NABTU President Highlights Growth and Urges Focus on Real Investments

February 12, 2026 February 12, 2026

Editorial Staff

The Facts -

NABTU gained 47,198 new members in 2025 amid industry disruptions.

The unions can triple apprenticeship enrollment, meeting workforce needs.

Policy uncertainty threatens domestic investments and construction growth.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – February 11, 2026 – The North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) has seen a significant increase in membership, according to President Sean McGarvey. Last year, the union added 47,198 net new members across 14 crafts, building on the nearly 100,000 new members gained over the previous two years.

This membership growth, McGarvey explains, is a testament to a century-long dedication to workforce development. These efforts have been supported by collectively bargained investments and recent federal policies on infrastructure and energy. As a result, 2025 saw a record number of over 88,000 new apprentices and a total enrollment of over 300,000 participants in registered apprenticeship programs over the past two years.

With concerns about the availability of skilled labor on the rise, NABTU is positioned to address this challenge. The union asserts it has the infrastructure to triple apprenticeship enrollments without any taxpayer expense, ensuring the workforce needs of America are fully met. “For owners and investors questioning labor availability, the solution is straightforward: work with us,” McGarvey states. He emphasizes that the Building Trades and their contractor community consistently deliver large-scale projects that are safe, timely, and within budget.

The union's growth is also attributed to effective public policy. The previous administration and Congress made substantial investments in infrastructure and energy, collaborating with the building trades to leverage the apprenticeship system for growth. However, McGarvey notes that while the current administration has announced future foreign investments in the U.S., these have yet to generate work hours for union members. Instead, issues like cancellations, delays, and policy uncertainty have hindered expected domestic projects.

McGarvey highlights that the construction industry needs stability and certainty to develop the high-quality workforce that America needs. He calls on policymakers to prioritize effective investments and real projects linked to the training infrastructure, which is crucial for strengthening the nation's future.