The union today supported Michael Regan for the Environmental Protection Agency Administrator.
USW International President Tom Conway wrote to the U.S. Senate, "the USW looks forward to the EPA restoring worker protections and a stronger voice for workers on the job as the effects of climate change, disaster prevention, and workplace chemical exposures are addressed through policy making. EPA needs a leader who will bring a diverse group of stakeholders to the table on these issues, and we are confident that Regan can be that leader."
Here is the full text of the letter, which can be downloaded for printing here:
Via Email
February 4, 2021
U.S. Senate Washington, D.C. 20515
Dear Senator:
On behalf of the members of the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial and Service Workers International Union (USW), I write to you in support of the nomination of Michael Regan as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator.
Prior to his nomination, Regan had served as the environmental chief for the state of North Carolina where Governor Roy Cooper stated Regan was “a consensus builder and a fierce protector of the environment”.
The USW is North America’s largest industrial union, and the primary labor union in the steel, aluminum, rubber, glass, chemical, oil refining, paper, and other manufacturing sectors. Our union has a vital stake in the policies and processes of the EPA that affect the facilities where our members work across our nation. The USW believes Regan will carry out the mission of the EPA– to protect human health and the environment– and install the types of policies that put the protection of workers and communities first.
The USW looks forward to the EPA restoring worker protections and a stronger voice for workers on the job as the effects of climate change, disaster prevention, and workplace chemical exposures are addressed through policy making. EPA needs a leader who will bring a diverse group of stakeholders to the table on these issues, and we are confident that Regan can be that leader.
USW members’ health and lives are at greater risk each day they clock in at facilities that aren’t held to account to protect their workforce and the surrounding communities. We believe in a better tomorrow where workers have a stronger voice on the job, and we urge you to vote yes in confirming Michael Regan as the next EPA Administrator.
Sincerely,
Thomas Conway International President