On Nov. 20, a group of leading labor unions associations announced “Moving America Forward: a 2020 Presidential Candidate Forum on Infrastructure,” convened by United for Infrastructure, to be held over President’s Day Weekend 2020 on the campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV). President’s Day Weekend marks the start of early voting in Nevada’s presidential caucuses.
The host committee for the bipartisan candidate forum represents millions of union members, public sector workers, engineers, transportation and water agencies, and manufacturers. Host committee members include the Transportation Workers Union, International Union of Operating Engineers, American Society of Civil Engineers, American Public Transportation Association, Value of Water Campaign, American Road and Transportation Builders Association, and the Association of Equipment Manufacturers.
Infrastructure presents both an urgent challenge and a singular opportunity for the next presidential administration to address an issue that affects every American. It is also an issue that 90 percent of Americans believe should be a priority for the next administration. Infrastructure dictates access to jobs, education, and health care; it can help alleviate or exacerbate rising inequality; it can help solve the affordable housing crisis; and it is key to how American’s experience climate change pressures. The forum will be an opportunity for candidates to address the challenges facing American’s roads and transit systems, bridges and railroads, ports and airports, and water and wastewater systems — and to lay out their vision for an infrastructure plan that supports a strong economy, job creation, consumer safety and national security.
John Samuelsen, International President of the Transport Workers Union, stated, “If we don’t address the basic networks that keep America moving – including our nation’s public transportation and infrastructure – we will not be able to fight for better working conditions. I am eager to hear about these issues directly from the candidates at such a crucial time during the election cycle. As they head to the polls in key states, the millions of workers our host committee represents, along with the voters of Nevada and across the country, deserve to know these candidates’ plans to rebuild America.”
The forum is convened by United for Infrastructure, a non-partisan, non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public and policymakers about the importance of America’s infrastructure. The forum will be open to members of the press.