Two years ago, we formed the UA Political Engagement Committee (PEC) to directly engage members across the country in the political process. The PEC is made up of Business Managers, Business Agents, Journeymen and Journeywomen, and Apprentices from all of our trades. Over the last few months, the PEC met virtually to discuss the two candidates for President and whether the UA should endorse or remain neutral. The PEC came up with four critical policy areas to help guide our decision: union rights, infrastructure, energy, and retirement security.
Click here for the full criteria used to evaluate the candidates.
Let's be clear: there’s no perfect candidate for the UA. We’re not going to get someone in the White House who is with us on every single issue. But with Joe Biden in the White House we’ll have a President who has a long history of standing with the building trades, and we’ll have a seat at the table when important policy decisions are made.
Here are some of the most important factors that went into this decision:
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Vice President Biden has made strong commitments to an all-of-the-above energy approach, including investments in nuclear and natural gas. Under Obama-Biden, our country finally became energy independent. During the first Presidential debate Biden also said, "I don't support the Green New Deal." Biden has stated publicly that “fracking is not going to be on the chopping block" and that he will "not ban fracking, no matter how many times Trump lies about it." Biden also has the track record to back it up: as our country neared a depression in 2008, the Obama-Biden Administration relied on UA members and fracking to literally save our economy.
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President Trump has led a systematic attack on union rights, threatening our very existence as a union. His Labor Secretary, Eugene Scalia, built his career representing corporations and is now leading the attack on our apprenticeship programs by creating so-called Industry Regulated Apprenticeship Programs (IRAPs). We’ve already had to mobilize once to beat back IRAPs in the construction industry, but the Trump Administration is poised to dismantle our ability to fight for fair wages and benefits if given another term.
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President Trump failed to keep his promise to deliver on a massive infrastructure package that would put UA members to work. Instead, he’s privatized construction projects and cut funding for infrastructure critical to UA jobs. Vice President Biden has a $1.3 trillion infrastructure proposal that will include prevailing wage and project labor agreements (PLAs), meaning our members will win more work and earn more money.
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President Trump has failed to take action to protect our hard-earned retirements, refusing to implement the reforms needed to help stabilize the system. Instead, he’s helped Wall Street get richer on the backs of working families by loosening regulations that protect our pensions and retirement investments.
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Vice President Biden has a long history of standing with working families not just in Washington, but on the line, too. Biden joined striking UA members on the jobsite in Delaware and helped stop management from breaking up our project and arresting our members, even when they called in the State Troopers to try to force our hand. As President, he’ll keep that same commitment and appoint labor-friendly judges and regulators to ensure pro-UA policies and to make sure the federal government works for us – not against us.
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Vice President Biden has stated a commitment to providing much-needed relief for multiemployer pension plans from day one of his presidency. As Senator, Biden voted against raising the Medicare eligibility age and fought against efforts to tax employer contributions for health insurance and pension plans.
Remember, vote like your jobs are on the line this fall – because they are.
