Trade Talk Wisconsin

In Episode 5 of Trade Talk Wisconsin, we sit down with Business Manager Brett Large, Business Representative and Financial Secretary-Treasurer Kimm Hansen, and Director of Member Development Ivan Herrada from Heat & Frost Insulators Local 19.   They discuss the specialized work insulators perform on pipes, ducts and mechanical systems, the major projects keeping Local 19 members busy, and how the union is recruiting, developing and supporting the next generation of tradespeople.   The episode also features Casey Shorts, partner at The Previant Law Firm, for an important conversation about workplace injuries, workers’ compensation and what union members should know before something goes wrong.

In Episode 4 of Trade Talk Wisconsin, we sit down with Mike Killian, Business Manager of IBEW Local 159, to talk about the electrical trade, Madison’s growing construction market, and what it takes to train the next generation of electricians. From homes, hospitals, and schools to data centers, EV infrastructure, and smart building systems, electricians power the projects and technology Wisconsin depends on every day. After our conversation with Mike, stick around for a special conversation with Mikey Richards, Matt Raasch, and Jon Bothun about LEAN, Laborers Escaping Adversity Now, a peer support program helping Wisconsin laborers and their families navigate mental health challenges, substance use, and difficult moments.

Spring has sprung! We’re talking finishing trades with Jeff Mehrhoff, Business Manager of IUPAT District Council 7, and Andy Buck, DC 7’s Director of Governmental Affairs. From painters and drywall finishers to glaziers, paint makers, and sign and display workers, the finishing trades help bring Wisconsin projects across the finish line.

In Episode 2 of Trade Talk Wisconsin, we sit down with Kent Miller, President of the Wisconsin Laborers' District Council. Kent explains what the laborers do, the unique elements of his union, and what it takes to build a strong workforce in Wisconsin. 

In Episode 1 of Trade Talk Wisconsin, we sit down with Corey Gall, President of the Wisconsin Pipe Trades Association. Corey breaks down what the pipe trades do, how union apprenticeship training works, and what it takes to build a strong workforce in Wisconsin. We also dig into the challenges ahead and what gives him confidence about the future.