On Wednesday, May 3, IUPAT General President Kenneth Rigmaiden addressed attendees of the annual Construction Employers of America (CEA) National Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C. This event gathers construction association and industry leaders from the construction industry to focus on “raising awareness about the value of quality construction among national, state and local leaders, as well as the general public,” as described on the CEA website.
“The partnership between the union and the contractors working together is a stronger lobbying power than anything our opposition can bring,” Rigmaiden told attendees. “Together we can fight to create pathways into our industries, strong wage and workplace standards, and investments in roads, bridges and buildings that will support you our contractors and provide good careers for our membership.”
The conference, which wraps today, Thursday, May 4, featured other industry speakers and workshops that briefed attendees on leading political issues affecting our industry. Many of those in attendance also visited their congressional leaders on Capitol Hill.
The event sponsors include the Mechanical Contractors Association of America (MCAA), the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association (SMACNA), and The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC).