Legion recognized as supporter, resource at union’s veterans assistance summit.
The training center for the National Elevator Industry Educational Program (NEIEP) is a 90,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art facility in Warwick, R.I., where the trainers of elevator apprentices are taught. On Nov. 5-6, it hosted the second Veterans Assistance Program (VAP) Summit, organized by the International Union of Elevator Constructors (IUEC). Representatives from trade unions and locals across the country convened for panels focusing on how to attract, retain and support veteran members. And one common theme was the work and advocacy of The American Legion in these realms.
Union employment is just one aspect of the public-private Task Force Movement initiative launched in 2022; the Legion holds a seat on the steering committee. Ed Lewis, vice president of operation at the Maritime Institute and senior adviser for Task Force Movement Maritime, made the point succinctly while giving his update on the state of the defense industrial base – locals can benefit from partnering with nearby American Legion posts to assist their veteran members, because “they know everybody.” Military service at sea can aid those looking to get into the maritime industry, which is currently 1,800 international mariners short, as sea training takes time. He also lauded the attention to safety veterans bring to ships; that theme would also recur throughout the summit.
National Veterans Employment & Education policy associates Steven Betsch and Demetricus Lion traveled from the Legion’s Washington, D.C., office to advance conversations on education/benefits and legislation/government affairs. Betsch said unions can in turn help the Legion by identifying problems and solutions, keeping open lines of communication especially with posts, and summits like VAP’s. He was also the first of several panelists to advise attendees, when it comes to claims for health and education benefits, to file “and let (them) tell you no.” Lion queried a panelist on how to elucidate the benefits of unions and collective bargaining versus proponents of Right to Work.
Department of Illinois VSO/Veterans Affairs & Rehabilitation Director Georgiann Callaway was sent to speak to a local about two years ago and has held regular office hours with them since, showing that the Legion “has your back” on every level. She added that accredited service officers, such as the Legion provides, can “keep up” with the near-constant changes to the claims landscape – such as VA’s recent addition of AI to process claims. “You are your best advocate,” Callaway advised, and added more advice, including researching bases, finding lists of presumptive conditions, connecting the dots, and “don’t talk about your job – they’ll blame the injury on that.”
2024-2025 American Legion National Commander James LaCoursiere Jr. received the IUEC-VAP 2025 Guardian of Veterans Award from its national chairman, Jason Gray. “For those who don’t know what The American Legion is or who they are, I’m thinking, right, guys at posts,” Gray said. “But I went to this meeting, and I was absolutely blown away by the sheer amount of Legionnaires who were there – and the fact that they had that many people in that one area who took care of veterans. And that’s what they do. And they’re good at what they do.” There he met LaCoursiere, who talked with IUEC and laid the groundwork for the Legion’s outreach. “This is a partnership that does not end with the first meeting,” Gray continued. “They’re there from the time you need them all the way to the end.” LaCoursiere invoked Be the One in his acceptance, praising how unions make a difference in – even saving – veterans’ lives: “Please keep up the great work.”
New Task Force Movement Co-Chair Thomas G. Bowman was introduced to the participants. A Marine Corps veteran who spent 30 years on and off active duty between 1969 and 1999, he worked in various capacities within VA from 2002 to 2018, ending in almost a year as deputy secretary. The state of the agency made up the bulk of his remarks; he thinks “it will survive and continue to provide excellent health care writ large,” although “the VA you see in the community today may not be the same VA a year from now” between facility reorganizations and staff reductions. He said every veteran should separately enroll and file a claim – again, “let them say no” – even if not strictly needed, because the budget is built around the number of enrollees. Bowman believes VA needs to be more open and accommodating to other organizations that want to assist, providing an opportunity for locals to reach out, including to Vet Centers. Unions, he thinks, “will become a critical part of how success for veterans is seen in the future.”
Other represented unions included piping, carpentry, utility workers and the Teamsters; “We’re all in this together,” stated Task Force Movement Executive Director Elizabeth Murray-Belcaster. How to provide wraparound veteran support took up several panels over the two days:
VAP Team Overview: Ben Valinsky, VAP’s national director of programs and education, said they handle claims, the GI Bill and more for its members, who thus don’t have to navigate what he called “maybe too much assistance out there,” including an “oversaturated” Transition Assistance Program.
Overall Union Veterans Program Overview: Belcaster opened this panel by stating that the purpose of the summit was to “bring in some of the programs and people today who have helped us along the way.” And the purpose of the panel was to emphasize some of the advantages the military-connected community brings to the table; Jonathan Harmon of the Utility Workers Union of America made the point that working with natural gas entails running into potential danger, not away from it.
Veteran Education & Benefits: Jeff Handibode, VAP’s national claims and disabilities liaison, pointed out to attendees that engaging apprentices as early as possible about their training rights and entitlements is vital, since “the money disappears the moment they complete their apprenticeship.”
Helmets to Hardhats Intro: “No one is doing (support) like the elevator constructors,” said Executive Director Martin Helms, who also urged attendees to think of VA benefits like workers’ compensation – bodily harm incurred in service may only show up down the road – and to remember that a military job might not always translate to the best apprenticeship option.
Mental Health and Wellness: representatives of the unions described their own mental health programs, working with various individuals and universities. Lester White, NEIEP’s head of development, said theirs is part of both new-hire and makeup classes – getting trainers certified.
Comments by National Women’s Military Memorial President Phyllis Wilson, who touted the group’s health/wellness series as available to locals and talked about the process of fundraising to renovate the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery.
AFL-CIO Union Veterans Council: New national director Craig Romanovich says the council wants “a fully funded and staffed VA, workforce development for veterans, suicide prevention and to help unions recreate robust veteran communities.”
Legislation/Government Affairs: Belcaster described how Task Force Movement has been “working around and between administrations; we need to be at the table no matter what.” Different bills affecting veteran employment were discussed.
USERRA: Information and advice were given on the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act – important for veterans to know, since according to Valinsky, “not even everyone in the Department of Labor knows about all this.”
VA Claims and Disabilities: Philip Du, director of veteran services for the Marine Corps League, pointed out that companies are seeking out certified service officers for their HR departments in order to be considered “military-friendly.”
The summit concluded with a “The Way Ahead” fireside chat. As discussion of ending the monthlong government shutdown continued in Washington, the group in Warwick kept working.
- Careers