IFPTE Thanks Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Tonko for Standing Up for Local 147 Members and Good Union Jobs in the NY Capitol Region

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WASHINGTON, D.C.  – The executive officers of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), a labor union representing upwards of 90,000 professionals, applauded Senator and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), and Congressman Paul Tonko (D-NY) for sending a letter to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm regarding Fluor Marine Propulsion (FML), the Department of Energy’s contracted operator for Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory (KAPL) and employer of IFPTE Local 147 members. The letter asks Secretary Granholm to engage with FMP so that the union-represented work that has historically been based out of KAPL is not moved out of the union and out of the state.  IFPTE officers made the following remarks.

IFPTE President Matthew Biggs:

“Our union applauds Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congressman Tonko for standing up for IFPTE members working for Fluor Marine Propulsion at the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory and asking Energy Secretary Granholm to maintain these union jobs at KAPL in Schenectady, New York. Senators Schumer and Gillibrand and Representative Tonko know full well the importance of good union jobs at KAPL and the importance of this work to national security and the economic prosperity of the Capitol Region.

As their letter to the Energy Secretary points out, KAPL and the Naval Nuclear Laboratory is a government-owned contractor-operated facility and is 100% funded by the federal government. The work done by Local 147 members has always been located at KAPL and remained there when DOE awarded the government contract to a new contractor. For the government contractor to move union jobs that support the development of nuclear reactors and naval propulsion is not just unacceptable, but it’s contrary to President Biden’s commitment to leveraging the federal government’s spending power to support and empower workers and their unions. We look forward to making sure this work remains in the union and the door is open to working to improve the labor requirements and conditions of the next contract award for the Naval Nuclear Laboratory.”  

IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson:

“The level of support that IFPTE Local 147 members have received from their Congressional delegation goes to show how significant these jobs are, not just for IFPTE members, but for the Capitol Region of New York and for our country. We commend Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congressman Tonko for advocating on behalf of IFPTE members and their constituents who are facing the possibility of having their jobs move out of the state to out of the union.

This work has been historically performed by IFPTE members at the government-funded Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory across several changes to the contractor. Over time, that government contract has been strengthened and improved to recognize the importance of harmonious and productive labor relations and the continuity of services at this government-owned and funded lab that does critical work in support of naval reactor development and deployment. Unfortunately, the employer is falling short of the expectations that are set by the contract and by the Biden Administration’s commitment to worker organizing and empowerment. We’ll continue to engage with the administration, with Congress, and with the employer to stop union jobs from moving out of the state and the Local 147 bargaining unit.”

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 CLC. More information can be found at www.IFPTE.org.

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Download a PDF of this press release here.

Read the press release and letter from Sen. Schumer, Sen. Gillibrand, and Rep. Tonko here.