District Council 9, International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) hosted the grand reopening of its state-of-the-art training center in Long Island City on Monday.
The multimillion-dollar renovation to the facility, located at 45-15 36th St., represents a major investment in the next generation of apprentices and union workers.
“The training center will create opportunities for so many hardworking New Yorkers and provide the skills and education to grow New York’s workforce,” DC 9 Business Manager/Secretary-Treasurer Joseph Azzopardi said. “We thank all who were able to attend today and for making this facility a reality.”
Lieutenant Governor Brian Benjamin, Attorney General Letitia James and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli were on hand for the grand reopening and tour of the training facility.
“By providing opportunities to uplift working-class New Yorkers, DC 9’s new training center represents a new beginning — ushering in and helping create a more inclusive, equitable New York as we emerge from the pandemic,” Benjamin said. “Governor Kathy Hochul and I commend DC 9 for their continued commitment to building a New York where people can pursue good-paying jobs that will allow them, and their loved ones, to achieve the New York Dream.”
The facility will create significant pathways to the middle-class for painters, decorators, wall coverers, drywall finishers, sign painters, metal polishers, bridge and structural steel painters, civil service painters, lead abatement workers, glaziers and architectural metal glassworkers, paint makers and allied trades, union officials said.
“For over 100 years, the members of District Council 9 and International Union of Painters and Allied Trades have worked tirelessly to improve the infrastructure of our state, and this center will help them keep that going for years to come,” James said.
The new training center allows DC 9 to continue its mission of creating family-sustaining careers at the apprenticeship level and beyond.
“DC 9 has some of the best-skilled, most knowledgeable and accomplished craft workers in New York’s construction area,” DiNapoli said. “The renovated training center will set the bar even higher for the industry-leading training offered by DC 9. This is an incredible accomplishment for the organization and the union’s leadership team at a time when our state and nation need highly skilled workers to tackle massive infrastructure needs.”
The updated space creates opportunities to train even more people while offering a wider range of programs.
“Governor Hochul made it clear that workforce development is a key component of her master plan to move New York forward from the pandemic,” NYS Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon said. “This significant investment is a shining example of what needs to be done to support our workforce of the future.”
