Focus on how local government and labor unions can partner to access investment in nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness
Topsfield, MA – Congressman Seth Moulton joined North Shore municipal leaders and Massachusetts Building Trades Unions on December 11 to discuss the historic labor standards used to determine eligibility for federal infrastructure funding, grants and clean energy upgrades.
“Organized labor didn’t just build the middle class, they built many of our roads, bridges, railways, and airports decades and decades ago. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act now afford us a once-in-a-generation opportunity not just to rebuild our infrastructure where it’s crumbling, but to build new and more sustainable systems that will take us into the future. The labor unions will be critical to this effort. Their success is Massachusetts’ success,” said Congressman Moulton.
“We had an extremely productive session in Topsfield with stakeholders from across the 6th District. I’m grateful for the partnership of the MBTU, and I hope that everyone who attended left the workshop with new ideas and knowledge of how to best access federal funds for projects that will bring more economic growth to the North Shore,” Congressman Moulton continued.
When President Biden signed the Infrastructure Jobs and Investment Act in 2021, it was hailed as a once-in-a-lifetime investment in our nation’s infrastructure and competitiveness. The bi-partisan deal pledged to rebuild America’s roads, bridges, and rail, but the bill goes even further. It expands access to clean drinking water, ensures every American has access to high-speed internet, tackles the climate crisis, advances environmental justice, and invests in communities that have too often been left behind.
“Elected officials at the municipal level need to ensure that infrastructure projects undertaken with funding from this legislation are properly awarded to contractors employing skilled, trained, union workers. This is the crucial step to guarantee the legislation’s goals of rebuilding America’s crumbling infrastructure and revitalizing local economies fairly and equitably,” said Frank Callahan, President of Massachusetts Building Trades Unions.
There are numerous criteria for how the federal government determines grant recipients and awards energy savings. Within these pieces of legislation, there are significant incentives tied to creation of good jobs through projects with commitments to strong labor standards and practices. Registered apprenticeships, joint labor-management training programs, certified payroll and the support of local labor organizations can help secure federal infrastructure funding for projects, while creating good jobs in our communities.
For more information: Federal DOT, Grant Application Checklist for a Strong Transportation Workforce and Labor Plan
