Scott Nelson, University of Georgia | Andy and Brian Nieweglowski, LIUNA Local 607

Scott Nelson, history professor at the University of Georgia and author of “Steel Driving Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend,” revealed the true story behind the folk hero John Henry. He traced Henry’s journey from being a young convict in Virginia to his death as a steel-driving man building railroad tunnels in the aftermath of the Civil War. Nelson explained how the song “John Henry” became a powerful work chant, highlighted its roots in African burial traditions and shared the recent discovery of mass graves that proved the legend was grounded in tragic reality, with hundreds dying from workplace hazards such as acute silicosis.

Andy Nieweglowski, Director of Training, and Brian Nieweglowski, Manager in Training, at LIUNA Local 607 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada, discussed their innovative efforts to recruit and retain women in the construction industry thanks to nearly $1 million in aid from the Ontario government’s Skills Development Fund. They detailed the union’s practical steps to remove barriers, such as providing childcare, transportation and tools for participants. They also shared the strong response to their women-only residential construction training program amidst high employment and growing demand for skilled workers.