The Democratic National Convention is the stage for the party’s nominee to be officially chosen, but it is also a venue where leaders from the city, state and federal levels gather in one place to talk about more than Election Day.
The leadership and Government Affairs Department the IUPAT recognized this as an opportunity to meet with those leaders and accomplish in just a few days what would normally take weeks or months. “Some of the most influential leaders, both in office and out of office, are a walk away from each other in downtown Philadelphia this week,” said IUPAT Government Affairs Director Chris Sloan. “We’re making certain that they know that the IUPAT is here as well.”
Over the course of the last few days, IUPAT General President Rigmaiden, General Secretary-Treasurer George Galis and General Vice President Bill Candelori attended nearly a dozen functions and meetings where they made certain the priorities of IUPAT members were heard, and the number one priority was job growth via infrastructure investment.
On Tuesday, GST Galis addressed a committee of USA mayors and other local leaders regarding the benefits corrosion control to preserve our nations bridges. “I was an industrial painter by trade, and now I represent industrial painters,” said Galis at the City Solutions: Transportation & Infrastructure event. “Women and men who apply corrosion prevention systems, mainly coatings, to bridges, overpasses, water systems, and basically anything that is steel and can corrode. The average age of a bridge in America is 46 years, with a structural lifespan of only 50 years. Coatings applied by a skilled workforce like the IUPAT can extend that lifespan and save the country millions of dollars. So, my question to the mayors is, what are your cities doing to elongate the lifespan of your bridges?”
Also on Tuesday, General President Rigmaiden joined several other labor and political leaders in addressing the convention delegates representing Illinois. He rallied the delegates to not only support Hillary Clinton for president, but to work to oust the anti-work administration of Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner. “When you get back to Illinois, I need you to go out there and knock on 100 more doors, make 100 more phone calls, have hard conversations with your neighbors, friends and the people you meet about this election,” said Rigmaiden. “Because if Donald Trump gets elected, Bruce Rauner, Charles Koch and Carl Rove will be running not only Illinois, but the entire country.”
As the convention, the IUPAT leaders continued their meeting with decision-makers in Philadelphia at events held by the Democratic Governors Association, the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
The week is almost over and, on Friday, the political activists of the IUPAT will get back to work to put THE pro-union candidate and supporter of the middle class in the White House – Hillary Clinton.