VIDEO: Heinrich Statement on Labor Day

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) released the following statement in recognition of Labor Day.

VIDEO: U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich Labor Day Statement, September 2, 2024.

"I grew up in a proud union home. My father was a lineman and a member of the IBEW. His union wages allowed me to attend college, provided my family with a ticket to the middle class, and gave my parents stability and peace of mind in their retirement. These are opportunities that every American deserves.

"Unions have a proven track record of improving wages, benefits, and working conditions for their members. Whether you are a plumber, a nurse, or a firefighter, public employee or service industry worker, organized labor has notched some major victories in the last few years. But it should be easier to join a union, not harder. That's why I'm fighting to pass the PRO Act in Congress to finally protect workers' right to organize under law.

"The historic investments we've delivered under the Biden-Harris Administration have created thousands of new skilled trades jobs in New Mexico. Union workers in the trades are building new advanced manufacturing facilities, constructing the SunZia Transmission Line, which will facilitate the largest clean energy infrastructure project ever built in the Western Hemisphere, and helping us electrify our homes, schools, and businesses.

"Over the next decade, we will need to fill thousands of job openings in the skilled trades. For electricians, plumbers and pipefitters, carpenters, HVAC technicians, and utility line workers. These will be union careers that New Mexicans can build their families around. Which is why I'm fighting to expand access to union training programs and apprenticeships. These pathways toward stable union careers can start as early as high school. And they will help us address rising workforce shortages and grow our economy.

"On this Labor Day, I'm proud to recognize the role that organized labor has long played in building the middle class. And I remain committed to creating more union careers like the one that made such a difference for my family."

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