LITE program graduates first class

Over the years, the Hall at Laborers’ Local #113 in Milwaukee has hosted events ranging from training programs to wedding receptions and has served as headquarters for everything from organizing campaigns to food drives.

So it should come as no surprise that the Local recently added “commencement ceremony” to that growing list of events, as the first class from the Laborers’ Initiative for Training and Education (LITE) program received graduation certificates in June after completing work related and life-skills training in preparation for careers placement in the construction industry.

Nacarsi Feaster, Local Business Rep and LITE program coordinator, served as the Master of Ceremony for the 2 hour program which included a keynote address by Milwaukee Mayor John Norquist, remarks by Ricardo Diaz, Executive Director of the Housing Authority for the City of Milwaukee and on-site interviews with prospective employers.

The LITE program was developed in partnership with the Laborers’ International and Milwaukee Housing Authority. The seventeen week training program included four weeks of hands-on construction training, followed by weeks of construction work and classroom instruction.

Diane Newby (Left) and Jessica Zajicek

Brian Hedrington

New Faces at WAFC

The Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting (WAFC) has hired two field investigators and an administrative assistant this summer.

Jessica Zajicek joins Wisconsin LECET as an administrative assistant. She previously worked for the Douglas Stewart Company.

Zajicek works closely with the WAFC Field Supervisors on correspondence, coordination of investigations and record keeping. Her computer skills have helped WAFC and Wisconsin LECET vastly improve our record keeping and organization.

Brian Hedrington joins WAFC after serving as police chief in Cadott, Wisconsin. Hedrington brings a decade of police experience to WAFC, including undercover drug enforcement. He currently serves as Field Supervisor in northwestern Wisconsin.

Diane Newby is the most recent addition to the WAFC field staff. Newby owned a successful private investigation agency in Madison handling cases throughout south-central Wisconsin. She is the Field Supervisor for WAFC in southern and western Wisconsin.

The Wisconsin Alliance for Fair Contracting monitors public sector construction projects in the state for compliance with Wisconsin’s prevailing wage laws. WAFC has been successful over the years in recovering proper wages for workers, helping contractors and local governments comply with the law and making the competitive bidding process in Wisconsin fair.

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