Yesterday, Tom Steyer, IBEW International President Lonnie Stephenson, and congressional candidate Tricia Zunker hosted a “Build Back Better” roundtable with Central and Western Wisconsin workers and local labor leaders. At the event, workers discussed Biden’s plan to create good-paying union jobs to build a resilient sustainable infrastructure and deliver an equitable clean energy future. Steyer and Stephenson are co-chairs of the Biden for President Climate Engagement Advisory Council.
“If you look at his Build Back Better plan, it is an aggressive and comprehensive reaction to our climate crisis. But more than that, it is a huge infrastructure job creating plan for working people across America, at a time when unemployment is unacceptably high and we need good paid union jobs. And it’s also at its heart an environmental justice plan, one that deals with the high levels of unacceptable air pollution and water pollution, particularly in our underserved black and brown communities,” said Tom Steyer.
“Vice President Biden is the right leader for our country at this moment. Biden has the experience and skills to bring our country out of this pandemic and meet the challenge of climate change. The IBEW has been working with Vice President Biden since he first ran for the Senate and we have continued to have a strong relationship with the Vice President. His build back better platform is what we need at this moment to modernize our nation’s infrastructure, create millions of middle class jobs, and reduce emissions all across the economy,” said IBEW President Lonnie Stephenson.
“Right now under Donald Trump’s leadership, our country is grappling with multiple crises, including an economic recession with record unemployment, and a global pandemic that is still not under control. At a time when we need strong and stable leadership the most, Donald Trump is stoking division and chaos, and betraying people all along the way…As President, Joe Biden will send congress a sweeping plan for a clean energy revolution. One that puts us on a path to a 100% clean energy economy and creates millions of jobs that power our recovery,” said congressional candidate Tricia Zunker.
“For the first time in four years, we have an opportunity to bring back a green economy, to try to lift it up again…I would urge you all to take a look at Vice President Biden’s clean energy plan, take a look at his website. It is a very well-thought out plan. It is very intentional about creating good jobs again. These jobs will be right here at home…It’s really impressive that he has a plan in comparison to the opposition, who really doesn’t have a plan at all,” said retired IBEW Local 388 member Julie Brazeau.
“I think it’s very important when we look at the Build Back Better plan that Vice President Biden has put out, he has an emphasis on retraining workers that are displaced. Also, giving opportunities for apprenticeships, so we don’t leave workers behind, and we don’t leave people behind in this changing economy,” said Brady Weiss, President of IBEW Local 935 and Mayor of Mondovi.
