NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO • March 8, 2021
As a candidate, Biden pledged to be the most labor-friendly president ever. And unions are a key part of Biden's political coalition. The president is enlisting labor support and input as his administration turns to a massive infrastructure package that would also put the country on a path toward a much greener economy. It's an effort that may test Biden's close relationship with unions. Terry O'Sullivan, general president of the Laborers' International Union of North America, says the current reality is that jobs in the renewable sector don't pay union-level wages. While the labor movement may speak with one voice when it comes to organizing, good wages and job protections, that's not as much the case on an issue like the environment.