Partnering for Progress: Building Better Trades Together

For over 100 years, the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) has led the development of a skilled, safe, and future-ready workforce for contractors and business owners throughout North America.

IUPAT’s Finishing Trades Institutes (FTI) has invested millions of dollars in state-of-the-art training centers and educators throughout the U.S. and Canada, giving every member the opportunity to obtain the skills, certifications, and safety education that all projects demand. Requiring this thorough training leads to fewer jobsite delays, higher-quality work, and greater worker reliability. This is what sets union work apart: the consistency of our work and a shared commitment to higher standards on jobsites, which will be on show at next year’s Finishing Industries Forum (FIF) in Las Vegas.

The construction industry is constantly evolving. IUPAT’s commitment to workforce development programs, such as the Coatings Application Specialist (CAS) for Industrial Painters, is designed to keep everyone ahead of the curve with ongoing training in green building, surface preparation technology, coatings applications, and safety compliance. As a contractor, you’ll be able to position yourself as an industry leader when you partner with unions like IUPAT by setting and meeting standards.

When contractors and the IUPAT come together, they create innovative partnerships that have strengthened apprenticeship pipelines and given a new generation of diverse, skilled talent access to high-quality jobs and projects. As an example, joint initiatives like the FTI’s pre-apprenticeship program help prepare young workers for successful careers, while collaborations with major contractors ensure that training aligns with real jobsite demands.

The impact of these partnerships reaches beyond the job site. Together, the IUPAT and its industry allies advocate for policies that promote improved safety standards and secure funding for infrastructure and workforce development. Recent efforts to support prevailing wage laws and investments in green building initiatives demonstrate how these collaborations shape a more equitable and sustainable future for the finishing trades.

With the IUPAT as your partner, your voice helps shape the future of construction and the finishing trades. Whether it’s setting industry standards or advancing training programs, your insights and experience play a vital role in ensuring the next generation of tradespeople inherit an industry built on skill, safety, and solidarity. If you want to learn more about our educational efforts and the future of our trades, come to the Finishing Industries Forum (FIF) in Las Vegas! Join the IUPAT and labor management as they come together to speak about industry insights, real-world solutions, and hands-on discussions about building better and stronger partnerships.

Register now at FinishingIndustriesForum.com as spots fill out fast. Registration closes late January 2026!