NACTM President Meets With National Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee

Washington DC – NACTM, Inc. President Kevin Buckles was invited to speak to the National Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee recently about the Permanent Job Creation Initiative. The NJATC, National Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee, was created over 68 years ago and has developed into one of the largest apprenticeship and training programs of its kind.

"Native America is unique because of its sovereignty" explains Kevin Buckles.

Federally recognized Tribes possess or have the right to a Land-base, Self-government, an economic base and resources, and a distinct language and historical and cultural identity.

Mr. Buckles has been traveling all over Indian Country educating Tribes on Union Initiatives such as the Permanent Job Creation Initiative, which was a success on the Wind River Reservation in Wyoming. One of the terms that a Union must agree to is the Tribal Training Labor Agreement. This document was put in place by NACTM, Inc. to give direct entry for an individual into an apprenticeship program of each individuals choice as well as place them first on the union contractor's rank list.

John Wadda, 102-477 Program DIrector, was also present to tell the National Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee how the Permanent Job Creation Initiative helped his tribal members.

"People said they wouldn't leave but guess what, they're leaving" said Mr. Wadda.

The contractor who agreed to the terms of the TTLA has employed over 47 tribal members from various tribes and has them working on projects in Vail, Telluride, and Aspen, Colorado.

John Wadda says "A key to their success had a big part to do with having that family support system."

Most union's have training facilities all over the United States but none are located on an Indian Reservation. Other union training programs exist but they require the trainees to relocate and some Tribes do not have the money to help with relocation expenses, especially if the trainee isn't originally from the reservation where they currently reside.

"We received less than five percent of the total proposed projects we have submitted to OIEED", explains Kevin Buckles, a disabled Veteran and President of NACTM, Inc. Kevin goes on to explain how he had to show that this initiative 'can work and does work'.

Research indicates that Medicaid, Medicare and such, account for 33,7 percent of all healthcare dollars. If you add in tribal, local, state and other government spending, that tacks on another 12.3 percent - or about 46 percent of all healthcare dollars.

"The National Cost Per User Benchmark is $4,106 per individual," Buckles said. "This is how much is allocated for someone like myself to utilize I.H.S. (Indian Health Service)."

The Indian Health Service is a federally funded program that provides healthcare services to 1.9 million people. It is estimated that programs like I.H.S., Medicare, Medicaid and other similar programs cost the federal government $1.108 trillion - or about 46 percent of all healthcare dollars.

Mr. Buckles explained that when the trainees become union members they become eligible for the healthcare benefits package the unions provide that include optical, dental and medical insurance. This takes the burden off of the Indian Health Service; saving the Tribes significant dollars for the 47 trainees who signed up to become union members.

"Now $192,982 can go back to the Tribe since this money has already been allocated to them," explains Buckles. "But what is the true return on investment?"

Mr. Buckles then explained how the trainee's families were no longer dependent on the Indian Health Service since they would be eligible through the healthcare benefits package as well. That dollar amount can be said to be reflective of $771,928 in savings depending on the size of the individual families now covered under the trainee's union healthcare benefits package.

"Those dollars can go back to help the elders and the youth," said Kevin Buckles. "Any one between the age of 18-55 and able to work should not take a dime from their tribe...they should be contributing back to their tribe."

The trainees who went through the Permanent Job Creation Initiative were given on the job training (OJT), meaning they were paid a wage while they learned.