Phoenix, Ariz. – Jason Williams, one of the leading candidates for Superintendent of Public Instruction, announced today that the Arizona State Building and Construction Trades Council has voted unanimously to endorse his candidacy. The 10,000 member union, which represents the largest voting block of the Arizona AFL-CIO, is the second labor group to formally back Williams this election cycle. “I am grateful that the members of the Arizona State Building and Construction Trades Council are supporting my candidacy,” said Williams. “Given the significant percentage of Arizona workers who are currently unemployed, job creation must be the priority of every elected official. As Superintendent of Public Instruction, I intend to be a strong voice for all hardworking families in Arizona and ensure every child has access to excellent public schools.”
In 2006, Williams secured the Democratic Party nomination for Superintendent of Public Instruction with a majority of votes in 14 of 15 counties. In the general election against the Republican incumbent, Williams received more votes than any other non-incumbent Democrat in the closest of all the statewide races.
Since then, Williams has continued his work to ensure every child in Arizona has access to a quality public education. He currently serves as a Managing Partner for BlueDynamic and was the founder of AZ School Works. In addition to working with the Roosevelt School District, Williams is a faculty member for Arizona State University’s Beat the Odds Institute Parent Liaison Academy, meets weekly to mentor an eighth grade student through Arizona Quest for Kids, and serves on several education-related Boards of Directors and Advisory Committees, including College Depot, Communities in Schools, Genesis City, and Phoenix Collegiate Academy.
From 2000 - 2005, Williams served as Executive Director of Teach For America (TFA) in Phoenix. During his tenure, local funding for the program doubled, teacher placements increased 150%, and the number of schools and districts partnering with TFA increased 100%. In addition, under his leadership, student achievement levels for the Phoenix program increased significantly, turning the region from TFA’s lowest to its highest performing region in the U.S. in just three years.
The Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council was established in its current form by a merger of the Phoenix Building and Construction Trades Council and the Southern Arizona Building Trades Council in 2004. As the Phoenix Council and now the Arizona Council, they have served Arizona’s construction labor unions for more than 50 years. Now with 17 affiliates representing 10,000 members, the Arizona Building and Construction Trades Council works with its affiliates, labor partners and contractors to provide and continue to grow an exceptional construction labor force.
For more information about Jason Williams, visit www.WilliamsForArizona.com. To learn about Arizona State Building and Construction Trades Council, visit www.azunions.com.
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