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Gary R. Armstrong Jr. is the business manager for Iron Workers Local 5 in the Baltimore-Washington DC metro area. The opinions are the author’s own.
We often hear that construction is facing a “skilled labor shortage.” Developers and end users say they simply can’t find enough skilled workers to meet demand.
But here in the Mid-Atlantic we see a very different reality. There is no shortage of skilled tools. There is a shortage of stable, quality jobs.
At Iron Workers Local 5, representing workers in Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia, we have a strong group of highly trained professionals ready to go to work today. Our apprenticeship program processes applicants every month, and many end up on a waiting list because we already have a ready workforce capable of handling any large project.
Last year alone, approximately 290 people tried to join our trade. More than half were qualified and ready to start immediately. However, most will wait an average of 11 months for a chance.
On the second Monday of every month, we process around 24 applicants, many with previous construction experience, certifications and a strong desire to build long-term careers as toolmakers. We also get about 100 additional inquiries each year just through word of mouth, without any formal marketing.
Across the country, Iron Workers unions operate more than 130 registered apprenticeship programs, training more than 20,000 apprentices through paid hands-on instruction. Each program usually has hundreds of applicants from different backgrounds looking for good wages, benefits and a stable future. In addition, we maintain a pool of highly trained travel workers ready to go to work at a moment’s notice.
This level of interest is not evidence of a shortage: it is evidence of a willing and skilled workforce ready to build America’s infrastructure. These are working men and women ready to answer the call, but too often are left waiting because the job portfolio is not stable enough. Labor is plentiful; opportunities are not.
The workers are there to find them
In more than three decades in this trade, I’ve seen the “labor shortage” narrative resurface whenever it’s convenient to justify adding low-wage labor, cutting back on security, or overlooking skilled workers who are already ready to do the job.
In almost three years, our organizers have not once had to delay a project due to a lack of qualified tools. Whether it’s commercial development, bridge rehabilitation or infrastructure expansion, we consistently offer trained and safety-focused professionals. And this is not unique to our region: it is true across the country.
Unionized construction has built a proven and sustainable portfolio for developing talent. Our registered apprenticeship programs ensure workers receive rigorous training in safety, rigging, welding and structural assembly. Learners earn while they learn, avoid student debt, and secure nationally recognized credentials that support lifelong careers.
Strong wages and benefits not only attract new workers, but keep experienced ones. When people know they can earn a family-supporting wage, access quality health care, and retire with dignity, they stay. This stability is what makes projects run efficiently and safely.
So instead of asking, “Where are the workers?” we should be asking ourselves how best to connect ready tradesmen with projects throughout the year. Public and private investment in construction can put hundreds of skilled railroaders to work tomorrow.
When developers and general contractors partner with union contractors, they gain access to a reliable, fully trained workforce ready to mobilize without delay. No need to reinvent the system or look elsewhere. The workforce is already here.
The talent, training and ability exist. The work must continue. There is no shortage of skilled labor; there is a shortage of projects.
