NABTU's 71st Convention Highlights Progress, Challenges, and Future Goals

Philadelphia, PA — August 20, 2025 — Leaders from the construction industry gathered in Philadelphia this week for the 71^st Convention of North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU). This quinquennial event, themed “Built to Last, Onward Together,” brought together representatives from the U.S. and Canada to outline strategic priorities for the coming years, elect leadership, and reinforce the collective goals of the unionized construction sector.

In a compelling keynote address, NABTU President Sean McGarvey emphasized the long-term goals of the union, stating, “What we do isn’t for the moment. It’s not for the election cycle. It’s for generations of building trades workers who deserve dignity, security, and a voice on the job.” He further highlighted, “Our responsibility isn’t to a party; it’s to our people, our members and their families, and our future.”

McGarvey took the opportunity to celebrate substantial achievements such as unprecedented investments in training infrastructure and industrial strategy. However, he also cautioned attendees about challenges like the potential rollback of $480 billion in clean energy tax credits, stagnating projects, and rising unemployment in the construction field, which has not been seen in 13 years. He underscored NABTU’s achievements, noting the peak in Registered Apprenticeship enrollments in early 2025, the expansion of career pathways through over 300 Apprenticeship Readiness Programs, and the significant milestones achieved by the Tradeswomen Build Nations movement. Additionally, the introduction of the RESPECT initiative to enhance job site culture and two years of extraordinary net membership growth were key highlights.

Amidst the convention, both McGarvey and Secretary-Treasurer Brandon Bishop were re-elected unanimously to continue leading NABTU’s sizable membership of over 3 million across North America. The convention also witnessed the passage of resolutions aimed at enhancing industry opportunities, increasing market share, and amplifying the union's impact.

In his acceptance speech, Bishop remarked, “Together, we’ve created more job opportunities, uplifted standards for the entire construction industry, and proven time and again that our values of solidarity, equity, and integrity are what truly make our nations strong.” McGarvey concluded his speech by urging the assembly to “protect what we’ve built, keep building a strong and viable future for our people, our movement, and our model, and make sure it’s accessible for the next generation.”

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Media Contact: Betsy Barrett | bbarrett@nabtu.org | 202-997-3266

About NABTU: North America’s Building Trades Unions is a coalition of 14 national and international unions within the building and construction domain, collectively representing more than 3 million skilled professionals in the United States and Canada. Each year, these unions, along with contractor partners, invest over $2 billion in private funding for the operation of nearly 2,000 apprenticeship and education facilities in North America, producing some of the most highly trained and efficient craft workers worldwide. NABTU is committed to ensuring economic stability and job opportunities for its members by upholding wage and benefit standards, fostering responsible investments, and broadening construction career paths to reach diverse communities, including women, people of color, Indigenous populations, veterans, and the justice-involved. For further details, visit nabtu.org.