I call the Health, Labor, and Commerce Committee to order.
Time is 3.15, January 23rd.
Members present are representatives,
Carrick, Colomb, Freer, Fields,
and Nelson.
Thank you, Andrew Magneson,
the LNC Secretary and Zach Lawhorn,
the LIO for support.
We just have one item on the agenda today,
H.J.R. 20 by Representative David Nelson,
this is the first hearing for the bill.
We'll take invite them public testimony.
Go ahead, represent Nelson if you'd like to introduce yourself
and begin your presentation.
Thank you, Co-Chair Fields and Co Chair Hall and members of the House Labor and Commerce
Committee.
For the record, I'm David Nelson, representative for House District 18, which is including
joint-based Elmentor Fritjordson, Government Hill and East Anchorage.
Thank you for the opportunity to present House Joint Resolution No. 20, which encourages
United States Congress to establish hiring goals for apprentices and veteran apprentices.
The resolution aims really to assist veterans and those preparing to transition from the
armed forces to civilian life.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2024, 60% of unemployed veterans were aged
through 54, meaning a majority of the unemployed veterans are in their prime working age.
These veterans were rigorously trained by the Department of Defense, making them skilled and
motivated, and making it highly valuable in the workforce. House resolution number 20 would
encourage Congress to establish hiring goals for domestic DOD construction projects, namely
for individuals who are participating in qualified apprenticeships or post-secondary programs.
These hiring goals would be no less than 10% of the total workforce employed in the performance of
the project, with no more than ten percent of those being veterans. Promoting the inclusion of
veterans in DOD-funded construction projects would enhance the workforce with individuals who are
accustomed to working in complex and demanding environments. This would create a solid foundation
for countless individuals, who have protected and served our great country. I urge the House
encourage Congress to establish these hiring goals to support those who
were the uniform in the defense of the United States.
And I understand that there's a couple of testifiers who are able to expand on
this more. Yes, and maybe we should go to those
testifier's to give a little more background and then go
to committee questions if that makes sense to people.
If so, first up is Kyle Kaiser, president and founder of
Transitions. Mr. Kaiser, if you can hear us online, please go ahead with your
testimony.
Hello, thank you. This is Joe and this is Kyle Kaiser. President, founder of
Viber Transition and the state's veteran job for IBW. I fully support this
resolution. Being an Army veteran myself and an airport infantryman
transitions from the armed services to your next career can be difficult as it
Apprenticeships are often a desired route for a lot of veterans looking to get into their next career field.
And to me, it only makes sense to have this type of language be implemented on national level,
especially with the Department of Defense, getting these folks come out with background checks and security clearance,
and it's easier to give them on base.
And they're trainable, and there's a little more items that would make sense, to see.
Department of Defense adopts all things like this and for legislation they have passed
that would support these things of apprenticeship to get into it.
You don't need to know anything, that's why he's here in apprentice and myself getting
out, like I said, as an subordinate entrapment without an apprenticeships, there's no way
that it would have been as smooth as I'm more easy for me to give myself into our careers
and electrician because I didn't know how to do any of that.
The employers who participate in these apprenticeships have work to send apprentices to.
And normally, veterans get into the apprenticeship if those employers that participate
in the duration of the friendships have places to spend.
So that's really why I would support this type of language.
I think it's good for the country, it gets for veterans,
it get for building a workforce, and I fully support it.
Okay, great. And I should have mentioned that it represents a Hall and Sadler got here at about 315 and 45 seconds
So all members are present
Do members have questions for mr. Kaiser?
Okay next up in invite testimony is
Michael Smith international representative for Veterans Affairs with IBEW mister Smith. Go ahead with your testimony
Thank You mrs. Chair
I'm Michael Smith, I am the International Representative for Veteran Affairs for the IDEW,
International Brotherhood Electrical Workers.
I represent thousands of veterans in our organization.
As a former training director, he used to be a charge of apprentices in apprenticeship
school.
I see where opportunities have brought forward and the young folks can definitely grasp
When it comes to a veteran, a Veteran definitely wants structure and apprenticeships are structured.
And it keeps them on task.
And they definitely have a very similar lifestyle as to when they were in the military.
Department of Defense projects it's great. It's a step forward it takes our it makes life easier for our transitioning veterans
transitioning to civilian life can be hard and
Getting them in apprenticeships and getting them employed in places that they're familiar such as military installations or federal
installations
It is a good thing. So I wholeheartedly support this
Okay questions for mr. Smith
Not seeing any thank you, mr. Smith. Next up is mike cuff check director of veterans affairs
For IBW mister cuff-check, please proceed with your testimony
Thank you mrs. Chair. I am also speaking in support of HRJ 20 again
My name is Mike cuff jacket
I'm currently posted as the director effective affairs for the IVW local union 11
Additionally, I co-chair the International Veterans Advisory Committee that represents
the 11 districts that make up the entire IDEW.
And I also chaired the Knight District as the veterans' rep.
I served in the military for 32 years, all of which was active duty.
Not only our electrical industry, but the many trade unions have discovered that veterans
when it comes to a veteran hire. Employers argue dependent upon reliability,
dependability, accountability, and a responsibility. But moreover,
veterans are groomed to work together as a team just as they do in the trades.
You know, the military exceeds all standards regarding safety regulations given the nature
of the nation's demands operationally. Veterans also understand the safety
related to the trade as well go to military occupational specialties. MOS is aligned with
keeping in mind that veterans have already been formally trained and gained real world
experience to include some completing the United States military apprenticeship program
and have received certificates of completion from the Department of Defense.
Now, who's better to work aboard military installation other than veterans because they
understand the culture? They understand, the cultural, latest in military terminology,
You know, the bottom line up front is,
a partnership offers careers for veterans
that provides the intangels.
They became accustomed to me in the military
regarding health, medical, dental, vision, and description.
But more importantly, pensions upon retirement
for financial sustainment, you know.
In my personal opinion, it's also that if a veteran,
man or woman has a career and can provide for themselves
and their family,
it reduces depression and stress,
that helps assist in reducing our veterans' suicide rates.
So, again, I am speaking in support of HTR20.
Thank you.
Great questions for Mr. Cuffchek.
I just closed,
I work for a labor union in my private sector job that has apprenticeships
and whose members work on military installation
and who's members have included transitioning service members.
Any further questions
for the resolution sponsor?
Yes, representative clone. Thank you chair fields
So thank you for bringing this forward because you know my son's and my husband all served and it was definitely a tough
Transition, so I just want to clarify so the resolution is urging the federal government to set goals
You're not actually telling them how much percentage should be veterans or can you come out?
Explain what what it's trying to do
Yeah, through the chair to Representative Colomb, this would just urge Congress to establish
hiring goals for the contracts.
So normally when a, say, DOD project is put up for bid through contractors, they will bid
on it and part of that would be saying, hey, we have a goal of reaching 10% of our workforce
being military veterans. Okay and follow up and maybe I don't know if
sure feels might know that I probably should know this but so DoD well it's
probably Department of War now right? Yeah so according to
The Department of Defense Department
of War is the secondary title of it.
It takes an act of Congress to change it
to Department
of war from the current article
of Department
of defense.
OK, thank you for that clarification.
So I assume that DOD contracts have some kind
of union component to it,
but if you have a veteran that's not in a union,
does that how do how those two things interact?
I don't know why I can answer that.
The apprenticeship system has both union and non-union participants and the resolution is drafted
Just supports registered apprenticeships, and we have a lot of non union registered partnerships instead of Alaska
Great. Okay, if I might add. Go ahead represent us. Thank you. Mr. Co-chair
This also includes those who are in post-secondary programs
So there is a little bit of a separation, but as co-chaired fields also announced the for apprentices it is
encompassing both union and non-union.
Great, okay.
Well, thank you for putting that forward.
Thank you.
Representative Sandler.
Thank You to the Chair.
And I guess this is the, yep,
through the chair to sponsor.
I noticed that Sergeant Major Cuffchak
made reference to NDAA,
NdaA pardon me, National Defense Authorization Act
from a last year's calendar.
And that there's some reference
to a draft such.
Contract bill rather for the last federal year
I guess I just want to clarify that this resolution would apply to to any federal military construction project and not just those funded by the ND&A
NDAA pardon me again for last year or even this year just wanna make sure there's no limitation on the application
Yeah through the chair to represent asylum that is correct
is going to be up to Congress, but how the intent of this resolution is is for it to
be open and outside of as wide encompassing as it could be any DOD project on a military
installation. Which I would support as well. Thank you sir.
All right. Well, seeing no further questions, I
would certainly like to take this bill back up or this
resolution back and pass it at a future committee hearing.
look at it and at 3.26 we are adjourned.