Building trades unions ask for partnership on infrastructure law monies
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The bridge between Worcester and Shrewsbury along Route 9
More than $9 billion of last year's federal infrastructure law is already billed for Massachusetts, but $2.5 billion in competitive grant money is also available and the Massachusetts Building Trades Unions said they stand ready to help municipalities get a piece of the action.
MBTU said President Frank Callahan recently spoke with the Massachusetts Mayors' Association about how the building trades can partner with cities and towns to improve their chances of securing federal money to fix roads, bridges, public transit, rail lines, ports, airports, broadband, and drinking water and wastewater infrastructure.
"These historic investments will improve each community's quality of life and create life-changing careers for thousands of workers and their families," Callahan said. "President Biden has it right -- the work should go to workers who receive family-sustaining wages and benefits and should provide more career opportunities for workers in America's building trades unions."
A project's incorporation of strong labor standards, including registered apprenticeships, local hires, project labor agreements and workforce diversity, will be part of the scoring for discretionary grant applications and MBTU said it is "committed to working with municipalities across the state to satisfy these requirements and to help secure as much of this funding as possible."
MBTU has 63 member locals representing more than 75,000 men and women working across Massachusetts. Gov. Charlie Baker's infrastructure bill, which is up for another committee hearing Wednesday, includes $3.5 billion in potential state matching resources "to support the aggressive pursuit of new and existing federal discretionary and competitive grant programs," his office said.
The White House last week released a technical assistance guide to help state, local, Tribal and territorial governments navigate and access the various infrastructure resources that are available.
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