IFPTE Calls on Lawmakers to Not Let Politics “Sidetrack” Vital Legislation for Workers and Unions
WASHINGTON, DC – The International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), representing 90,000 workers across North America, including upwards of 34,000 federal workers employed by the U.S. government, issued the following statement in response to Discharge Petition No. 6, which would provide floor consideration of H.R. 2550, the Protection America’s Workforce Act (PAWA), in the House of Representatives. PAWA nullifies the March 27th Executive Order to remove union rights from 1 million federal workers, which is the largest single union-busting effort in U.S. history. Once the discharge petition reaches 218 signatures, the discharge petition will “ripen” over seven legislative calendar days and then advance to a floor vote in the House of Representatives. The discharge petition currently has 216 signatures.
IFPTE President Matthew Biggs:
“The Protect America’s Workforce Act is just two signatures away from being brought to the House floor for a vote, despite the partisan objections of Speaker Mike Johnson. Unfortunately, reports indicate that Rep. Adelita Grijalva (D-AZ) was dissuaded from signing the discharge petition to advance the bill due to political concerns that a Republican would then be positioned to provide the 218th signature. The bottom line is that it is simply too important to federal workers to get sidetracked at this moment. We urge all involved to work together to get this bill across the finish line.”
IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson:
“When the House finally passes this pro-union, pro-worker bipartisan bill, our gratitude list will not begin with the one Representative who provided the final signature on the discharge petition. Rather, we will owe our greatest debt to the Representatives who introduced the Protect America’s Workforce Act: Republican Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Donald Norcross, and Representative Jared Golden for sponsoring the discharge petition, and to all those who signed the petition and cosponsored the bill. We are on the cusp of a key vote on this legislation because this bill’s authors and every member who signed the discharge petition put principle above partisanship, and we call on all involved, including the House Democratic leadership, to do the same at this critical juncture in the legislative process.”
IFPTE is a labor union representing upwards of 90,000 workers in the federal, public, and private sectors.
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