Take the first step toward a career in construction, manufacturing, government, health care, hospitality or retail at the Union Job and Resource Fair April 14 at the East Side Freedom Library.
Employers and union representatives at the event will provide information to both ready-to-hire job seekers and young people exploring their career options. Interpreters will be available to assist non-English speakers.
The job fair will run from 3 to 7 p.m. at the independent library, located at 1105 Greenbrier St. in St. Paul. It’s free and open to the public.
Co-sponsors include the St. Paul Regional Labor Federation, St. Paul Building and Construction Trades Council and other union groups, as well as cultural organizations, employment service agencies, the City of St. Paul, and district councils representing the East Side.
Daud Mohamed, director of community outreach for the Ka Joog organization, said the job fair’s focus on good-paying union jobs, many of which offer “earn-while-you-learn” training opportunities, “makes it stand out as particularly worthwhile to attend.”
“Unions built the American middle class, and a union job remains the best way for working people to secure livable wages and decent health and retirement benefits,” said Bobby Kasper, president of the 50,000-member Saint Paul RLF.
“As a labor movement, we need to raise awareness about the value of a union contract, especially among immigrant communities and young workers,” Kasper added. “This job fair is an exciting opportunity to extend our outreach and build new relationships on the East Side, and we’re proud to be a part of it.”
José Santos Jr., who works with jobseekers at the nonprofit Merrick Community Services, said most job fairs take place in “far-flung parts of the Metro Area.”
“It’s great to have more of this kind of event on the East Side, in Payne-Phalen,” he said.
For more information about the Union Job and Resource Fair, contact Peter Rachleff at the East Side Freedom Library: 651-230-3294 or rachleff@macalester.edu.
