Tldr: 1 getting funding for a new company as a low/middle class individual is nearly impossible 2 there are road blocks as a low/middle class individual to grow your company 3 creating a program for low income area kids to teach and recruit them into trades/unions are being met with resistance.
Quick note: the biggest eye opener is that there is money to pay for union wages, people are just greedy.
I started a Union ironworking company and I haven't been happier. Knowing I pay my guys an above livable wage, insurance, and retirement is the most rewarding thing I've ever felt. But I have some issues 1 being getting funding: I'm not wealthy and have put my savings up to make this work. But even though this is becoming successful the banks will not let me take a loan out. I haven't taken any money out of the business yet to pay myself and because of this I don't have paystubs. In construction all of the money is deferred payments so even though I have proof of money coming in they rather have my house or car as collateral. But to even do that I need PAYSTUBS. 2 “the man” doesn't want lower/middle class to rise above. From trying to get this business started to Applying for minority owned business status I have seen nothing but countless acts to defer people without a higher education (paperwork and wording that if you haven't seen it before would become confusing and basically sways you to give up) to not continue the process. It's disheartening to see the constant roadblocks in the way of people who want better in life. 3 I've been trying to start a program by partnering with the local to get kids in low income areas who struggle in school into a program that teaches kids trades and unions. Guess what… we have been getting pushback from the city of Chicago, no one will meet with us and from the teachers we talked to it's because of optics. It's about the number of kids going to college not finding them jobs. Being In a trade let alone a union is life changing, its a goddamn golden ticket from willy wonka himself. But they would rather you get the insane loan you can't payback than to get these kids on the right path and making a living. I really hate the future these governments are building for these kids.