MILWAUKEE, Wisc. (TMJ4) — Milwaukee's Labor Day Parade and LaborFest drew union workers and their families downtown Monday for a parade to the lakefront — but beyond the celebration, many workers say their biggest focus is filling a growing demand for the next generation of laborers.
Will Dubinsky, a bricklayer with Local 8, said the trades are facing a significant staffing gap.
"There's extreme shortage of laborers. There's not enough laborers. There's not enough operators. I mean, it's a growing industry, and I wish more younger people would get into it. And right now, we have a retiring class," Dubinsky said.
Beyond the parade and festivities of Labor Day, local workers from the construction trades to county services and public schools say their biggest focus right now is filling the demand for the next generation of workers.
The challenge, workers say, is not a lack of work — but finding enough people to do it.
Dean and Ruth Moore spent decades in union jobs before retiring. Now they say their role has shifted to helping guide younger workers.
"Union is about people working together. That's what it's about," Dean Moore said.
Ruth Moore said the work of mentorship continues even in retirement.
"We're still mentoring the younger generation, so bringing them together and showing them the way and saying you still have got to fight," Ruth Moore said.
While many of these jobs are rooted in tradition, the work itself continues to change. Todd Molgaard, a laborer with Local 113, said technology has transformed day-to-day operations on job sites.
"Our pre-task plans used to be on paper. Now everybody's got an iPad. They're signing in. They're pulling their drawings," Molgaard said.
Even with new technology and the emergence of artificial intelligence, workers say demand for labor is only growing.
"There's nobody on the bench right now waiting to go out and work, so that's a good thing," Molgaard said.
Union members say events like LaborFest aren't just about celebrating today's workers — but helping inspire the next generation to follow in their footsteps.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
