[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 118 (Friday, July 31, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2175]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




CONGRATULATING THE NATIONAL JOINT APPRENTICESHIP TRAINING COMMITTEE ON 
                 THEIR 20TH NATIONAL TRAINING INSTITUTE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. JOHN D. DINGELL

                              of michigan

                    in the house of representatives

                         Friday, July 31, 2009

  Mr. DINGELL. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the National 
Joint Apprenticeship and Training Committee (NJATC) on the occasion of 
the 20th anniversary of their National Training Institute, which will 
be held this weekend at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. It 
will also be my pleasure to address this gathering back home in 
Michigan's 15th Congressional District.
  I wish to commend the NJATC's National Training Institute for what 
they do for working men and women across the country. I believe they 
serve as an example of the good work labor unions have done for this 
country. I think it is entirely appropriate that the 20th annual 
National Training Institute will be held in Michigan, the state that 
most have deemed the birthplace of the American labor movement. This is 
a point in which I take great pride, as Michigan has long had a history 
of looking out for our workers and supporting the growth and success of 
our labor unions.
  The partnership of the National Electrical Contractors Association 
and the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers is unique and 
it has led to a special training institute that puts a value on skilled 
trade and allows apprentices to ``earn while you learn.'' This is 
critical for those in Southeast Michigan and across the country, as 
they start their second career, or even begin their first. Skilled 
trades provide our families with respectable and fair wages, benefits 
that will provide for their families and training that will allow them 
to successfully complete various jobs within the electrical industry.
  As the National Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee enters its 
68th year, I would like to once again commend them for their fine work 
and congratulate them for the more than 350,000 apprentices which they 
have skillfully trained. I look forward to their 20th National Training 
Institute and I am so pleased that they will be holding this special 
event in Michigan's 15th Congressional District.

                          ____________________