IBEW International President Kenneth W. Cooper issued this statement following Vice President Kamala Harris’s choice of Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate:
“Gov. Tim Walz has been a union member and understands working people and their struggles to his core. In Congress and as governor, he has been a steadfast ally of organized labor and the IBEW, and we could not be more pleased that Vice President Harris selected him as her running mate.
“In Minnesota, Gov. Walz has led one of the nation’s most pro-union, pro-worker state governments. His record of accomplishments on behalf of workers is long and cements his status as one of this nation’s greatest friends of unions and working families.
“As governor, he signed a bill into law that bans anti-union captive audience meetings, aggressively cracked down on wage theft, and allocated $24 million for job training and economic development programs, including millions specifically for good-paying union trade jobs in construction, clean energy and energy efficiency.
“He also passed the largest infrastructure law in Minnesota history, putting union members to work rebuilding the state’s roads, bridges, and water treatment plants.
“He established paid leave, ensured paid sick days, banned non-compete agreements, and increased protections for workers on construction sites, in Amazon warehouses, hospitals, nursing homes and public schools.
“Gov. Walz is a strong supporter of collective bargaining rights and has built a partnership with organized labor that is strengthening Minnesota’s middle class and getting results for communities across the state.
“By choosing Gov. Walz as her running mate, Kamala Harris proves that she is committed to continuing President Biden’s pro-union legacy, and the IBEW is committed to doing whatever we can to help them win this November.”
