International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers International President Kenneth W. Cooper issued the following statement on the announcement by President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris of their candidacies for re-election:
“The IBEW enthusiastically endorses President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for re-election in 2024. Together, they have led the most pro-union administration of our lifetimes and kept their promises to America’s working families. We are proud to stand with them in the critically important 2024 election.
“The IBEW represents approximately 775,000 active members and retirees who work in various fields, including utilities, construction, telecommunications, broadcasting, manufacturing, railroads and government. The IBEW is the most established and comprehensive energy union in the world dedicated to promoting members’ welfare, safe working conditions and interests, fighting for fair wages, and for the dignity and rights of all workers in America.
“When the IBEW endorsed candidate Joe Biden in 2019, it was because of his commitment to creating good union jobs, protecting secure retirements, addressing climate change responsibly and investing in American manufacturing. President Joe Biden has delivered on all of these pledges: promises made and promises kept.
“Throughout his first term, President Biden has been a steadfast ally of unions and American workers. I am confident that support will continue in his second term. The Biden-Harris administration has consistently advanced policies that empower workers, created opportunities for everyday people, and promoted the well-being of working families. As a direct result of these efforts, the Biden-Harris administration has overseen robust economic growth, increased worker wages and the lowest unemployment rate in 50 years.
“President Biden’s dedication to unionism has spurred tangible wins for IBEW that will lead to good union jobs and stronger communities for decades. Without President Biden and Vice President Harris, we simply would not have the pro-union, pro-worker policies included in the American Recovery Act, the Inflation Reduction Act, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, and the CHIPS and Science Act. Significantly, President Biden’s strong leadership saved IBEW pensions – a benefit every worker should enjoy – through the enactment of the Butch Lewis Emergency Pension Relief Act.
“Within the first week of taking office, President Biden and Vice President Harris began appointing into the administration union officials who have dedicated their lives to advancing the labor movement’s core principles and worker’s rights, including a card-carrying union member for Secretary of Labor and a chief counsel for the NLRB who supports collective bargaining.
“President Biden has issued executive orders to reverse policies that have eroded unionists’ strength for decades, including industry-recognized apprenticeship programs (IRAPs) and rules that gutted federal employees’ collective bargaining rights. And then the Biden-Harris Administration went on the offense: mandating project labor agreements (PLAs) on federal construction projects, establishing the first-ever White House Task Force on Worker Organizing and Empowerment, and ensuring that skilled American workers benefit from historic federal investments.
“President Biden has a proven record of fighting to strengthen labor laws and protecting workers’ rights to organize and collectively bargain, which has led to a resurgence in union membership and power of the labor movement.
“President Biden and Vice President Harris strongly support the enactment of the Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, a bill that will strengthen workers’ rights to bargain collectively, making it easier for workers to form and join unions, and provide protections to ensure workers are safe from intimidation and are appropriately classified as employees.
“In recognition of these accomplishments and their continued dedication to the welfare of the IBEW, unions and all American workers, the IBEW is proud to endorse President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris for re-election in 2024.
“And on behalf of the working men and women of the IBEW, I want to thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for all they have done over their first years in office to invest in every community and every worker across the country. The IBEW looks forward to working closely with the Biden-Harris Administration to continue building a more equitable and prosperous future for all Americans.”
