The presidential election is vitally important to the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) and its members, says the organization’s General Vice President, Thomas Flynn.

Flynn told the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters at their recent Virtual Organizing Political Meeting that the upcoming election will shape the future of policies impacting UBC members. Speaking from UBC headquarters in Washington, DC, Flynn emphasized that the stakes for carpenters have never been higher.

He underscored that the UBC endorses candidates who support “UBC carpenter economics,” which includes key issues like prevailing wage, pensions, and union rights.

Flynn stressed that these are the crucial priorities for the UBC, even though individual members may have different personal concerns. “When we focus on carpenter economics, that’s our issue,” Flynn said. “We’re going support people who support us on carpenter economics.”

In his presentation, Flynn repeatedly warned against the dangers posed by policies that could arise from candidates who do not align with the UBC’s priorities. He highlighted several critical issues that could hurt union members, such as eliminating federal and state prevailing wage laws, imposing taxes on health benefits, and reducing corporate tax rates to levels much lower than those paid by average workers. “Think about where we would be if we had no federal prevailing wage, no state prevailing wage,” Flynn said. “We’ve worked about 380 million hours with all the councils. Think of what it would be if we eliminated 40% of those hours that are covered under federal prevailing wage. Think about what life would be like for our members and their families under those scenarios.”

He also highlighted the importance of addressing broader economic issues, emphasizing that investments in infrastructure and green energy projects like wind and solar are crucial for creating jobs for UBC members. During his commentary, Flynn also pointed out the importance of maintaining robust apprenticeship programs, which the UBC supports through a significant annual investment. “We spend an annual amount of $250 million training the future workers in America,” he proudly said.

Flynn endorsed the Harris-Walz ticket, stating the UBC’s pride in supporting Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for President and Vice President. Flynn closed by urging UBC members to work hard leading up to the election to ensure that elected officials support union priorities and stressed the Eastern District’s critical role in shaping the outcome of this presidential election.

View General Vice President Flynn’s full comments from the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters September 2024 Virtual Organizing Political Meeting.