House Vote is First Step Towards Improving Nation’s Infrastructure, Economy

(WASHINGTON) – The House today took a substantial step towards reviving the U.S. economy when it approved a $1.5 trillion infrastructure bill that will beef up the nation’s transportation network while also employing thousands in good-paying, union jobs.

H.R. 2, the Moving Forward Act, not only moves an important surface transportation agenda forward, it does so in a way that recognizes the evolving challenges our country faces. The measure makes critical investments in repairing and maintaining the nation’s roads, bridges, rail and transit systems, plus it makes significant improvements in highway safety and provides frontline worker protections as the transportation system begins to reopen.

“Increasing investment in our core transportation networks is essential to turning the economy around,” Teamsters General President Jim Hoffa said. “Infrastructure jobs, unlike those in other sectors, can’t be outsourced. They improve living standards for workers and make it safer for those who use our transportation networks every day.”

For hundreds of thousands of Teamster drivers, the bill also contains a number of vital provisions, including delays to misguided hours of service rules; the creation of new safety and reporting requirements for autonomous commercial motor vehicles; and research into a number of exploitative practices that harm American workers across the trucking industry. The bill also protects the family-supporting wages of drivers who work on construction projects with Davis-Bacon coverage. 

“Repairing our infrastructure is only half the battle if the Teamsters who drive on those roads aren’t safe on the job,” Hoffa said. “This bill takes important steps towards helping us protect our members and addresses key inequalities that continue to plague the trucking industry as a whole.”

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and “like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

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