Union Leaders Applaud Harris for Historic Broadband Investment and Job Creation
Union leaders lauded the BEAD program's pro-union and workforce protection provisions.
CHICAGO, August 21, 2024 – Union leaders praised Vice President Kamala Harris Monday for her role in securing the largest investment in broadband infrastructure in U.S. history, a move they said simultaneously created countless “good union jobs,”
Claude Cummings Jr., president of the Communications Workers of America, highlighted Harris’s involvement as vice president in advancing the $42.5 billion investment made possible through the Broadband, Equity, Access, and Deployment program. Cummings' speech also positioned Harris as a champion of the modern labor movement, noting her pro-union stance.
Speaking on the first night of the Democratic National Convention here, Cummings reflected on the stark realities exposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, noting, "We all saw it during the pandemic—millions of American families didn't have access to high-speed internet at home. Too many kids were forced to attend online classes in McDonald's parking lots."
The BEAD program, which Cummings praised, will not only attempt to connect every unserved household to the internet but also mandate that recipients of the funds uphold workers' rights to form and join unions.
The National Telecommunications and Information Administration has also required that projects funded by BEAD adhere to additional workforce standards, including job security, worker safety, and health protections.
However, the BEAD program has its share of Republican critics. FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr has been particularly vocal in criticizing the NTIA’s management of the initiative.
Carr and other critics point out that despite the substantial investment, the program has yet to connect any household to the internet. Expenditures of BEAD awards are expected to commence in 2025 and continue for the next five years.
"We're fired up to work with our next President, Kamala Harris," Cummings maintained, signaling the CWA's strong support. The CWA represents more than 700,000 union members, including tower workers, network engineers, and technicians, who stand to gain from the Biden administration's broadband initiatives.
Cummings was one of six union leaders who took the stage at the DNC on Monday night, each underscoring Harris's efforts to revitalize American manufacturing, particularly in neglected areas.
"For decades, we fought for more investment in our infrastructure. While Trump made empty promises, the Biden-Harris administration delivered," said Brent Booker, general president of the Laborers’ International Union of North America. "Now, we are rebuilding highways, bridges, and tunnels, and powering a clean energy and manufacturing boom.”
The line-up of speakers also included Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; April Verrett, president of the Service Employees International Union; and Kenneth W. Cooper, president of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers.
