Delegates to the AFL-CIO Convention in Philadelphia sent a resounding message of support for the Jones Act.
On June 15th, the final day of convention, the assembled delegates representing America’s working people in countless industries across the country overwhelmingly voted for a resolution supporting the nation’s freight cabotage law.
The MTD offered the resolution. It was then introduced to the delegates and read aloud by David Heindel, Secretary-Treasurer of the MTD-affiliated Seafarers International Union.
Alongside the AFL-CIO Executive Council’s past statements supporting the measure, the resounding passage of the resolution demonstrated a keen awareness among U.S. labor organizations regarding the importance of strong cabotage laws in providing high-quality, good-paying union jobs. That so many of the affirmative votes were from outside the maritime industry underscores how important the Jones Act is to the nation and its workers at large.
Multiple delegates spoke in defense of the Jones Act during the discussion. MTD San Francisco Port Council President and Sailors Union of the Pacific President Dave Connolly, MM&P President Don Marcus, and MEBA Director of Government Affairs Erick Siahaan all represented maritime labor in voicing their support for the resolution.
In addition, Metal Trades Department President James Hart, Pierce County Central Labor Council (Washington State) President Vance Lelli and ALPA Legislative Advisor Jeffrey Pavlak explained to the audience the far-reaching benefits of the act beyond the maritime industry.
The MTD is grateful for the support the resolution received on the convention floor, and extends its thanks on behalf of the working people whose livelihoods depend on the Jones Act’s continued existence. The text of the resolution can be found here, on the AFL-CIO’s website.