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WASHINGTON, May 31, 2025 – Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), and Artie Maratea, TCU/IAM National President, issued the following statement on the U.S. Department of Labor’s plan to effectively end the majority of Job Corps programs by June 30, 2025:
“4,500 current students were homeless before they found refuge, and a future, at Job Corps. This decision will not only send these kids back to the streets, but it will strip opportunity away from 35,000 of our nation’s most vulnerable youth, and destroy a pipeline that has led to tens of thousands of stable, middle-class jobs.
“TCU/IAM has run a small, but advanced Job Corps training program since 1971, placing more than 16,000 students in high-paying careers in the railroad, aviation and other industries – as well as the military. These students come exclusively from low-income or at-risk backgrounds, and Job Corps turns their lives around by providing them with the tools and support they need to build real, meaningful futures.
“Students in the Job Corps training program learn how to be the best candidates for entry-level jobs in various trades. And thanks to this partnership, these students also see the value unions bring to the transportation careers they seek.
“We call on the Trump Administration reverse this decision before it’s too late, and preserve this life-changing program that has provided young people with the tools and support to build a future. Ending the Job Corps program is not just abandoning students; it is turning our backs on the future workforce of America.
“We will engage with elected officials, community leaders, and other union leaders to help save this vital program for our nation’s youth.”
Job Corps offers slots for over 50,000 young people each year obtain vocational training from the U.S. Department of Labor. Over 3 million students have been served since its inception in 1962.
The Transportation Communications Union/IAM proudly represents 35,000 members across the U.S., primarily in the railroad industry. TCU merged with the IAM in 2012 and remains a powerful force for workers.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
