ME AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney Discusses Potential of Labor Standards to Transform Lives on Rick Smith Show
Last week, Maine AFL-CIO President Cynthia Phinney appeared on the Rick Smith Show to discuss offshore wind and the Davis Bacon provisions in the federal Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) that have made these standards possible. As Phinney noted, strong labor standards in the IRA incentivize contractors on offshore wind projects to pay good wages with great benefits so unionized companies can be competitive with non-union shops.
“It’s our tax money and want something that will benefit the whole community,” said Phinney. “It’s huge and goes way further than anything I can remember in terms of federal support, which allows us to create those standards here in the Maine.”
Phinney discussed how the new Union Construction Academy of Maine pre-apprenticeship program is already helping to transform lives by fast tracking a diverse workforce — including low income people, African Americans, immigrants and people coming out of the justice system —into union apprenticeships.
“We have this one fella who grew up in poverty and in and out of the justice system as a young person,” said Phinney. “He worked a lot of jobs that were in his words ‘lousy.’ He felt taken advantage of and undervalued. Now he’s going to have a job in an organization where they say, ‘You matter. Your life matters,' where he’s going to be paid wages that allow him to live and build a future on.”
Phinney also spoke about a previously incarcerated pre-apprentice graduate who has recently started her new union job and turning her life around.
“She’s going to a job that will support her, not just going to give giving her pennies to support her. Her union benefits will cover her recovery program that will support her transition from the justice system... and give her a future. Those benefits are available because of those standards. Those contractors can bid on those jobs and have a hope of winning them.