In this blogcast, Burnes Center for Social Change Senior Fellow Seth Harris is joined by Jimmy Williams Jr., the General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades. Listen now to learn about how President Williams views the Presidential election results, as well as his opinion on why the Democratic party failed to successfully nominate Vice-President Kamala Harris as the next president. Also hear his views on the current state of labor and how he envisions the future of the labor movement.
Jimmy Williams Jr. took office as General President of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades on September 1, 2021, ushering in a new generation of leadership and a reinvigorated vision for the IUPAT. Williams is a fourth-generation glazier from District Council 21/Local Union 252 (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania). He began his career with the IUPAT in 1998, was appointed Assistant to the General President in 2002, and served as the Regional Organizing Coordinator for the IUPAT Eastern Region. In 2011, he was appointed to the position of Organizing Director and remained in that role after being elected as General Vice President At Large in 2014.
To read the article mentioned in this episode and to learn more of President Williams' opinions, read his article on Labor Notes. To read more about the presidential election in relation to the working class, read Seth Harris' article on Power At Work.
