Workers & Unions
Jared believes that one of the best ways to restore the American promise is to give workers a more powerful seat at the table and strengthen labor unions to fight for fair wages, quality and affordable healthcare coverage, retirement benefits, and a safe work environment. Unions have deep roots in Maine and Jared is committed to empowering them and helping them expand to more workers and industries. Since taking office, he has visited union halls and worksites throughout the state talking with union leaders and members about how he can stand up for workers.
Jared is an original cosponsor of the Protecting the Right to Organize (PRO) Act, comprehensive legislation to strengthen American unions. The landmark bill adds protections for union workers and increases their power to bargain for higher wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions.
Unions provide critical apprenticeship and job training programs to thousands of Mainers and Jared is working to help unions expand and improve those programs. Particularly in Maine’s forest products, manufacturing, and shipbuilding industries, unions are playing a pivotal role in growing the skilled workforce our state needs to attract and retain good jobs. Jared has stood up to the administration’s attempts to weaken union training and apprenticeship programs.
More on Workers & Unions
Washington, D.C.—The Maine Delegation wrote to Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly today, urging him to take actions necessary to allow large private shipyards like Bath Iron Works to follow the same guidance the Navy has issued to public shipyards to protect vulnerable workers and families from COVID-19.
Washington, D.C.—The Maine Delegation wrote to Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly today, urging them to take action to protect the health of shipyard employees during the COVID-19 outbreak.
WASHINGTON — Responding to grave concerns about public health and military readiness as the coronavirus spreads in Maine, Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (ME-01) and Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) released a statement today urging the Department of Defense to extend deadlines for ships being built at Bath Iron Works (BIW).
WASHINGTON – Responding to the request for two fiscal year 2021 Arleigh-Burke class (DDG-51) destroyers —a ship built at Bath Iron Works in Maine—in the President’s FY 2021 budget request, U.S. Senators Susan Collins and Angus King and Representatives Chellie Pingree and Jared Golden released the following statement:
WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) announced today that Chris Wiers, the president of Bath Iron Works’ (BIW) Local S6 union, will join him for Tuesday’s State of the Union address. Local S6, an affiliate of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW), has more than 3,500 members. Wiers, a resident of Lewiston, was elected president in 2019.
LEWISTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) used the congressional district work period to travel across the Second District to meet with constituents in Androscoggin, Oxford, Penobscot, Piscataquis, and Somerset counties as well as Bath Iron Works last week. The congressman focused his time on small business and economic development in rural areas.
WASHINGTON — A group of 76 members of Congress, led by Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02), urged House leadership today to bring the bipartisan Protecting the Right to Organize Act (PRO Act) to the House floor for a vote. The PRO Act would expand labor unions’ negotiating power, provide new protections for unions and workers, and stiffen penalties for companies that violate workers’ rights.
WASHINGTON — To help Maine teachers, firefighters, police officers, and other dedicated public servants keep more of the money they’ve earned, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) has signed on to a new bipartisan bill that would amend the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) to protect the Social Security benefits many public servants have paid into for years.
WASHINGTON — Working to protect call center jobs in Maine’s Second District, Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) cosponsored the bipartisan United States Call Center Worker and Consumer Protection Act of 2019. The bill would punish companies that send call center jobs overseas by disqualifying those companies from receiving federal grants and loans, making them less competitive for federal contracts, and requiring call centers to disclose their locations to customers.