#NABTU

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

April 24, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

APR 25, 2024

This morning, President Joe Biden signed into law the $95 billion national security supplemental bill providing military aid to Ukraine, Israel, and the Indo-Pacific, as well as humanitarian aid to Gaza and other peoples suffering humanitarian crises. The Pentagon immediately sent about a billion dollars worth of ammunition, air defense munitions, and artillery rounds, as well as weapons and armored vehicles to Ukraine. The U.S. Department of Defense had moved supplies into Poland and Germany in hopes that the measure would pass; they should move into Ukraine soon. 

The Pentagon also said today that in mid-March it provided Ukraine Army Tactical Missile Systems, or ATACMS, with a range of 185 miles (300 kilometers), twice that of previous weapons sent by the U.S. 

For many months, Ukraine has been desperately short of supplies, especially ammunition, and its war effort has suffered as it waited for the reinforcements that are finally on their way. 

In a speech after signing the law, Biden explained that the U.S. would send equipment to Ukraine from its own stockpiles and then “replenish those stockpiles with new products made by American companies here in America: Patriot missiles made in Arizona, Javelins made in Alabama, artillery shells made in Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Texas. In other words, we’re helping Ukraine while at the same time investing in our own industrial base, strengthening our own national security, and supporting jobs in nearly 40 states all across America.” 

Biden emphasized that the law is “going to make America safer. It’s going to make the world safer. And it continues America’s leadership in the world, and everyone knows it.” But he called out that border security was missing from the bill, and he promised to bring that measure back. 

Biden made it a point “to thank everyone in Congress who made it possible, especially the bipartisan leadership: Speaker of the House, Mike Johnson; Leader Jeffries; Leaders Schumer and McConnell. They don’t always agree, but when it matters most, they stepped up and did the right thing. And I mean this sincerely, history will remember this time.” 

“We don’t walk away from our allies; we stand with them. We don’t let tyrants win; we oppose them. We don’t merely watch global events unfold; we shape them. That’s what it means to be the…indispensable nation. That’s what it means to be the world’s superpower and the world’s leading democracy. Some of our MAGA Republican friends reject that vision,” he said, “but this vote makes it clear: There is a bipartisan consensus for that kind of American leadership. That’s exactly what we’ll continue to deliver.” 

This morning, Arlette Saenz of CNN reported on the six months of behind-the-scenes negotiating Biden and his team engaged in to get House speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) behind Ukraine aid. Meetings, phone calls, defense briefings, and so on, laid out for Johnson just what abandoning Ukraine would mean for U.S. and global security. 

Biden urged his team to stay in close contact with Johnson, as well as House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), and Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), but to avoid attacking Johnson in order to allow room to move discussions forward. 

Counselor to the president Steve Ricchetti, a key negotiator, told Saenz: “He just kept saying, ‘Keep talking. Keep working.’ You know, keep finding ways to resolve differences. And that was his direction.”

Biden’s focus on the slow, steady work of governance is a change from the actions of Republican leaders since 1981 whose goal was not to build up successful programs that helped Americans in general, but rather to slash the government. Killing programs requires only saying no to other people’s ideas and riling up voters to endorse that anti-government program by flame-throwing on right-wing media. 

Over the years, it seems we have become accustomed to the idea that flame-throwing defines politics, but in fact, Biden’s reliance on slow, careful negotiation harks back to the eras when leaders sought to build coalitions and find common ground in order to pass legislation.   

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) acknowledged the power of Biden’s approach today when it endorsed Biden for president in 2024. The union’s president, Sean McGarvey,  noted that Trump had promised to protect pensions and to pass infrastructure laws that would help employment in the building trades, but did neither. In contrast, Biden worked to pass the American Rescue Plan, which protected pensions, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which McGarvey said “have brought life-changing, opportunity-creating, generational change focused on the working men and women of this great country who have for far too long been clamoring for a leader to finally keep their word.”

In an ad, McGarvey said: “Donald Trump is incapable of running anything, let alone the most powerful country in the history of the world.”

The NABTU has 3 million members across the country and has committed to investing heavily to organize workers to vote for Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in the battleground states of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Wisconsin, where about 250,000 of their members live.

Trump has other problems today, as well, after an Arizona grand jury yesterday indicted 11 of the fake electors in that state with conspiracy, fraudulent schemes and artifices, fraudulent schemes and practices, and forgery for their attempt to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election. 

Those charged included state senators Jake Hoffman and Anthony Kern, former Arizona Republican Party chair Kelli Ward, and Tyler Bowyer of the right-wing advocacy organization Turning Points Action. The indictment lists seven other co-conspirators, who are not yet named but who appear from descriptions to include Trump lawyers Rudy Giuliani, John Eastman, Christina Bobb, Boris Epshteyn, and Jenna Ellis; Trump campaign operative Mike Roman; and Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows. Bobb is now senior counsel for “election integrity” for the Republican National Committee.

Trump is listed as an unindicted co-conspirator.   

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[originalleftist]

North American Building Trades Union Endorses Joe Biden.

Makes sense, given how many construction workers his opponent is known to have ripped off. And how much Biden has done for workers as president.

This is a big deal- as the article notes, the Union has a quarter of a million members across Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania, all key swing states. Clinton's narrow (tens of thousands of votes) loss in those three states made Trump president. Biden's win in them secured his presidency, along with his victories in Arizona and Georgia.

[rhpotter]

'Over the years, it seems we have become accustomed to the idea that flame-throwing defines politics, but in fact, Biden’s reliance on slow, careful negotiation harks back to the eras when leaders sought to build coalitions and find common ground in order to pass legislation.

North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) acknowledged the power of Biden’s approach today when it endorsed Biden for president in 2024. The union’s president, Sean McGarvey,  noted that Trump had promised to protect pensions and to pass infrastructure laws that would help employment in the building trades, but did neither. In contrast, Biden worked to pass the American Rescue Plan, which protected pensions, and the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, the Chips and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act, which McGarvey said “have brought life-changing, opportunity-creating, generational change focused on the working men and women of this great country who have for far too long been clamoring for a leader to finally keep their word.”

[coochiequeens]

Unionize

On this day, Feb. 12, we recognize “Union Women’s Equal Pay Day,” an important reminder of how empowering more women to form and join unions can advance pay equity for women.

Since 1996, advocates for pay equity for women have observed National Equal Pay Day to spotlight the persistent gender wage gap in America and why fairness demands it be closed. On average, a woman working full-time, year-round in the U.S. must work until March 14 to earn what a man earned the prior year.

How do unions make a difference? Let some facts do the talking. On average, workers represented by unions earn more than those working in non-union jobs, and union men and women also have more equitable wages compared to each other. Today, 6.5 million women are union members and make up 47 percent of all workers unions represent.

Union representation also has reduced the gender and racial wage gap by nearly 43 percent, compared to the wage gap non-union women face. The narrower these gaps, the greater the wages earned by union women over the course of their careers. Over time, they’ve earned hundreds of thousands of additional dollars and enjoyed greater economic security.

Data clearly show that a woman with a union behind her makes 22 percent more, on average, than a woman fending for herself. Union membership can help ensure pay transparency and equity, and access to benefits such as paid sick days, health insurance, free legal services, professional training and pensions, come with the job.

By electing their leaders, union members democratically choose the people who negotiate their contracts and pave the way for regular wage increases, better job security and ways to address workplace grievances, discrimination and other concerns. They also feel empowered to speak out about pay discrepancies, sexual harassment and safety issues.

Unions empower workers, particularly women and women of color, as they drive organizing campaigns in new areas of our economy. They are leading historic campaigns across the nation: from coffee shops to airports and high-tech to hospitality, women are among the nation’s most determined and successful organizers.

In addition to these victories, unions are working to overcome the single largest measurable cause of the wage gaps: the differences in the jobs people hold. Too often, women and people of color are shut out of high-paying opportunities. Unions help level the playing field by ensuring that workers are not paid less, or excluded from promotions or advancement, simply because of their gender, race or ethnicity.

Unprecedented levels of federal investment through the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act will directly create good middle-class jobs that many workers urgently need, especially for women and people of color who are vastly underrepresented in industries such as manufacturing and construction.

Diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility are central to the Department of Labor’s and the AFL-CIO’s efforts to create good jobs in the U.S. as federal infrastructure investments arrive in our communities. North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) released their “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiatives in the Construction Trades” report on Jan. 17, 2023, which finds that union programs are far more effective at recruiting and training more women and racially diverse groups into the construction industry.

Working with the departments of Transportation, Commerce and Energy, we are determined to make sure the Biden administration’s investments produce good-quality jobs with access to paid family and medical leave, the free and fair choice of a union, paid sick days, health care, supportive services, and freedom from gender-based violence and harassment.

So, join us to mark Union Women’s Equal Pay Day and remember how unions are fighting for justice for all workers, and why we need to change history so that women are paid their full and fair wages each and every day.

Wendy Chun-Hoon is director of the U.S. Department of Labor’s Women’s Bureau. Liz Shuler is the president of the AFL-CIO.

[innermindcommunication]

Biden NABTU Speech

[gtacondomart]

U.S. Spotlight: Detroit’s PBS move making headlines; NABTU endorses Biden; U.S. employment rises in March

http://dlvr.it/T6TgWX

[iowafed]

AFL-CIO Daily Briefs: Shuler, NABTU; CWA; LiUNA; UNITE HERE and Union Plus

Message from President Liz Shuler Sen. John Fetterman (Pa.) announced on Thursday he is seeking in-patient care for clinical depression. We send our support and solidarity to the senator and are glad he’s getting the help he needs to deal with this serious illness. The senator’s announcement was also important because it helps destigmatize the need to receive health care, sometimes intensive,…

[alfredstatecd]

Thank you @timrecruit669 Posted @withregram • @timrecruit669 Great afternoon at Alfred State with Career Services Director and friend, Elaine Morsman. Alfred State is one of the Top Schools in the Country with incredible Technical Programs that lead to Union Apprenticeship Programs. #AlfredState #pioneers #LOCAL669 #UA #NABTU #5YEARAPPRENTICESHIP #essentialwork #REGISTEREDAPPRENTICESHIP #LIVINGWAGE #buildbackbetter (at Alfred State College) https://www.instagram.com/p/CUdWwSgLRrL/?utm_medium=tumblr

[crudeoilbrokers]

API and NABTU Urge Senate Action on NAC https://crudeoilbrokers.blogspot.com/2020/11/api-and-nabtu-urge-senate-action-on-nac.html

[crudeoilfacilitators]

Ørsted Pens Offshore Wind Workforce Deal with NABTU https://crudeoilfacilitators.blogspot.com/2020/11/rsted-pens-offshore-wind-workforce-deal.html

[alexalbert-blog-blog]

Biden to push new regional economic agenda, migration plan at Americas summit -officials By Reuters

Biden to push new regional economic agenda, migration plan at Americas summit -officials By Reuters

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Joe Biden addresses the North America’s Building Trades Unions (NABTU) Legislative Conference in Washington, U.S., Aprl 6, 2022. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque By Matt Spetalnick WASHINGTON (Reuters) -President Joe Biden will seek regional consensus on a new economic agenda to build on existing trade agreements with Latin America and present a plan to tackle…

[theyoungturks]

President Joe Biden surprised many on the Left by voicing his support for unionizing Amazon workers in a recent speech. However, the support wasn’t long-lived as Jen Psaki promptly shot down the administration’s praise after receiving complaints from a former Obama administration communications director. Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian discuss on The Young Turks. Watch LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. http://youtube.com/theyoungturks/live Read more HERE: https://www.commondreams.org/news/2022/04/06/say-it-pride-pushback-after-psaki-walks-back-biden-amazon-union-remarks "Sen. Bernie Sanders and other progressives on Wednesday applauded President Joe Biden's words of support for Amazon workers—and rejected the White House's attempt to temper the president's statement, calling on the administration to proudly and unequivocally align itself with pro-worker efforts. In a speech to the North America's Building Trades Unions (NABTU), Biden spoke about the creation of the White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, which is "dedicated to mobilizing the federal government's policies, programs, and practices to empower workers to organize and successfully bargain with their employers." "Unions are about providing dignity and respect. That's why I created the White House task force to make sure the choice belongs to workers alone," Biden said before smiling and adding. "And by the way, Amazon, here we come. Watch. Watch.”" *** The largest online progressive news show in the world. Hosted by Cenk Uygur and Ana Kasparian. LIVE weekdays 6-8 pm ET. Help support our mission and get perks. Membership protects TYT's independence from corporate ownership and allows us to provide free live shows that speak truth to power for people around the world. See Perks: ▶ https://www.youtube.com/TheYoungTurks/join SUBSCRIBE on YOUTUBE: ☞ http://www.youtube.com/subscription_center?add_user=theyoungturks FACEBOOK: ☞ http://www.facebook.com/TheYoungTurks TWITTER: ☞ http://www.twitter.com/TheYoungTurks INSTAGRAM: ☞ http://www.instagram.com/TheYoungTurks TWITCH: ☞ http://www.twitch.com/tyt 👕 Merch: http://shoptyt.com ❤ Donate: http://www.tyt.com/go 🔗 Website: https://www.tyt.com 📱App: http://www.tyt.com/app 📬 Newsletters: https://www.tyt.com/newsletters/ If you want to watch more videos from TYT, consider subscribing to other channels in our network: The Damage Report ▶ https://www.youtube.com/thedamagereport TYT Sports ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytsports The Conversation ▶ https://www.youtube.com/tytconversation Rebel HQ ▶ https://www.youtube.com/rebelhq TYT Investigates ▶ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwNJt9PYyN1uyw2XhNIQMMA #TYT #TheYoungTurks #BreakingNews 220407__TA02_Watch_Biden by The Young Turks

[justiceheartwatcher]

Biden- "If I Gotta Go to War, I'm Going with You Guys - I Mean It!" (VIDEO)

[gtacondomart]

NABTU endorses Biden re-election

http://dlvr.it/T6GMlJ

[iowafed]

AFL-CIO Daily Briefs: Shuler; MLK Conference; NABTU; RWDSU-UFCW;WGAE and SAG-AFTRA

AFL-CIO Daily Briefs: Shuler; MLK Conference; NABTU; RWDSU-UFCW;WGAE and SAG-AFTRA

Message from President Liz Shuler: Working People Key in Driving Midterm Wins—and We’re Just Getting Started As we look at the midterm election results as they stand today, it’s clear that conventional wisdom was wrong. Why is that? As with any election, there’s no one explanation. But a key storyline that remains largely untold is the role working people played in securing these…