LAS VEGAS Reuters - United Steelworkers Union USW International President Thomas Conway said on Monday that the U.S. climate, tax and health bill will create new opportunities for U.S. companies and union members.
The biden administration's $430 billion bill will go to a Democratic Party controlled House of Representatives where it is expected to pass, according to the U.S. Senate.
The bill, called the Inflation Reduction Act, will provide opportunities for union workers and provide businesses with a long-term horizon to invest in new technologies.
Conway spoke to Reuters on the sidelines of the Steelworkers' constitutional convention in Las Vegas, which runs through Thursday. He said that the USW will add new organizers to develop recruitment campaigns in existing and new industries.
I'm going to let the work decide the size of it, as opportunities present themselves. He said that he is going to look at regions, and we're going to look at industries, and he said that he didn't want to break out of the split between old and new.
He said that the bill includes incentives for companies that include union workers, but the overwhelming focus is on boosting U.S. production and employment.
Conway said that the focus is on buy American, buy North American products. The opportunity for some of this stuff to fall to unionized shops, particularly in the mining sector if they write buy American legislation there, a requirement like that. The USW represents 850,000 workers in the metals, mining, pulp and paper, chemicals, energy producing, health care, education and other service industries.
We need copper, we need nickel. He said that you'll find a company that employs union miners whatever we can find here.