The Labor Department plans to cut federal apprenticeship programs in a bid to repeal a Trump administration policy deemed “threat” by unions.
The Biden administration plans to retire the Industry Accredited Apprentice Program (IRAP) on November 25. The move follows strong pressure from Democrats and unions, who say the program lacks the oversight it needs from the DOL. IRAP was established to expand apprenticeship programs beyond traditional labor professions such as construction into modern industries such as cybersecurity. This program allows accredited third-party employers to approve training programs instead of requiring direct approval from the DOL or state agency.
In a letter to Labor Secretary Marty Walsh obtained exclusively by Fox News Digital, Republican Senator Richard Burr called the Biden administration’s criticism of IRAP unwarranted and called it a “false narrative” about labor regulation. ‘, he writes.
“I am disappointed that the Department of Labor has taken away options and limited quality training opportunities for American workers,” Barr wrote. “IRAP is agile, adaptable to changing work practices, and capable of meeting the skills that modern industry requires.”
Apprenticeship programs allow workers to undergo training at their employer to develop the necessary skills and achieve higher wages. Prior to IRAP, this was all done at the federal level through the DOL Registered Apprenticeship Program. The program has approximately 600,000 active apprentices and continues to this day.
The majority of workers who participate in this federal apprenticeship program do so through Joint Labor Management, a partnership between employers and unions. This is partly due to the prevalence of apprenticeship programs in construction-related industries, where unionization rates are high. These industries, too, are largely white, male, and run counter to the Biden administration’s policy of promoting equity through federal action.
Graham, Cruz tell Mallorcas they are informing them of possible impeachment over border crisis
In its decision, the DOL declared that IRAP had “created a duplicative, low-quality system.”
“By taking this regulatory action, the Department will recognize its commitment to registered apprenticeships and the ability of American workers, especially those in underserved communities, to access well-paid, family-sustaining jobs. We reaffirm its value in supporting
DOL did not respond to requests for comment.
DHS IG report outlines how Del Rio sector border patrol facilities have been overwhelmed by immigration surge
Major trade union organizations such as the AFL-CIO, the Building Workers’ Union of North America, and the United Nations Federation of North American Workers have advocated against the establishment of IRAP.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris, recognizing that IRAP is a threat to union members, removed IRAP by rescinding the previous administration’s order to support it, and directed the Department of Labor to address these harmful and anti-labor workers. I have ordered you to act on the new rules to overthrow the union. Crush the program,” the International Trade Union of North America said on its website.
Democrats had no choice but to save the Labor Union at the expense of the program’s beneficiary, National Labor Rights Commissioner Mark Mix. According to Mix, IRAP poses a threat to union management by extending apprenticeships to various industries with low union membership.
“The Biden Department of Labor has been stuffed with ex-union officials since day one,” Mix told Fox News Digital. “It is clear that President Biden planned to give greater power to his union political allies who helped push him into the White House. The percentage is near a record low.”
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
Biden calls himself the most pro-union president in history. He has advocated for Congress to pass his PRO Act, which would allow him to repeal labor laws that bar union membership as a condition of employment in more than 10 states. Labor unions donated his $27.5 million to Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign.
Biden has filled several positions on the National Labor Relations Board, the nation’s premier labor arbiter, with influential labor leaders. Jennifer Abruzzo was appointed General Counsel to NLRB after working as an attorney for Communications Workers of America.