Contact: R.J. Hufnagel, (412) 562-2450, rhufnagel@usw.org
(Pittsburgh) – USW International President Tom Conway released the following statement in advance of President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address tonight:
“In President Biden’s first two years in office, he demonstrated time and again his deep commitment to building an economy that puts working families first, and his accomplishments so far have reflected that dedication. Tonight, we look forward to hearing the president lay out his plan for the next two years, in which we can work together to build on this progress.
“The president fought for a series of legislative victories – including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act – that led to the creation of more than 11 million jobs, ushered in historically low unemployment rates, and began to rebuild our nation’s infrastructure and supply chains using materials made by American workers.
“Those historic victories will ensure good-paying jobs for millions of American families for a generation. Now, however, President Biden is facing two years with an anti-worker majority in the House of Representatives whose leaders are threatening to drive our growing economy off a cliff in an effort to advance an extreme agenda.
“This far-right agenda could threaten the future of programs like Social Security and Medicare, putting at risk the secure retirements that millions of American workers have earned with their hard work and sacrifice.
“As discussions about the debt ceiling continue, the USW is committed to working with the White House and other pro-worker leaders in Washington, D.C., to ensure that any agreement on spending does not include concessions that would imperil the future of these programs.
“In the past two years, Americans have seen the most pro-worker president of our lifetimes fight, and win, countless times on our behalf. Tonight, as we turn our attention to the future, we are determined to build on the progress we’ve made and to keep fighting for an economy that puts workers first.”
The USW represents 850,000 workers employed in metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in health care, public sector, higher education, tech and service occupations.