IFPTE ACE Council Leaders, International Meet on Corps Remote Operations Efforts

IFPTE Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) Council president/IFPTE Local 97 president, Thomas Topi, along with IFPTE Local 259 president, Eric Kersey, IFPTE Local 852 president, Jon Michel, and IFPTE Local 561’s Michael Arendt, joined IFPTE legislative director, Faraz Khan, and international officers, for a Zoom meeting last week to strategize around IFPTE’s continued legislative efforts to counter the Corps efforts to implement remote operations at our U.S. federal locks and dams. 

The meeting took place after IFPTE-backed language to mitigate the remote operations was included in the House-passed Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) bill (Section 136 of HR 8812), and as Senate and House WRDA authorizers plan to meet over the summer recess to discuss a final WRDA bill.  The group discussed strategy around continued Local and International coordination, including member mobilization and engagement with key lawmakers throughout August and into the Fall. ACE Council Vice President/IFPTE Local 777 Vice President, David Wisniewski, who was unable to attend the meeting, also works closely with the larger ACE Council and the International on this issue.  

More meetings on this issue are expected in the coming weeks.   See IFPTE’s latest update on the issue here.