BAC Delegates Join Brothers and Sisters of the North American Building Trades Union (NATBU) in Building the "Infrastructure Generation"

I-95 BRIDGE REOPENED AHEAD OF SCHEDULE THANKS TO UNION CRAFTWORKERS

A tanker truck exploded on June 11, destroying a section of Interstate 95 (I-95) outside of Philadelphia. President Biden surveyed the damage and met with labor leaders and local officials to stress the need for this major artery of East Coast traffic to reopen as soon as possible. On June 23, a temporary fix was completed, well ahead of schedule.

In his press release published after the opening, President Biden first thanked the union workers who completed the project. “Thanks to the grit and determination of operating engineers, laborers, cement finishers [BAC members], carpenters, teamsters, and so many other proud union workers doing shifts around the clock, I-95 is reopening,” he said. “I am so proud of the hard-working men and women on site who put their heads down, stayed at it, and got I-95 reopened in record time.”

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) convened its annual Legislative Conference in Washington, DC, on April 24-26. The Building the Infrastructure Generation-themed event brought together thousands of national, state and local building trades leaders, including dozens of BAC delegates from across the country. 

Conference attendees heard from prominent labor leaders and allies, including US President Biden; former US Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh; Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker (D); Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY); US Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Dan Sullivan (R-AK), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA); and many other labor leaders and allies.

BAC Local and ADC officers and representatives were joined by Congresswoman Nikki Budzinski (D-IL-13), Congressman Chris Deluzio (D-PA-17), and Congresswoman Haley Stevens (D-MI-11) at a working luncheon hosted by BAC on April 24.

Granddaughter of a union painter and a public-school teacher, Congresswoman Budzinski has worked directly with unions to protect workers. “I understand the importance of the union contract for working men and women, making sure they have the wages, benefits and safe working conditions,” Rep. Budzinski said. “Those are the issues that I feel very passionate about.”

An Iraq War veteran and voting rights attorney, Congressman Chris Deluzio underlined the importance of solidarity in the labor movement. He told the BAC delegates that he would be standing in solidarity with BAC members and make sure the jobs we have are good union
jobs that pay prevailing wages. 

A co-sponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, Congresswoman Haley Stevens is a strong advocate for unions and workers’ rights. “We have pro-labor, majority Democrats, in the [Michigan] state capitol for the first time in 40 years. Doing what in the first 100 days? Repealing Right-to-Work!” Stevens proudly said.

Stevens then focused on the federal legislation that was recently passed, including the 2021 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and CHIPS and Science Act. “We are building chip factories with bricklayers,” she explained. “We are building this country and we need to prioritize our labor and union jobs.”

‘FISCAL RESPONSIBILITY ACT’ RAISES DEBT CEILING

On June 3, President Biden signed into law the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, averting a global economic disaster. The Act suspends the limit on federal debt through January 1, 2025, and makes a number of changes that affect federal spending and revenues.

Though some sacrifices were made to reach a compromise, President Biden prioritized union workers by ensuring that the pension protections and job-creating programs of the last Congress remained intact, while also improving the permitting process for future projects.

“We thank President Biden for his work to protect American workers from extreme attempts by MAGA politicians to destroy programs that allow Americans to prosper and that invest in our country’s future,” said BAC President Tim Driscoll.

US SENATE HELP COMMITTEE MOVES PRO ACT TO SENATE FLOOR

In June, the US Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor & Pensions (HELP) marked up the most significant set of labor law reforms in modern American history.

Among the three bills the Committee voted on is S. 567, the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2023 (PRO Act), which would make it easier for workers to join unions and successfully secure a first union contract.

The legislation passed the Committee without any amendments and moves to the full Senate for debate and voting.