Union points to private sector labor law reform as urgent need for working families
WASHINGTON, DC – The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), an AFL-CIO affiliated labor union representing public, private, and federal sector workers, has given their endorsement to Joe Biden for President of the United States. The IFPTE Executive Council voted with overwhelming support to endorse the former Vice President.
In response to today’s action, the following statements were issued by IFPTE’s Executive Officers:
IFPTE President Paul Shearon:
“As the President of IFPTE, I am proud to announce our union’s enthusiastic support for Vice President Biden. There is no doubt that he is the right person at the right time to lead our nation during such a pivotal period in our nation’s history. With unemployment numbers at Depression era levels, an economy that is reeling, and a current Administration that has not only failed miserably to prepare our nation for this pandemic, but has also spent the better part of the last three and a half years dismantling worker safety rules and collective bargaining rights, Vice President Biden will certainly have a huge task ahead of him in returning our economy to one that not only benefits Wall Street, but also workers. However, with his successful leadership of the Obama Administration’s Middle-Class Task Force and his long history of fighting for working families and their unions, Vice President Biden is exactly the right person for the job.”
“Also of critical importance to IFPTE is the enactment of true labor law reform, which Vice President Biden strongly supports. Companies in this country have free rein to intimidate and threaten workers—with little or no repercussions—when workers attempt to form a union. Workers attempting to form a union at Southern California Edison just experienced such intimidation when corporate management spent millions to deny them their right to have a union. The PRO Act, which the Vice President fully supports and has committed to make a top priority in his administration, will add fairness to this process for workers by shortening the time between when cards are filed and when workers vote, provide steep penalties to employers who intimidate workers, and provide other measures which will allow workers an unfettered decision as to whether or not they want a union.”
“At the end of the day, IFPTE believes that Vice President Biden will do what he has done his entire career in elected office – put workers first. We are proud to support him.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer/Legislative Director Matt Biggs:
“Given Vice President Biden’s long history of supporting IFPTE members, our union is proud to endorse his candidacy. IFPTE Locals across sectors, particularly our federal sector Locals led by IFPTE Local 3, have had an open-door policy with his office for many, many years. As both a Senator and Vice President, he has stepped up to the plate on IFPTE’s specific concerns, including being a leading voice in repealing the union busting National Security Personnel System, passing strong and much needed private sector labor law reform legislation, and protecting worker collective bargaining rights and retirement security, as well as individual IFPTE member concerns that we brought to his attention. There is no doubt that as President he will waste no time in repealing the current Administration’s destructive and draconian executive orders aimed squarely at eliminating collective bargaining rights and due process worker protections for federal workers. IFPTE looks forward to working with him over the next several months of this campaign and as he enters the White House next year.”
IFPTE is an AFL-CIO and Canadian Labour Congress (CLC) affiliated labor union representing upwards of 85,000 workers in professional, technical, administrative, and associated occupations in the federal, public, and private sectors.
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Contact:
Candace Rhett
202/239-4895