A VITAL COMPONENT IN BUILDING A STRONGER AND FAIRER NEW JERSEY THROUGH TALENT DEVELOPMENT IN HIGH DEMAND AND HIGH GROWTH SECTORS.
AND CO CONSTITUTES A PRIORITY FOR THIS ADMINISTRATION, ESPECIALLY
[01:10:01]
WITH THE LAUNCH OF THE NEW JERSEY APPRENTICESHIP NETWORK, WHICH WE RUN OUT OF OUR DEPARTMENT.AND WHERE THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY RECOGNIZES 21ST CENTURY ECONOMY DEMANDS A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE THAT POSSESSES ENTRY RECOGNIZED POST-SECONDARY DEGREES AND CREDENTIALS, AS WELL AS THE ABILITY TO RESPOND IMMEDIATELY TO CHANGING ECONOMIC AND BUSINESS NEEDS.
OR THE REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP SYSTEM HAS BEEN USED FOR MORE THAN 82 YEARS TO MEET THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYERS SEEKING A HIGHLY SKILLED WORKFORCE AND THE NEEDS OF EMPLOYEES SEEKING A FLEXIBLE TRAINING MODEL, WHICH COMBINED RELATED TECHNICAL INSTRUCTION WITH STRUCTURED ON THE JOB LEARNING EXPERIENCES.
WHEREAS THIS STATE RECOGNIZES US DEPARTMENT OF LABOR REGISTERED APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMS, BECAUSE A LOT OF PARTNERSHIP PROGRAMS OUT THERE AREN'T REAL REGISTER PROGRAM.
THEY JUST CALL THEMSELVES APPRENTICESHIP.
YOU GUYS ARE THE REAL DEAL AS A VIABLE CAREER PATHWAY FOR BOTH COLLEGE BOUND AND NON-COLLEGE BOUND INDIVIDUAL.
AND WE CURRENTLY HAVE MORE THAN 8,750 REGISTERED APPRENTICES IN NEW JERSEY AND MORE THAN 1,208 PROGRAMS. AND WHEREAS COMPLETION OF AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM LEADS TO AN INDUSTRY DRIVEN, NATIONALLY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL.
AND THAT CERTIFIES NA UH, OCCUPATIONAL PROFICIENCY.
NOW, THEREFORE, I PHILIP D. MURPHY, GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY DO HEREBY PROCLAIM NOVEMBER, 2023 AS THE APPRENTICESHIP MONTH.
YOU GO HANG THIS ON YOUR WALL.
AND LAST THING, SINCE WE'RE IN THIS AUGUSTA ROOM, I CAN'T LEAVE WITHOUT SAYING ESSEX COUNTY FIRST.
YOU, YOU TALK ABOUT A COMMITTED PUBLIC SERVANT.
I REMEMBER I WAS ON A PANEL IN, UH, WASHINGTON, DC YOU KNOW, YOU ALWAYS LOOK AROUND.
IT WAS A, A A, A FEDERAL DEPARTMENT OF LABOR SPONSORED PANEL.
AND YOU LOOK AROUND, YOU ALWAYS LOOK AROUND FOR A FRIENDLY FACE.
BEFORE I GOT ON THE PANEL, WHO DID I SAY? BUT MY FRIEND ROB ANGELO, HE WAS THERE IN SUPPORT.
IT'S NOT JUST TALK WHEN IT COMES TO HIM.
AND ANOTHER, UH, PERSON THAT'S HERE WHO I NEED TO INTRODUCE AND ASK HIM TO COME UP AND SAY A FEW WORDS.
AND HE'S ALWAYS THERE AS WELL.
HE SAYS WHAT HE'S GONNA DO, AND YOU KNOW, WHERE HE STANDS.
HE STANDS WITH LABOR, AND HE'S A GOOD FRIEND OF LABOR.
MR. LEROY JONES, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GOOD MORNING.
I, I APOLOGIZE FOR BEING LATE.
UH, YOU KNOW, THE, THE JOB OFTEN TAKES YOU, UH, YOU KNOW, IN SO MANY DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS AS, UH, YOU KNOW, SO MANY OF YOU KNOW, UH, YOU KNOW, BUT I WASN'T GOING MAKE, YOU KNOW, WASN'T GOING TO MAKE, MAKE THE MISTAKE OF, UH, YOU KNOW, MISSING, UH, YOU KNOW, THIS EVENT, UH, YOU KNOW, PATHWAYS TO APPRENTICESHIP.
YOU KNOW, WAYNE, UH, YOU KNOW, HAD REACHED OUT TO ME, UH, YOU KNOW, A COUPLE WEEKS AGO TO, UH, YOU KNOW, JUST LET ME KNOW WHAT A GREAT THING THAT WAS GONNA BE HAPPENING HERE IN THE HALL OF RECORDS.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, YOU COULDN'T HAVE, UH, YOU KNOW, A BETTER LABOR LEADER, UH, YOU KNOW, A BETTER ELECTED OFFICIAL, A BETTER MAN THAN WAYNE RICHARDSON.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT THAT'S ACKNOWLEDGED PUBLICLY.
YOU KNOW, I THINK, UH, YOU KNOW, I LISTENED TO, UH, YOU KNOW, INSPIRATION, UH, YOU KNOW, I LISTENED TO PROGRESS, I LISTENED TO DEVELOPMENT, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL DONE, YOU KNOW, UNDER THE RUBRIC OF CREATING A FOUNDATION FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN LABOR.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AS I LOOK AT, UH, YOU KNOW, THE VERY, VERY BRIGHT T-SHIRTS THAT YOU GUYS ARE WEARING, UH, YOU KNOW, THEY DEPICT, UH, YOU KNOW, TERMS, YOU KNOW, THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, SPEAK TO, UH, YOU KNOW, THAT TOMORROW, UH, YOU KNOW, RISING UP, CREATING A FOUNDATION, ORGANIZING, UH, YOU KNOW, CREATING, UH, YOU KNOW, A BETTER PATHWAY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOR FAMILIES MAKING MEN AND WOMEN OUT OF FOLKS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, OFTENTIMES DIDN'T HAVE THOSE OPPORTUNITIES.
YOU KNOW, ROB TALKED ABOUT THE GOVERNOR, UH, YOU KNOW, WHO HAD THAT VISION TO INVEST, UH, YOU KNOW, IN, UH, INFRASTRUCTURE THAT IS GOING TO HOUSE AND MAKE MORE AVAILABLE, UH, YOU KNOW, TO FOLKS THAT OFTENTIMES LIVE IN WHAT WE CALL MARGINALIZED COMMUNITIES.
AND I'M GONNA BREAK THAT DOWN IN A, IN A BETTER WAY IN THE HOOD.
AND, UH, YOU KNOW, GIVES US AN OPPORTUNITY, YOU KNOW, TO BE, UH, AVAILABLE, UH, AND TO BE ACCESSIBLE, YOU
[01:15:01]
KNOW, TO THE TRAININGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, ARE OFTEN, YOU KNOW, TALKED ABOUT BY MANY, UH, YOU KNOW, FOLKS IN THE TRADES.BUT TODAY IS, UH, YOU KNOW, SO SPECIAL.
AND WHEN I LISTENED TO YOUR BROTHER TALKED ABOUT, YOU KNOW, HIS JOURNEY, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, IT WAS INSPIRING TO ME, UH, YOU KNOW, BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND, UH, YOU KNOW WHAT THAT'S LIKE, YOU KNOW, GROWING UP IN, UH, IN THE HOOD, YOU KNOW, RIGHT THERE IN EAST ORANGE, UH, YOU KNOW, AND, UH, YOU KNOW, AND OFTEN, UH, YOU KNOW, UH, IMPOSED WITH THE TEMPTATIONS, YOU KNOW, THAT OFTENTIMES TAKE US IN OTHER DIRECTIONS THAT MAKE, YOU KNOW, WHERE WE MAKE CHOICES THAT ARE NOT POPULAR.
BUT WE ALSO HAVE THE ABILITY, YOU KNOW, TO TURN THE TIDE AND COME BACK.
AND RIGHT NOW, ALL OF YOU ARE IN THAT POSITION.
YOU ARE IN POSITIONS TO BE BUILD FAMILIES.
YOU'RE IN, IN POSITIONS TO BUILD INTEGRITY WITHIN YOURSELF, AND YOU'RE IN A POSITION TO HELP OTHERS.
AND THOSE ARE THE THINGS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, CHANGE COMMUNITIES.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY MAKE THINGS BETTER, YOU KNOW, FOR COUNTLESS THOUSANDS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T EVEN KNOW RIGHT NOW.
BUT WE WILL KNOW THAT THE DEEDS THAT COME OUT OF THESE OPPORTUNITIES WILL NOT JUST BENEFIT YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES, BUT THEY WILL BE, THEY WILL BENEFIT GENERATIONS ALONG THE WAY.
SO I JUST SAY TO ALL OF YOU, CONGRATULATIONS ON, YOU KNOW, WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, BECAUSE WHERE YOU ARE TODAY, AND LOOK AT THOSE T-SHIRTS.
THEY WILL RISE UP INTO OPPORTUNITIES BECAUSE THEY CREATE A FOUNDATION THAT IS BUILT WITH A CORNERSTONE OF INTEGRITY, A CORNERSTONE OF MORALITY, A CORNERSTONE OF PRINCIPLE, AND A CORNERSTONE OF PRIDE.
YOU KNOW, THAT SPEAKS TO A BRIGHTER TOMORROW FOR ALL OF YOU AND YOUR FAMILIES.
BUT THOSE THOUSANDS THAT, UH, YOU KNOW, DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON IN ROOMS LIKE THIS, BECAUSE IT IS WHAT YOU DO TODAY THAT CREATES THOSE OPPORTUNITIES FOR TOMORROW.
I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M SO IMMENSELY PROUD OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
PROUD OF MY FRIEND FOR BRINGING THIS HERE, PROUD OF THE GOVERNOR, UH, YOU KNOW, ROB AND TIM AND ALL OF THOSE THAT BELIEVE IN THIS, INVEST IN THIS AND PUT THEIR MONEY WHERE THEIR MOUTH IS SO THAT THEY CAN CHANGE LIVES AND THEY CAN CHANGE COMMUNITIES.
LAST, BUT CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, I WANT TO RECOGNIZE THE CLERK OF THE BOARD, DEBRA DAVIS FORD, THE CLERK OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS AND HER STAFF FOR MAKING SURE THAT THINGS MOVE SMOOTHLY.
SO NOW WE'RE GONNA BRING UP MR. JOHN BLIDEN.
YOU KNOW, UM, BERNARD, WE TALKED A COUPLE DAYS AGO AND YOU MENTIONED SOMETHING THAT STUCK WITH ME EVER SINCE.
YOU REMEMBER IN MY STORY, WE TALKED ABOUT MY MOTHER KNEW THE BUSINESS MANAGER, AND THAT'S HOW I GOT IN.
WELL, BERNARD MENTIONED THAT WE CREATED AN ORGANIZATION THAT WE SEEK OUT PEOPLE.
YOU KNOW, THE DAYS OF HAVING TO KNOW SOMEONE, IT'S OVER.
WE LOOK FOR UNDERDOGS AND WE BRING THEM IN.
SO THAT'S REALLY HUMBLING THAT AFTER 20 YEARS, WE DON'T GET WE DONE CAME FULL CIRCLE.
NOW, I MUST ASK, CAN I HAVE BAKARI, MR. CAPERS AND GW MARLEY, CAN YOU PLEASE COME TO THE FRONT? YOU KNOW, WE MIGHT HAVE THE CAR, BUT WHAT YOU SEEING COMING UP IS THE ENGINE AND THE GAS.
'CAUSE WITHOUT THE ENGINE AND GAS, YOU DON'T GO ANYWHERE.
YOU KNOW, WHEN I FOUND OUT, AND YOU KNOW, BERNARD SAID, LISTEN, JOHN, YOU COMING UP OUTTA DELAWARE AND YOU'RE GONNA HELP ME LAUNCH P TWO, A NEW JERSEY.
RIGHT? AT THE TIME, WE LOST OUR FOUR YEAR INSTRUCTOR AND WE DEVELOPED A MATH CURRICULUM THAT I WAS LIKE, WELL, HOW ARE WE GONNA MAKE IT WORK? WELL, I'M GONNA TELL YOU, I MEAN, WHEN, WHEN YOU CALLED GWEN THE SOLID ASSASSIN, SHE, SHE BASICALLY MODERNIZED THE PROGRAM, DEVELOPED WORKBOOKS, PUT 'EM ALL TOGETHER ON THE WEEKENDS AT NIGHT.
I MEAN, NOW WE ARE READY TO EXPAND NATIONALLY.
NOW THE WAY GWEN HAS US SET UP, BUT WE WERE SET UP, BUT WE DIDN'T HAVE INSTRUCTORS.
SO LUCKILY WE HAD ANOTHER ORGANIZER WHO CAME FROM A PROGRAM LIKE THIS.
[01:20:01]
I SAW FROM DAY ONE, MANY OF YOU, WHEN YOU START TALKING ABOUT YOUR FLYERS, THE FLYERS WAS HANDED OUT BY CHRIS.HE WAS IN THOSE COMMUNITIES HANDING OUT THOSE FLYERS, RIGHT? SO WHEN WE DID INFORMATIONAL SESSIONS AND IT WAS CROWDED, IT WAS CHAOS, CHRIS ROLLED UP HIS SLEEVES, SIGNING PEOPLE IN.
I SAID, OH MAN, HE GOT THE FIRE.
AND I ASKED BERNARD, HEY, CAN WE, CAN WE KEEP HIM? CAN HE WORK WITH US? AND HE'S BEEN THERE EVERY DAY, KIND OF BEING THE, YOU KNOW, THE ME IN THE CLASS.
HE GOTTA BE THE ONE WHO'S, WHO'S, YOU KNOW, LITTLE STERN.
AND THEN WE WAS ABLE TO RECRUIT.
I'M GONNA CALL HIM PROFESSOR
I MEAN, I MEAN, THAT'S HIS MOM'S CHILD.
I MEAN, HE TOOK ON THE MATH, YOU KNOW, WORKED WITH THE PRE-TEST, POST-TEST.
AND WITH THIS COMBINATION, I MEAN OUR STUDENTS DONE TOOK IT.
Y'ALL DONE WENT FROM, 'CAUSE WE LOST A FEW IN THE BEGINNING 'CAUSE THEY GOT SCARED OF THE MATH.
AM I CORRECT? BUT THOSE THAT STUCK WITH IT, YOU SAW THE MAGIC PEOPLE WORKING, HELPING EACH OTHER.
I MEAN, THIS CLASS IS DIFFERENT BECAUSE TYPICALLY WE HAVE SIX WHOLE WEEKS.
'CAUSE WE WORKING WITH A PARTNERSHIP, WE LOST A WEEK.
SO WE SAID WE GONNA HAVE TO REALLY RAMP IT UP.
SO WHAT WE DID THIS TIME IS HALF THE DAY IS MATH.
SO HALF OF THE WHOLE CURRICULUM IS MATH.
AND ACTUALLY, AS OF LAST WEEK, GWEN MENTIONED WHEN WE DID OUR INTEREST TEST, ONLY TWO PEOPLE WOULD'VE PASSED WITH A 80.
AS OF LAST WEEK, ALL BUT TWO WERE PASSED AND ONE WAS LIKE WITH A 69 RIGHT THERE ON THE BORDER.
SO WE DONE FLIPPED IT FROM TWO, PASSING TO TWO.
BUT I GOTTA TELL YOU, THE TWO THAT NEEDS WORK, I MEAN, I KNOW WHO THEY ARE.
I SEE THREE OR FOUR STUDENTS WITH THEM COACHING AND WORKING 'EM.
SO THAT'S THE MAGIC OF THIS CLASS.
SO I WANT TO DEFINITELY GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE TO THE, TO THE GAS AND THE ENGINE OF THIS PROGRAM.
ANY Y'ALL WANNA SAY A FEW WORDS? YOU WANNA SAY SOMETHING? COME ON, GWEN, COME ON,
FIRST, I JUST WANNA SAY CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU.
I'M LIKE THE MOTHER
AND JOHN SAID THAT YOU, YOU GUYS PASSED.
NOT ONLY DID YOU PASS, SOME OF YOU HAD ALMOST PERFECT SCORES.
I WAS SO IMPRESSED WHEN I SAW, AND THAT WAS A WEEK AGO.
SO I KNOW WHEN YOU TAKE YOUR FINAL EXAM TOMORROW, EVERYBODY'S PASSING.
AND I'M SO PROUD AND I'M SO PROUD OF THE WORK THAT THESE YOUNG MEN ARE DOING AS WELL.
YOU GUYS ARE GONNA BE GREAT LABORERS AND ELEVATOR OPERATORS AND WHATEVER ELSE YOU DE DECIDE TO BE.
UM, IT'S A GREAT PRIVILEGE TO BE, UH, A PART OF THIS ORGANIZATION.
UH, IT WAS LIKE HE SAID, I CAME THROUGH THIS SAME THING.
NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE THIS OPPORTUNITY.
SO I JUST WANT TO THANK, YOU KNOW BERNARD, UH, JOHN BLYDEN, A MAN, MAN, RICHARDSON.
'CAUSE UM, YOU KNOW, BACK IN 2014 I WAS FACING A FIVE WITH A 85 AND IT, IF IT WASN'T FOR THAT PROGRAM, I DON'T KNOW WHERE I WOULD BE TODAY.
SO I JUST WANT TO CONGRATULATE YOU GUYS.
I KNOW, YOU KNOW, SOME DAYS I MAY BE, YOU KNOW, A LITTLE HARD, BUT THAT'S HOW I WAS BROUGHT UP IN THIS PROGRAM AND I GOTTA KEEP IT GOING.
I CAN'T, YOU KNOW, TURN MY BACK ON YOU GUYS AND TURN MY BACK ON THE MENTORS THAT I HAVE.
SO I JUST WANNA SAY THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU GUYS FOR BEING HERE.
AND JUST THANK YOU FOR THE OPPORTUNITY.
I'M NOT GONNA HAVE TOO MUCH TO SAY FOR YOU GUYS, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, I REALLY AM FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART, PROUD OF EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
'CAUSE YOU GUYS STUCK THROUGH IT FROM THE BEGINNING TO THE END.
I SAW A LOT OF YOU AT THE BEGINNING ASKING FOR HELP.
AND TOWARDS THE END OF THE CLASS, YOU GUYS ARE THE HELP FOR SOMEBODY ELSE.
SO I FEEL LIKE THE SKY, LIKE CHRIS SAID, THE SKY'S THE LIMIT FOR EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU.
AND CONGRATULATIONS ON WHERE YOU'RE HEADED.
I KNOW WE GONNA WRAP UP, BUT JUST GOES TO SHOW THEY GOT SUNDAY TUTORING WITH THE CLASS.
IT'S ALMOST UNHEARD OF SUNDAY MORNING.
NO WONDER A COUPLE PEOPLE LOOKING.
YOU MISSING CHURCH
SO I'M NOT EVEN INCLUDED IN THAT.
ANYBODY WHO WANT EXTRA CURRICULUM, EXTRA HELP ON SATURDAY, 10 O'CLOCK, THEY'RE WORKING ON SUNDAY, WE'RE PREPARING
[01:25:01]
FOR THE NEXT WEEK.I MEAN, THIS IS A GROUP EFFORT.
I MEAN, THIS IS NOT ONE OF THOSE NON-PROFITS WHERE PEOPLE ARE JUST CHECKING THE BOXES.
PEOPLE ARE REALLY COMMITTED, REALLY COMMITTED, AND YOU GUYS FEEL THE LOVE, RIGHT? SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, I THINK WE CAN CLOSE THE SHOW.
IF ANYBODY ELSE, CAN WE HAVE A MOTION TO ADJOURN OR LET'S YOU WANT, YOU WANNA SAY A FEW MORE? YEAH.
AGAIN, I JUST WANT TO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR BEING HERE, UM, SUPPORTING THIS EFFORT.
IT'S A VITAL TO OUR COMMUNITIES TO GIVE FOLKS AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO BETTER, RIGHT? AN OPPORTUNITY.
THEY SAY, WHEN YOU KNOW BETTER, YOU CAN DO BETTER, RIGHT? AND YOU SEE THE PEOPLE WHO WERE HERE THIS MORNING, WHO'VE BEEN HERE TODAY, ALL OF THE FOLKS, ALL OF THE SPEAKERS THAT WE'VE BROUGHT FROM NEAR AND FAR TO COME IN AND HAVE A WORD WITH YOU, A WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT, TELL YOU ABOUT THEIR STORIES.
THEY CAME TO TELL YOU THAT YOU CAN'T, YOU CAN BE OR DO WHATEVER IT IS YOU PUT YOUR MIND TO.
SO IT REMINDS ME OF AN OLD COMMERCIAL, AND IT WAS A NIKE COMMERCIAL AND IT WAS HALFTIME.
AND THE COACH GOES INTO THE LOCKER ROOM AND HE'S TALKING TO THE TEAM.
THEY DIDN'T SHOW THE SCORE, BUT YOU CAN TELL BY HIS TONE AND TENOR THAT THEY WERE BEING SLAUGHTERED.
AND WHAT HE SAID WAS, IT'S TWO KIND OF PEOPLE ON THE EARTH, ON THE PLANET.
THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN AND THOSE WHO THINK THEY CAN'T.
THE PROBLEM IS THEY'RE BOTH RIGHT, BECAUSE IF YOU THINK YOU CAN'T, YOU WON'T.
BUT IF YOU THINK YOU CAN, YOU WILL.
SO ALWAYS THINK THAT YOU CAN, YOU CAN DO BETTER.
YOU CAN RISE UP, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR TRAJECTORY, YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR SITUATION, BUT IT'S UP TO YOU.
WE HAVE TO CHANGE OUR WAY OF THINKING.
THERE ARE PEOPLE, I TOLD YOU, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT YOU.
I TOLD YOU I WANTED YOU TO SUCCEED, AND I MEANT IT.
THAT'S WHY YOU HAVE THE COMMISSIONER OF THE STATE DEPARTMENT OF THE OF LABOR HERE.
YOU HAVE BRIAN HERE, YOU HAVE JOHN HERE.
HERE YOU HAVE MIKE STROM, OUR EASTERN REGION MANAGER AND INTERNATIONAL VICE PRESIDENT.
HERE YOU HAVE THE CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE DEMOCRATIC ORGANIZATION.
HERE YOU HAVE FRITZ, THE BUSINESS MANAGER FROM LOCAL 1 0 8 FROM NEW YORK.
HERE YOU HAVE TIM, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT FROM THE STATE HERE, BECAUSE YOU ARE THAT IMPORTANT.
SO DON'T EVER THINK THAT YOU'RE NOT, DON'T EVER THINK THAT YOU CANNOT, BECAUSE YOU ABSOLUTELY CAN.
YOU HAVE THE BUSINESS MANAGER FROM LOCAL THREE HERE YOU HAVE DEREK, A REPRESENTATIVE FROM 4 72 HERE.
BECAUSE YOU MATTER AND YOU MATTER TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF US.
SO THANK EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU FOR COMING AND SUPPORTING US IN OUR ENGINE AND AND GAS
WE'RE GONNA, WE'RE GONNA TAKE SOME PICTURES, SO, SO DON'T GO.