Carpenters recruit minority workers to replenish area workforce
By KERRY L. SMITH
When it comes to hiring minorities, the Carpenters' District Council of Greater Saint Louis and Vicinity fares well compared
to national statistics on blacks and Hispanics working in construction jobs.
Marvin Sanders, business representative and organizer for the Carpenters, says the council continues to be successful
recruiting minorities into the trade, but as with efforts to recruit and retain women in the field, it can be a formidable
challenge to see minorities complete their apprenticeships, find work and stay in the union.
The council's entire territory includes 33 counties across Southern Illinois and 44 in
Eastern Missouri. Its total membership
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Opportunities abound for minorities trained as Carpenters journeymen in Southwestern Illinois.
exceeds 22,000.
"Typically we're hiring anywhere from six to 10 percent (minorities)," Sanders said. "We do much better at the intake level.
The magic number we'd like to see as the minimum is 10 percent. It's a four-year (apprenticeship) program, and
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