Rebuild Our Union and Our Industry

As we go to print for this Journal, we see an upturn in work across the U.S. and Canada. This is providing opportunities for work for many members, and in some cases, an opportunity for former members who left during the downturn to come BACk home to their union. This has helped us to grow modestly, but there is much more to be done. The law of supply and demand is real. If you know former members who are working outside of covered employment, please talk to them about the benefits of rejoining our union. If you know non-union contractors, talk to your Local Representative or Business Agent about organizing these companies, as work will only remain steady if we have a growing number of signatory contractors (demand) who will hire our members (supply).

Throughout the year, we have been in contact with thousands of members, in an effort to develop the agenda we will push with the new President of the United States in January. Throughout these conversations, we hear from members that Jobs, the Economy and Healthcare are your three top issues.

As you know, our work is dependent on an economy that is still recovering from the worst recession since the great depression. With the economy off balance, we need leadership at every level of government who will push for work that can sustain a family. There's too much wealth in too few hands, and we need leaders who will fight to hold corporate CEOs accountable, and bring the economy back into balance.

As for healthcare, we know there is a long way to go before we have a system that works for all of us. When work is slow, members struggle to get covered. That is why we are so glad that the Affordable Care Act provides members with another way to access quality healthcare. While the law is not ideal, for some it is all they have. And it is easy to say that it is much better than facing illness without no coverage at all and the possible financial ruin that can result. 

Each of these three key issues is sure to be impacted by the outcome of this year's Presidential election. For this election we have clear choices on the issues that matter.

• Hillary Clinton is a strong advocate for union jobs, committing to the largest infrastructure investment in decades within the first 100 days in office. On the other hand, Donald Trump said that American wages are too high. Surely he's not talking about his own millions, earned off the backs of workers he's refused to negotiate with, or the contractors he's refused to pay.
• On the economy, Hillary Clinton believes that unions are critical to providing safe, good-paying jobs for workers so they can provide for their families. On the other hand, Trump's position on building with union labor is "If I had my choice...I think I'd take [building properties] without." 
• On Healthcare, Hillary Clinton has been a staunch supporter of making healthcare affordable for all families, and on the other hand we have a candidate who revoked medical coverage for his own nephew saying that he "was angry..." If he would deny medical care to his own family because of spite, how can we trust him to make good decisions on behalf of the country?

Several other important matters will depend on the outcome of this election, including the fate of the new Silica Standard (see page 27). The Standard has already been challenged in the courts by contractor groups and right wing lobbyists who see regulation as an impediment to their primary goal: amassing wealth for their clients, no matter the cost to human life.

The presidential race isn't the only one that matters; there are many congressional races and several governors' seats that we're going to need to hold if we want to be able to continue to support our families. 

I know you'll consider all of the facts before casting your ballots this November, and I urge you to join me in supporting candidates who support working people.