Secretary-Treasurer Henson Attends Bi-annual Maritime Trades Department Council Meeting

(l-r) MTD President David Heindel, IFPTE Secretary-Treasurer Gay Henson, MTD Secretary-Treasurer Brittanie Potter, and MTD Former Secretary-Treasurer Daniel Duncan

The AFL-CIO Maritime Trades Department (MTD) held its bi-annual board meeting this week at the AFL-CIO in Washington, DC.  Secretary-Treasurer, Gay Henson, who serves on the MTD national board, attended the meeting along with Assistant to the Executive Officers, Brian Kildee. 

Among the items addressed at the meeting was the recent introduction of the bipartisan Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security (SHIPS) for America Act, comprehensive legislation to revitalize the United States shipbuilding and commercial maritime industries, sponsored by Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Todd Young (R-IN), and Representatives John Garamendi (D-CA-8), and Trent Kelly (R-MS-1). 

The MTD also passed a resolution condemning the Trump Administration’s attacks on federal workers.  Henson commented on the meeting:  “IFPTE is a recent, but proud affiliate of the Maritime Trades Department and stands in Solidarity with all of the Maritime Unions as they work to pass the Shipbuilding and Harbor Infrastructure for Prosperity and Security for America Act, legislation that will also be of benefit to IFPTE and help to keep ship repair and maintenance work from being offshored.  I was also heartened by the strong show of support for federal workers from the MTD and for having an opportunity to brief the MTD board on the struggles IFPTE’s federal membership, and federal workers overall, are facing.” 

See the MTD statement on the SHIPS Act here.