Statement by IUPAT General President Kenneth Rigmaiden on the State of the Union Speech

HANOVER, Md., Jan. 29, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The men and women of the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (IUPAT) applaud the priorities President Barack Obama set forth in his State of the Union speech last night.

The president's resolve to reduce income inequality in America by streamlining the process for infrastructure and industrial investment, offering domestic manufacturing incentives, boosting apprenticeship programs and proposing to give "America a raise" on minimum wage sets forth a clear path for our country to succeed in the 21st Century.  The IUPAT stands ready to work with the president and Congress to achieve those goals.

The IUPAT will also join the efforts of this administration to train and employ our veterans through our own initiative, the Painters and Allied Trades Veterans Program.  We agree with the president that we, as a country, have the profound responsibility to provide every opportunity for this group of highly trained and motivated men and women to find a rewarding career in civilian life after serving our country.

Partisanship has never been proven to create any public or private sector jobs.  The members of the IUPAT look forward to working with both parties in Congress, and with the White House, to build a better America.

The IUPAT represents men and women in the United States and Canada who work in the Finishing Trades – industrial and commercial painting, glazing and glasswork, drywall finishing, floor covering installation and sign and display, among many other crafts.  Learn more about the IUPAT at www.IUPAT.org.

SOURCE International Union of Painters and Allied Trades