Organizations challenge Trump's cut on equal access to construction apprenticeships

The National Taskforce on Tradeswomen’s Issues, a project of Equal Rights Advocates (ERA), filed a formal comment Tuesday opposing the Trump Administration's proposed changes eliminating rules that help ensure equal access to construction and skilled-trade apprenticeships nationwide.

The Department of Labor's (DOL) proposal, released on June 2, would remove requirements for anti-harassment training in apprenticeship programs, eliminate provisions designed to promote equal opportunity for women and other underrepresented groups, strip away compliance review mechanisms that ensure programs follow anti-discrimination laws, remove retaliation protections for those who file discrimination complaints, and limit the ability of state agencies to provide stronger protections than federal minimums.

DOL's proposed rule would “dismantle decades of hard-won protections designed to ensure women, people of color, and other underrepresented groups have equal access to these coveted apprenticeships, the primary pathway into high-paying construction trades jobs,” The Taskforce’s press release stated.  

Advocates say the changes will also exacerbate the shortage of skilled trades laborers currently being reported in many states.

"Women already make up only 4% of construction workers and are similarly underrepresented in apprenticeship programs. These regulatory changes would make it even harder for women to access apprenticeships that lead to well-paid skilled trades careers,” said Jessica Ramey Stender, policy director and deputy legal director at Equal Rights Advocates. "This proposal represents a devastating rollback of hard-fought protections that would slam the door shut on economic opportunity for women and people of color and eliminate opportunities to address skilled labor shortages."

The coalition's 38-page comment, with support from more than 75 national and local organizations, challenges the Department's reasoning and shows that the current regulations have successfully increased diversity in apprenticeship programs.

According to the coalition, a woman working as an electrician will earn more than $1 million more than a woman working in a traditionally female-dominated field like childcare or service work. Many California trades provide six-figure salaries within a few years, CalMatters reports.  

One in ten construction workers is a woman, per data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics. 

The coalition argues the government’s concerns about "reverse discrimination" are unsupported by evidence, and existing protections are necessary to address ongoing discrimination that federal civil rights laws alone have not prevented. The comment also argues the proposal violates federal requirements for proper rulemaking.

"The Trump Administration is using the same playbook we've seen before, attacking civil rights protections through obscure regulatory processes while claiming to protect workers," said Noreen Farrell, executive director of Equal Rights Advocates. "These apprenticeship programs are doorways to economic security for women and people of color. We will not stand by while this administration tries to slam those doors shut through backroom regulatory manipulation."

The public comment period for the proposed rule closed on September 2, 2025.