The Lowell Sun: Painters union welcomes new beginning in Lowell

New beginnings can make a big difference not just for individuals, but also for communities. In the building trades we see a lot of people looking for just that — a chance for a better life and an opportunity to provide stability for their families. But the hard truth is, good jobs with family-supporting wages can be hard to come by.

While income inequality grows across our state and our nation, there is a solution. Lowell knows better than most that unions can be the antidote to these kinds of injustices and wage disparities. Now, one of the leading trade unions in the region, the Painters and Allied Trades Union that I am proud to lead, sees the promise a new beginning can bring to Lowell. The response had been overwhelmingly positive.

It starts with a $40,000 rehabilitation of an historic storefront in downtown Lowell to serve as the union’s newest satellite office. The new office will spur additional investment in Lowell’s revitalization and better serve workers and union members already working and living in the Merrimack Valley. But it doesn’t end there. For a truly revitalized Lowell, one that goes deeper than a fresh coat of paint, there must also be a pathway to jobs that pay family-supporting wages. The larger goal is to help create more good union jobs and continue developing training programs for people interested in construction trade careers.

Read the full oped on the Lowell Sun website.