The budget reconciliation bill that Congress will be voting on is terrible in so many different ways, but it is especially harmful to working-class people. Worse still, the legislation would be disastrous for current and future UWUA members in countless ways.
As members of the labor movement, we hold access to good health insurance coverage close to our hearts. According to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, at least 13.7 million people would lose health coverage and become uninsured if the reconciliation bill moves forward in its current form. Health care for chronic conditions and preventive care will disappear for millions of people, including our most vulnerable citizens.
There is something incredibly wrong and unjust about the fact that the legislation eliminates tax cuts for middle-income Americans, while at the same time lowering taxes for millionaires and wealthy Americans. My blood boils at the thought, because middle-income Americans who make up a large part of the working class work incredibly hard. If we’re going to give anyone a big tax break, it should be working families.
As individuals who are highly invested in our utility infrastructure and also as utility customers, the stakes for what’s included or not in the budget reconciliation package are high. Repealing existing energy tax credits would make already high energy bills spike higher. For our employers, removing these tax credits would make planning for investments challenging in an already volatile and inflation-exposed market.
All utility customers will pay higher bills. Customers in California, Oregon and Washington will see utility bills increase by over $800 by 2035. It’s even possible that utilities, caught between rising supply chain costs, reduced government support, and state utility commissions reluctant to pass those expenses on to ratepayers, may come to our bargaining tables looking for cuts in workforce costs.
We’re also concerned that evolving energy technologies such as hydrogen that hold a lot of potential to put more members to work and keep our members on the job could be in question should support in the tax code go away.
Consideration of the budget reconciliation bill is a work in progress. This legislation rests on shifting political ground that moves on a daily and weekly basis. But make no mistake, this legislation exists on a spectrum that ranges from terrible to catastrophic for working families, and the impacts will be far-reaching for decades to come. If it passes and is signed by the president, it will take us down a path of profound economic uncertainty.
Today it’s as important as ever to engage with our elected officials, both Democrats and Republicans, and share our insights and experiences on all the ways that federal policy choices can harm our jobs and our families.
Your participation in UWUA’s Committee on Political Education or COPE fund is essential to help us advocate against these and other harmful policies that may be developed in the near future. In case you weren’t aware, the UWUA COPE fund supports candidates who promote the principles and values of working families on issues such as organizing, safety, worker rights, energy policy and infrastructure investment.
To carry out this important advocacy work, we ask that members contribute just one dollar per week to our COPE fund. In order to establish your COPE fund distribution, increase your current contribution or learn more about COPE, reach out to your local union’s president or to the National office at (202) 899-2851. It’s worth noting COPE contributions are not co-mingled with UWUA dues or our general fund. Political contributions are always one hundred percent voluntary and do not involve the use of dues money.
The COPE fund is non-partisan when it comes to politics, and very partisan when it comes to the interests of our members, their families, and communities. Your COPE contributions help us to engage with lawmakers at a deeper level and have conversations with lawmakers and their staff that help them understand our perspectives.
We must not succumb to the temptation to feel helpless, overwhelmed or that our voices will not be heard. We will always put our full effort into advocating for your interests. Nothing is more important. We’re ready to take it to the mat — whether it’s at the bargaining table or before Congress — every single day for you.