The Utility Workers Union of America (UWUA) recently endorsed Joe Biden for president, citing the vice president’s pro-worker values, commonsense leadership and decades-spanning career fighting for working families.
“Vice President Biden has demonstrated an unwavering commitment to organized labor and the issues our members care about most,” said UWUA President James Slevin. “We’re confident he’ll continue to be a powerful ally in the White House who will work with us to strengthen workplace safety protections, fight for organizing and collective bargaining rights and grow the economy.”
The UWUA spent several months closely examining the candidate’s respective records on labor law, worker health and safety, “right-to-work,” energy policy and more. UWUA’s executive board concluded Vice President Biden’s vision and leadership on these issues will put America on the right track. The board voted unanimously to endorse.
“This is not a decision we took lightly,” said Slevin. “We recognize some of our members will not agree with this endorsement, however, UWUA’s officers and executive board feel this is the right choice for this moment in our history. The current administration’s divisive politics endanger our members, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, and undermine our ability to collectively bargain and organize,” Slevin continued. “It’s time we put someone back in the White House who is devoted to creating high-quality, good-paying jobs, who supports working families and also protects the health of our communities. We know Vice President Biden is the right individual for the job and we’ll be working hard to elect him on November 3, 2020.”
Vice President Biden’s strong support of the Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act), his technology neutral approach to crafting climate policy and his deep commitment to civil rights, specifically resonated with the UWUA. The PRO Act, which passed the House of Representatives in 2019, would be the most sweeping labor law reform in 85 years, and would make it easier to form a union.
Here’s Why…
Labor Law
- For decades, Biden has supported the rights of workers to form and join unions. He supports legislation which would make it easier to form a union.
- Over the past three years, Trump administration policies overwhelmingly favored billionaire CEOs, not working families.
- The Trump administration undermined workplace safety, reducing the number of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors.
- Just days after his inauguration President Trump announced his support for “right-to-work” legislation.
Energy Policy
- Biden’s climate and jobs plan makes sweeping investments to critical infrastructure that are good for communities and good for the utility sector workforce.
- Biden’s all-of-the-above energy policy supports nuclear technology, power plant retrofits, carbon and methane capture, and more.
- Despite President Trump’s promise to bring back coal power, more coal-fired power plants closed during his first two years in office than during President Obama’s first four years in office.
Worker Health and Safety
- The Obama-Biden Administration strengthened health and safety standards including a rule for protective equipment in electric power generation.
- President Trump on the other hand, rolled back, repealed and weakened dozens of workplace protections.
- President Trump’s indiscriminate approach to regulations repealed rules that have a direct benefit to worker safety and health.
Workforce Training and Development
- Vice President Biden supports a $50 billion investment in proven-effective workforce training programs, including union apprenticeship programs.
- The Trump administration’s industry-only training program would jeopardize worker health and safety, especially those in safety sensitive industries.
Civil Rights
- Vice President Biden stands against discrimination and harassment.
- The Biden campaign supports fighting for workers by taking bold action to address discrimination and harassment in the workplace.
- Time and again President Trump’s divisive leadership and strident rhetoric demean individuals based on race, gender, color, ethnicity, national origin and religion.
- President Trump’s actions and behavior have led directly to the racial strife that we have seen play out with tragic consequences in the past months.