Mandates That Miss the Mark: The Problem With Mandating Apprenticeship

In the name of supporting workers’ rights and craft training, last week the Building Trades took to the streets of City Hall and Port KC to demand increased mandates regarding construction wages and mandating apprenticeship programs. While we share their love for the industry, these requests simply miss the mark and will negatively impact the 73% of the Missouri construction workforce who choose to work nonunion. That approach is fundamentally flawed.

Forcing every contractor to utilize registered apprenticeship programs for every craft limits their ability to invest in multi-skilling, reduces the number of scopes of work they can deploy to build their workforce and team, and forces everyone into a one-size-fits-all training model that does not reflect the realities of the construction industry.

An every craft apprenticeship requirement will either force contractors to change their training and business models OR lead them to opt out of participating on Port KC projects altogether. Either way, the cost of construction will dramatically increase. 73% of the Missouri construction work force chooses to work merit shop, and the majority of the merit shop chooses to train outside of registered apprenticeship programs. We cannot build our community without these hardworking men and women being a part of our construction projects. They deserve the right to compete to build their own community, regardless of labor affiliation.

Proposals to enforce stringent apprenticeship requirements will not expand the workforce, but instead serve as a finger on the scale to drive more projects to union-affiliated firms that train through the registered apprenticeship model. While ABC HOA is proud to sponsor one of the largest multi-employer apprenticeship programs in the state of Missouri, this is not the way to grow the skilled trades.

Merit shop contractors invest heavily in training. Many operate Department of Labor-registered apprenticeship programs. Others provide structured, employer-driven training that is built around real project needs. These programs are producing skilled workers today because they are flexible, accountable, and tied directly to industry demand.

When policy favors only one training structure over others, it does not strengthen the workforce. It restricts it.

Limiting eligibility based on a narrow checklist reduces the number of contractors who can participate. That makes projects harder to staff, increases costs, and ultimately sidelines qualified workers who are ready and willing to work.

Kansas City’s priority should be clear: bring more people into the trades and create more opportunities, not impose policies that reduce access to jobs in our own community.

Today, the conversation surrounds the policies of Port KC, but we are seeing similar trends around the region. We will continue working with Port KC and all elected officials to ensure that policies support all qualified workers and contractors who are building our region. Public projects should reflect the workforce that exists in our community, not exclude it.