Biden Delivers Union Jobs With New Executive Order

Last updated on July 18th, 2023 at 01:46 pm

President Biden signed an executive order requiring every federal project over $35 million have a labor agreement that will create union jobs.

Video clip of Biden:

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The President said:

And it’s going to raise the bar on quality for some of the most vital projects we’re going to be building.
 
And we’re going to make sure that federal construction projects are staffed with good-paying union jobs.

One of you actually came up to me today and said, “Joe, you said you’re going to do that, and you’re doing it.”  Well, when President Obama asked me to run the Recovery Act, I made sure every single job I could get was a union job, prevailing wage.  Because I’ve noticed when folks are getting paid a decent wage, everybody in the community does better, everything looks better. 

They’re jobs you can raise a family on.  Or as my dad would say, “They’re jobs you can put your head on the pillow at night and just have a little breathing room” — a little security, a little breathing room.  Jobs that can’t be outsourced.
 
That’s good for nearly 200,000 workers on federal — on federal construction contracts right now. It’s good for everybody.

If taxpayer dollars are being spent, they should be used efficiently to hire the best-skilled workers to make sure that the job is done right.

Joe Biden has promised to be the most pro-union president that this country has ever seen, and one year into his term, he has lived up to that promise. Democrats have long understood that the key to reducing income inequality and the growth of the middle class is unionization.

As Biden said on Friday, “Capitalism without competition is exploitation.”

There needs to be competition in the labor market, and unionization remains the best way to protect workers and give them a seat at the table.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association