Organized Labor

Building trades leaders gathered in Washington, DC for their annual legislative conference with one clear goal – good jobs, right now. In his keynote address, Building Trades Dept. President, Mark Ayers, noted that even though the building trades are facing the worst economic crisis in recent memory, things could have been much worse. He reminded the audience of several important contributions made by President Obama such as overturning a federal ban on project labor agreements and passing the economic stimulus package which still has money flowing to construction projects across the country.

Ayers also applauded the passage of the health care reform bill but acknowledged it did not go far enough.

“It is a huge step forward in controlling runaway health insurance costs, stopping cost-shifting to our plans, and providing a basic human right to over 30 million uninsured Americans,” Ayers said. “We will continue to push for employer mandates in the construction industry that level the playing field for small union employers—the life blood of our union and for a public option that will provide real competition to insurance companies.”

And with the health care debate behind us, Ayers urged President Obama to move forward with an economic agenda to get America working again.

“I’m talking about legislation that will create urgently-needed jobs for working families. For example, a balanced energy and climate bill that will generate tens of thousands of construction jobs for our members now and in the future,” said Ayers. ”Our unions are also working hard on several smaller – but vitally important jobs bills including legislation that contains extensions of our members’ benefits under COBRA, providing longer unemployment insurance coverage and helping spur highway and bridge projects. Jobs are neither Democratic nor Republican. They are American. American workers are not asking for handouts. The labor movement has always asserted that the most basic civil right of all Americans is their right to earn their own way.”

Vice President Joe Biden was one of the conference’s guest speakers. His presence was a strong show of support by the Obama White House for the building trades’ agenda.

“This White House is waging a war to get you back to where you belong,” the Vice President said. “Not just for your sake but for America’s sake, for the sake of the middle class. If you do not grow, the middle class will not grow. Without a growing middle class our ability to lead in the 21st Century is diminished. Your growth is America’s growth.” Biden reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to project labor agreements stating that they ensure that federal projects come in “on schedule and on budget.” He also said that the White House still stands behind the Employee Free Choice Act which would streamline the process by which workers join unions and would increase penalties on employers who illegally fire or harass workers for exercising their collective bargaining rights.