Boilermakers union issues statement on the American Jobs Act

STATEMENT FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BROTHERHOOD OF BOILERMAKERS ON THE AMERICAN JOBS ACT OF 2011

KANSAS CITY, KS, Sept. 14, 2011 ― The International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmiths, Forgers and Helpers, AFL-CIO welcomes President Obama’s comprehensive jobs bill and the aggressive focus on our country’s unemployment crisis.

The American Jobs Act offers a balanced approach to help stimulate our economy and create jobs for potentially 1.9 million Americans, according to the chief economist at Moody’s Analytics. By offering immediate investments in the construction of roads, rails, and airports, as well as school modernization; by providing investments to help state and local governments retain teachers and public safety/first responder personnel; by creating a National Infrastructure Bank; and by addressing the particular employment needs of our veterans, it is clear the President Obama understands how severe this jobs crisis is.

Now it’s up to Congress to stop playing politics with the plight of unemployed Americans and pass the President’s bill sooner, and not later. It’s time to get our country firmly back on the road to economic recovery and offer every American, not just the fortunate few, the renewed promise of a better future.

— Newton B. Jones, International President