IUOE Magazine - International Union of Operating Engineers

Politics & Legislation
Election Season Comes to a Close, Now the Work Begins
Barack Obama was sworn in
for a second term as President of the
United States on January 21, 2013, after
winning the November election with
over 51% of the popular vote. He is the
only President to garner over 50% twice
since Dwight D. Eisenhower. Obama’s
opponent, Mitt Romney, received 47%
of the popular vote.
Despite persistent high
unemployment and a sluggish
economic recovery from the Great
Recession, President Obama won
a commanding Electoral College
victory, 332-206. The Obama-Biden
ticket surprised many observers
by soundly defeating Mitt Romney
and his Republican running mate,
Representative Paul Ryan.
The IUOE endorsed the Obama-
Biden ticket for re-election. The
President’s support for prevailing
wages, collective bargaining and
workers’ rights, as well as investing in
all facets of America’s infrastructure,
led to that support. Commenting on
the union’s endorsement, General
President Callahan said, “We have
never doubted the President’s
commitment to creating good jobs.”
Mitt Romney also helped make it
a clear choice. As Romney received
the endorsement of the intensely
anti-union Associated Builders and
Contractors, he declared that on “day
one” he would prohibit Project Labor
Agreements, try to end Davis-Bacon
prevailing wages, and lead the charge
for a national “right to work” law. The
contrast could not have been sharper
on key bread-and-butter issues for
Operating Engineers. While the IUOE
has a number of solid Republican
supporters in Congress, far too many
Republicans think like Mitt Romney
when it comes to core labor issues.
In other federal elections,
Democrats added seats in both
chambers of Congress. Senate
Democrats picked up two additional
seats, creating a 55-45 majority. While
Republicans maintained their majority
in the House of Representatives,
Democrats added eight seats, making
it 234-201, after vacancies are filled.
The challenge now becomes
keeping our elected officials
accountable, including the President
of the United States. “Electing IUOEfriendly
politicians to office simply is
not enough. We need to be vigilant
throughout the year, developing
relationships and making our voices
heard from the halls of Congress to
city halls,” stated General President
Callahan.
The Legislative Year Ahead
The 113th Congress (2013-2014)
will have a full agenda of IUOE
legislative priorities. After passage of
a 27-month highway bill in summer
2012, Congress will again be faced with
enactment of a long-term funding bill
for transportation. The current law,
called Moving Ahead for Progress in
the 21st Century or MAP-21, expires at
the end of September 2014.
The Highway Trust Fund – the lock
box for federal gas-tax revenue, which
must be invested in the nation’s roads,
bridges, and transit systems – is quickly
running out of money due to increased
fuel efficiency and the growth in
alternative-fuel vehicles. Finding
a long-term solution to the United
States’ transportation infrastructure
crisis is absolutely necessary. The
Highway Trust Fund will begin the
2014 fiscal year in a $14-billion hole.
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