Operating Engineer - Summer 2014

Works Committee Chairman Barbara
Boxer’s (D-CA) amendment to the
legislation to extend the law only until
the end of the current year, helping
to provide urgency to the Congress to
enact a long-term bill during the lameduck
session after the November 4
elections.
IUOE General President Callahan
said, “We’re pleased that Congress took
the minimum step necessary to avoid a
disaster. But we can’t keep limping from
crisis to crisis. It’s time for Congress
to do its job and enact a long-term
transportation bill.”
The highway and transit program is
the biggest infrastructure program the
federal government administers. It is a
key job-creating engine for Operating
Engineers and the American economy
overall. The Highway Trust Fund
constitutes about 52% of all funding for
the building and repair of the nation’s
roads, bridges and highways.
The short-term patch, H.R. 5021,
was passed by both the House and
Senate with huge bipartisan majorities,
demonstrating that the highway and
transit program enjoys broad support
on both sides of the political aisle. But
lawmakers in both parties have failed to
show the leadership necessary to raise
user fees and provide stable funding
sources to keep the Fund solvent for the
long-term.
Our transportation network is the
foundation on which the nation’s
economy functions. American
manufacturers, industries and
businesses depend on this complex
system to move people, products
and services every day of the year.
The U.S. economy requires a surface
transportation infrastructure network
that can keep pace with growing
demands. A long-term federal
commitment to prioritize and invest
in our aging infrastructure and safety
needs is essential to achieve this goal.
As the World Economic Forum noted
in its 2013-2014 Global Competitiveness
Report, infrastructure connects regions,
integrates markets and provides access
to markets and services. While its latest
report places the U.S. economy fifth in
its “Global Competitiveness Index,”
America’s infrastructure network now
ranks 15th globally.
State transportation planners,
the construction industry and labor
unions have joined together in urging
Congress to enact a multi-year surface
transportation reauthorization bill this
year. Only through long-term planning
and multi-year investments in projects
will the United States once again take
the lead in transportation infrastructure.
Simply put, the American economy
is losing ground in relation to other
countries as they invest in infrastructure
at much higher rates than the United
States. Moving freight and people
efficiently and effectively through the
nation’s transportation network is one
of the best indicators of a country’s
global competitiveness.
General President Callahan called
on Congress to pass a long-term bill as
soon as possible. “There is nothing more
important to the domestic American
economy and the job opportunities
of Operating Engineers than a robust,
long-term transportation funding bill.
No more excuses. No more games. We
need a solution now. It doesn’t get any
easier down the road.”
Disaster was averted this time
through a short-term patch, but the
IUOE is committed to keeping the
pressure on Congress for a multi-year
solution.
BECAUSE ELECTIONS MATTER
Are You
Registered
to Vote?
Road improvement projects, like this one
performed by Local 612 members on
Stevens Canyon Highway in Washington
State, require long-term planning and
investment.
[photo] Local 612
Are You Sure?
Sometimes people have their names purged from the voter list by mistake and
are not informed. Sometimes county clerk’s offices make clerical errors. If this
happens to you, your ability to vote this year could be compromised.
If you have any doubts, we recommend that you re-register to vote.
For more information, contact your IUOE local office or visit:
www.vote411.org
International Union of Operating Engineers, AFL-CIO
16 INTERNATIONAL OPERATING ENGINEER
SUMMER 2014 17