The Wisconsin State AFL-CIO Building Trades Conference is a state organization of Building & Construction Trades Local Unions convened to promote the growth and development of the construction industry. The Building Trades Unions in Wisconsin, representing 40,000 craft workers employed by over 2,000 union-signatory contractors, are organized by jurisdiction into 8 Wisconsin Building Trades Councils. Each council is chartered to the National Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, headquartered in Washington, DC. The conference and each council promote their signatory contractors, skilled work force and apprenticeship training programs through industry, community, legislative and political activities.