IFPTE Applauds Inclusion of Key Union Priorities in Water Resources Development Act of 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
WASHINGTON, DC – The executive officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE) commented on provisions in the Thomas R. Carper Water Resources Development Act of 2024 (WRDA), which was passed by the Senate and the House with overwhelming bipartisan support.
The WRDA bill includes hard-fought wins for IFPTE members, including language that provides Congressional oversight before the U.S. Army Corps of Engineer (USACE) implements remote operations on locks and dams and hydroelectric dams and robust funding for our nation’s inland waterways through a permanent 75% federal-25% trust fund cost-share adjustment for construction and major rehabilitation projects. IFPTE is concerned about the inclusion of language that creates inflexible, inefficient, arbitrary processes for reducing federal building space that may result in strategic management of federal facilities.
IFPTE President Matthew Biggs:
“IFPTE is proud of our rank-and-file union leaders and members who brought their expertise to Congressional lawmakers and advocated for much-needed transparency, accountability, and engagement around major changes to how the Army Corps operates locks and dams and hydroelectric dams. The federal employees who work on these critical infrastructure sites are dedicated to safe, reliable, and cost-efficient operations so our nation’s commodities, supply chains, and exports move unimpeded through the heartland of America, and USACE hydropower dams contribute to our power grid. We thank the Members of Congress, the Committees of jurisdiction, and their staff who talked to us and understood that our concerns were also shared by other industry stakeholders, constituents, and workers who work on the inland waterways.
We note with concern the inclusion of the USE IT Act, which was not in the House nor the Senate WRDA text. The top-down “one-size-fits-all” provisions in this section create an arbitrary occupancy threshold for federal office buildings and may force divestment of federal building space without consideration of efficiency, cost-effectiveness, or timing. We will be vigilant in continuing to inform Congress about the counterproductive and wasteful application of this provision.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson:
“We applaud the leadership of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee for making sure the perspective of stakeholders and the workforce is reflected in WRDA and for updating the funding formula for supporting inland waterways infrastructure. We are proud of our work with our coalition partners in labor, including the AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department and our industry partners, who are under the umbrella of the Waterways Council. Our joint efforts resulted in bipartisan language that supports the safe operation of locks and dams and hydroelectric dams protected from cybersecurity and physical security threats. Our members look forward to continuing our work with Congressional offices as Congress provides the accountability and oversight we asked for over the operation of USACE lock and dam and hydroelectric dams.”
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Across the United States and Canada, IFPTE represents 90,000 highly skilled workers in the federal, public, and private sectors. IFPTE is an affiliate of the AFL-CIO and the Canadian Labour Congress.