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| President Obama announces plans to restore American manufacturing at a GE Gas Engine facility in Waukesha, WI. |
GE Energy and IAM District 10, Local 1377, hosted President Barack Obama at the GE facility in Waukesha, WI, Thursday.
President Obama began his road trip promoting issues he highlighted in the State of the Union address by signing an Executive Order calling for an across-the-board review of federal job training programs, seeking to make the American workforce more job ready.
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| IAM Local 1377 member Reggie Troop introduces President Obama to a crowd of IAM members. |
Introducing President Obama was Local 1377 member Reggie Troop. Local 1377 members who had gone through the Wisconsin Regional Training Partnership (WRTP)/Big Step program lined the stage behind Obama. Jim Young, the Shop Committee Chair, toured the plant with the President.
Don Griffin, Business Representative for IAM District 10, said he is encouraged to see President Obama recognize a training program that has helped move people from minimum wage to better paying jobs. The nearly 20-year-old WRTP/Big Step program works with companies, unions and regional agencies to identify hard-to-fill jobs and teach people how to do them.
“It’s a win for the company, it’s a win for the union and it’s a win for the state of Wisconsin by getting people into decent paying jobs,” said Griffin.
Click here for a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel photo gallery and here for video highlights of the President’s visit.
Click here to watch the entire speech.
