LIUNA Calls on Congress to Set Politics Aside, Focus on Helping Americans Who Need Work

Unemployment Insurance Extension, Keystone XL Must Be Addressed, Not Used as Political Chess Pieces

WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today Terry O'Sullivan, General President of LIUNA – the Laborers' International Union of North America – made the following statement regarding negotiations over an extension of federal unemployment insurance benefits:

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20110428/DC91600LOGO)

It is time for Congress to do something real to help the millions of Americans who now face the holidays without knowing if they will be able to provide for their families next year.

LIUNA supports both an extension of the current federal unemployment insurance program – without the mean-spirited cuts that have been proposed by the Republican leadership – and the Keystone XL pipeline which deserves approval based on it own merits independently.

Unemployment benefits are not a windfall for the millions of people who rely on them to keep themselves and their families afloat during tough economic times. These modest benefits are essential to workers who have lost jobs through no fault of their own. Congress should not leave for the Christmas recess before enacting such an extension.

Unfortunately, the Middle Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act of 2011 passed by the House of Representatives guts the current unemployment insurance program and extends an unfair pay freeze for federal employees. From health care workers at veterans' hospitals to federal law enforcement officers, these workers make America a better place to live. They should be rewarded, not punished, for the work they do.

Our union also supports the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, which would create millions of work hours in an industry where unemployment still far outpaces the national average. Now in the fourth year of review, the Keystone XL will put thousands of construction workers back on the job almost immediately. For them, it is not just a pipeline – it's a lifeline. Continued delay of this important project is an unacceptable insult to men and women who are trained and able to build the infrastructure that keeps the American economy moving forward.

While addressing both of these issues would help ease the burden of unemployment, they should be resolved based on their individual merit. With unemployment levels among construction workers far outpacing other sectors of the economy and our national economy dependent on oil from unfriendly foreign regimes, it is time for the Keystone XL pipeline to be approved. And with so many Americans still struggling to stay afloat financially, Republicans in Congress should pass a clean unemployment insurance extension before they go home to celebrate the holidays with their loved ones.

The half-million members of LIUNA – the Laborers' International Union of North America – are on the forefront of the construction industry, a powerhouse of workers who are proud to build America.

SOURCE Laborers' International Union of North America

WANT YOUR COMPANY'S NEWS FEATURED ON PRNEWSWIRE.COM?

440k+
Newsrooms &
Influencers

9k+
Digital Media
Outlets

270k+
Journalists
Opted In

GET STARTED