Washington DC – On December 2, 2025, Gary LaBarbera Jr, business agent at Teamsters Local 282 and Teamsters Trade Advisor to Helmets to Hardhats, testified before the House of Representatives.
Mr. LaBarbera Jr. appeared before the Veteran’s Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity to discuss ways to strengthen the workforce of veterans in America. LaBarbera Jr highlighted the Teamsters Union’s efforts to ensure that transitioning veterans can secure a good union career — particularly in the construction, trucking, and aviation industries — and called on Congress to partner closely with the Teamsters and local unions on this critical mission.
“The Teamsters have long been proud participants in Helmets to Hardhats (H2H), a national program that assists veterans, transitioning service members, and Guard and Reserve members in finding opportunities within registered apprenticeship programs and careers in the unionized building trades. Since 2003, H2H has connected nearly 55,000 veterans to good-paying, stable careers providing solid middle class lives for the families of the brave young men and women who served our country. H2H collaborates with the 14 major building trades unions under North America’s Building Trades Unions, nearly 80,000 contractors nationwide, the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, Hire Our Heroes, the National Guard Association of the United States, and the Army Reserve’s Public-Private Partnership. These partnerships ensure veterans aren’t just placed in jobs but launched into meaningful careers that value their discipline and leadership,” said Business Agent Gary LaBarbera Jr.
Teamsters Business Agent Gary LaBarbera Jr Concluded his testimony with the following statement: ‘The Teamsters have been proud to work for decades at various initiative to ensure the men and women of the Armed Forces have opportunities for good careers, with strong wages and benefits which can support them and their families upon transitioning out of the service. We fundamentally believe that we, the nation’s strongest labor union representing workers in nearly every industry, have a unique and critical role to play in this effort. It is our hope that we can continue to, and grow, our partnerships with Congress and the federal government in our effort to achieve these shared goals.”
Full Testimony of Gary LaBarbera Jr. Local 282 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Before the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity December 2, 2025 – ‘chrome-
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