President Biden Praises Maine Offshore Wind Climate Jobs Bill Passage, Maine’s AFL-CIO’s Pre-Apprenticeship Program at Auburn Appearance

Several union members turned out to see President Joe Biden during his visit to Maine on July 28. In his speech at Auburn Manufacturing, President Biden praised the recent passage of historic offshore wind jobs legislation that will jumpstart a new offshore wind energy industry in the state with strong labor, climate, and equity standards. The President also specifically praised the Maine AFL-CIO’s new Union Construction Academy and IBEW 1253’s junior apprenticeship program to train a diverse workforce for union careers.

“It’s terrific to have someone in the White House who understands the difference that unions make for working people, their families and their communities,” said Cynthia Phinney, President of the Maine AFL-CIO, who attended the speech. “The President’s actions reflect that in the labor standards in his economic policies and the appointments he makes to the departments that impact labor. It makes a difference for workers and shows what unions can do.”

The White House reached out to the Maine AFL-CIO, the Maine Building & Construction Trades Council and several individual unions to invite union members to the event. Phinney estimates that a third of the people in the room with the President were members of unions. After his half-hour speech, Biden signed his “Invent It Here, Make it Here" executive orderaimed at supporting innovation and research and development and strengthening domestic manufacturing after decades of offshoring to create new, good-paying jobs, including union careers.

“Once again, our President demonstrated he is not only unafraid to say the word ‘union,’ he's laser focused on putting his policies where his mouth is," said Jason J. Shedlock, President of the Maine State Building & Construction Trades Council and an Organizer and Officer for the Laborers' International Union, Local 327. "He knows that unions build America, and unions build Maine.”