The post Introducing the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers Scholarship Program! appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>This program will award a one-time $6,000 scholarship to three individuals. The scholarship program will provide meaningful financial support to help recipients pursue higher education at accredited colleges and universities across the country. By easing the cost of tuition, books, and related expenses, the scholarship reflects our union’s long-standing commitment to opportunity, advancement, and lifelong learning.
Open to union members, and their eligible family members, throughout the nation, the scholarship offers flexible funding that can be applied to a wide range of educational paths and career goals. Whether pursuing a degree, certification, or specialized training, recipients will have the freedom to use the award where it best supports their academic journey.
This program represents more than financial assistance—it is an investment in strengthening our union, empowering the next generation, and ensuring that the values of skill, solidarity, and hard work continue to build strong futures.
TO APPLY, go to tinyurl.com/RoofersScholarship
tinyurl.com/RoofersScholarship
Candidates will be selected to receive one $6,000 scholarship that can be used at any accredited colleges and universities across the country. The scholarship is open to union members, who are in good standing, and family members (spouse and dependent children, as defined by IRS regulations) who submit a completed application by June 1, 2026. The scholarship recipients will be selected and notified by June 19, 2026.
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]]>The post Franklin University Announces U-Learn Scholarship and College Credit for Roofers and Waterproofers Union Apprenticeships appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>Franklin University, in partnership with Employee Benefit Systems Inc., is proud to announce a new partnership with the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers to offer a U-Learn scholarship and deliver a tailored educational pathway designed specifically for union members and their families. The scholarship will create a tuition-free education for a union or family member to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree at Franklin University.
Roofers U-Learn Scholarship
One candidate will be selected each year to receive a full undergraduate scholarship to complete an associate or bachelor’s degree. This scholarship is open to union and family members who submit a completed application by June 1, 2026. The finalist will be selected and notified by June 19, 2026.
College credit for Roofers Apprenticeships
Members of the roofing and waterproofing trades bring exceptional technical skill, safety expertise, and disciplined on-the-job learning to their work every day. Recognizing this, Franklin University recently completed a comprehensive review of the Roofers & Waterproofers National Apprenticeship Guideline Standards, confirming that completers of the full U.S. Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship are eligible to receive 36 semester hours of technical credit upon enrollment at Franklin.
Affordable, flexible, supportive, and designed for working union members
Through this new offering, union members and their families will have access to:
- Franklin’s U-Learn program and free textbooks
- Flexible schedules and online options that allow students to continue working while earning a degree
- College credit for Roofers Apprenticeship that directly applies towards Franklin’s A.A.S. in Business Administration and B.S. in Applied Management, saving time and money
- Dedicated advising and student support, ensuring each learner has personalized guidance from admission to graduation
- Opportunities for advancement, preparing members for supervisory roles, project leadership, small-business ownership, and other career goals
Expanding opportunity through education
This partnership strengthens a long-standing shared value: investing in the growth, well-being, and long-term success of skilled trades workers. Traditional college models often lack consideration for their schedules and realities—Franklin’s adult-centered design helps bridge that gap.
Apprenticeship graduates who enroll at Franklin can apply:
- 27 technical credits towards the A.A.S. in Business Administration, with 33 credits remaining
- An additional 9 technical credits, for a total of 69 applied credits, towards the B.S. in Applied Management, with 55 credits remaining
Union members interested in learning more can visit www.franklin.edu/roofers or speak with a dedicated Franklin advisor at [email protected] or (614) 947-6288.
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]]>The post Union Sportsmen’s Alliance Releases 2024-2025 Impact Report appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>In 2025, USA completed its 500th Work Boots on the Ground, set a new record for outreach event participation (10,065), and surpassed 350,000 USA members nationwide.
Read through the impact report to learn more about how USA is working to preserve our outdoor heritage for generations to come.
“In January 2007, I stood with seven other national union leaders as we presented a check for $1.2 million to launch the Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA). The vision of those leaders and that seed money began the journey to bring muscle to America’s conservation movement by harnessing the collective power of unions and their members. I was hopeful and excited, both as a union member and a passionate outdoorsman, about the USA’s potential to provide union members with an outdoor organization of their own, build solidarity across the trades, and preserve North America’s outdoor heritage.
Nearly two decades since we launched the USA, I couldn’t be prouder of what it has become. Today, more than 350,000 members across North America stand united under one banner, combining union pride and a love for the outdoors. Through the USA’s Work Boots on the Ground program and countless volunteer efforts, our members continue to build a legacy of conservation and community that grows stronger every year.
The USA has delivered on its mission to unite union members to protect wildlife and their habitats while promoting our outdoor traditions. In 2024 and 2025 alone, USA volunteers contributed over 17,000 hours to complete more than 110 community-based conservation projects and events.
The past two years epitomized the power of an organized approach to conservation, fueled by union volunteerism and the steadfast support of the USA’s founding partners, national partners, corporate sponsors, and friends of labor.
It is with great pride that I present the USA’s 2024–2025 Impact Report. I hope you find it as inspiring as I do, and I invite you to continue supporting this incredible organization as we work together to unite the union community through conservation to preserve our outdoor heritage for generations to come.”
Kinsey M. Robinson
Roofers International President Emeritus
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]]>The post Building Trades Union Membership Continues to Grow Despite Industry Disruption appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>“North America’s Building Trades Unions gained 47,198 net new members across 14 crafts last year, despite widespread industry disruption. This follows nearly 100,000 net new members added in 2023 and 2024. This growth is the direct result of a century-long commitment to workforce development, sustained through collectively bargained investments and reinforced by federal infrastructure and energy policies enacted in recent years. As a result, we had a record number of over 88,000 new apprentices in 2025 and over 300,000 men and women enrolled in our registered apprenticeship programs over the last two years.
“At a time of rising concern about skilled labor availability, the reality is clear: North America’s Building Trades Unions have the infrastructure and capacity to more than triple apprenticeship enrollment at no cost to taxpayers, ensuring America’s workforce needs are met. For owners and investors questioning labor availability, the solution is straightforward: work with us. If investors want capital protected, projects built to the highest standards, schedules met, and investments contributing to the American middle class, the Building Trades and our contractor community are the only workforce who do this with proven capacity, delivering large-scale, complex projects safely, on time, and on budget.
“Our sustained growth is also a product of sound public policy. The prior administration and Congress prioritized real investments in infrastructure and energy while partnering with the building trades to utilize our best-in-class registered apprenticeship system to drive growth not only in our membership but in communities across the country. While the current administration has announced future foreign investments in the United States, none have yet produced a single work hour for our members. Instead, cancellations, delays, withdrawn permits, withheld funds, and policy uncertainty have jeopardized these anticipated domestic investments.
“Uncertainty and instability for the construction industry are incompatible with building the high-road construction workforce America urgently needs at this time. We urge all policymakers to remain focused on what works: real investments for real projects that are tied to our training infrastructure to strengthen America now and into the future.”
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]]>The post Roofer Elected to East Central Illinois AFL-CIO appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>The newly elected officers include:
President — Luther Baker, IBEW Local 601
Vice President — Dave Beck, AFSCME Council 31
Treasurer — Zach Thomas, Painters Local 363
Recording Secretary — Erik Davis, Ironworkers 380
Member at Large — Krissy Webber, Roofers 97
Guardian — Josh Robertson, Carpenters Local 243
Trustee — Laura Abbott, Plumbers and Pipefitters Local 149
Trustee — Elise Jones, IFT 4776
Trustee — Chelsea Birchmier, GEO 6300
President-elect Luther Baker is a journeyman member of IBEW 601 and state representative of the IBEW RENEW young workers initiative. Under his leadership, Baker plans to build deeper coalitions between the community and labor movement, highlight the council’s role in community service, and ensure that the region’s union members are actively engaged in the political process.
The East Central Illinois AFL-CIO serves as the region’s Central Labor Council (CLC). Formerly known as the Champaign County AFL-CIO, the council adopted its new regional name, East Central Illinois AFL-CIO, in December 2025 as part of the AFL-CIO’s “Modernizing the Movement” initiative. The East Central Illinois AFL-CIO now represents 18,902 union members across eleven counties: Champaign, Vermillion, Iroquois, Ford, Douglas, Edgar, Coles, Cumberland, Clark, Jasper, and Crawford.
The Illinois AFL-CIO is embracing the national AFL-CIO’s “Modernizing the Movement” initiative to better align its work around labor’s shared values at every level. Changes to Central Labor Council (CLC) jurisdictions will enable councils to more effectively mobilize union growth, launch inclusive and impactful political programs, advance strong legislative advocacy, and deepen community engagement. The newly formed East Central Illinois AFL-CIO will be a stronger voice for working families in Central Illinois.
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]]>The post New Member Benefit: TruHearing Hearing Care appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
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TruHearing brings over 20 years of experience in hearing care, ensuring high-quality service and access to over 9,000 provider locations across the country. It offers fixed, five-tier pricing for hearing aids, ranging from $499 to $1,799, and a discount plan is available for members who are not eligible for a union-funded hearing benefit. Our members and their families receive free exams, follow-up visits, and top-tier A-rated hearing aids.
To learn more, visit our dedicated webpage at truhearing.com/RoofersInternational/ or call (833) 723-0521. There will also be more information in the upcoming magazine.
This new partnership reflects the Roofers Union’s commitment to deliver meaningful, affordable benefits that improve members’ quality of life.
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]]>The post Local 49 Apprentice Wins Western Apprentice Competition appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>A Roofers Local 49 apprentice is the best in the West … again
Roofers Local 49 apprentice Rogelio Gutierrez Perez took first place in the annual Western Regional Roofers and Waterproofers Apprenticeship Competition in the advanced category.
Held in Livermore, California, the competition showcased skills in single ply, torch down, shingles, waterproofing, and liquid applied membrane, and featured an obstacle course consisting of a math test, tool identification and safety test.
After besting seven other contestants, Gutierrez took home a $500 prize, a trophy and a backpack. He’ll also go on to represent Local 49 in the national competition in May at the same location. If he wins, he’ll score a $6,000 prize, and glory for Local 49, which has had apprentices win number one nationally the last two years.
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]]>The post Suicide Prevention Week in Construction appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>From September 8–12, 2025, Local 153 members and apprentices in the Pierce County Roofers Apprenticeship Program joined thousands nationwide in recognizing Suicide Prevention in Construction Week. On September 8, crews paused for a nationwide stand-down and moment of silence to honor the lives lost to suicide in the construction industry.
The week highlighted the union’s ongoing commitment to protecting members’ well-being. In the days leading up to the stand-down, training agents welcomed Business Manager Richard and Training Director Racheal into their shops, opening conversations about mental health, encouraging members to reach out for support, and reminding everyone to check in on their peers. Banners, pledge drives, and toolbox talks reinforced the message that mental health is just as vital to jobsite safety as hardhats and harnesses.
Wayne’s Roofing in Sumner, WA—one of many shops that participated—brought this message to life. On the morning of September 8, apprentices and journeyworkers gathered shoulder to shoulder for a moment of silence. Together, they honored colleagues lost to suicide while reaffirming their responsibility to look after one another. The scene captured a powerful image of unity and care—the very culture that Local 153 and the Pierce County Roofers Apprenticeship Program strive to foster every day.
Local 153’s participation serves as a reminder that true safety is more than equipment and procedures—it is also about safeguarding mental health, standing in solidarity, and building a community that ensures no one faces struggles alone.
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]]>The post Important Notice for Participants of the National Roofers and Employers Joint Health & Welfare Fund appeared first on United Union Of Roofers, Waterproofers & Allied Workers.
]]>B. The Fund Trustees have agreed to forgo the 2025 collectively bargained $0.20 rate increase, which will provide a rate increase “Holiday” for the 2025 year.
If you have any questions concerning this notification, please contact the Fund office at (800) 622-8780
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