Position statements, testimony, and editorials of Montana AFL-CIO Executive Secretary Jim McGarvey can be found below. Scroll down to see the full list.

By Jim McGarvey, Executive Secretary of the Montana State AFL-CIO

With unemployment at 7.3 percent in Montana, thousands of workers wonder how their families will survive. Many Montana employers have closed their doors and others are still struggling to attract business.

Montana’s workers need sustainable jobs. Sustainable jobs are those that pay wages that will support a family and offer healthcare coverage and defined-benefit retirement plans. The federal stimulus saved or created thousands of Montana jobs but there is so much more we must do.

Sustainable jobs make the economic juice within local communities flow. In a state like Montana that relies on income taxes, better jobs mean more taxable income. That translates into a more easily balanced budget with fully funded programs and services.

Workers who have sustainable jobs pay their bills. They contribute to local food drives and benefits. They volunteer and serve on boards and committees. Sustainable jobs strengthen our social fabric in every way imaginable.

In Montana we have significant opportunities for sustainable job creation. Much of the lands and waterways that are in need of reclamation were once workplaces where the riches came at the expense of the land and the people. Many workers fell ill and died on the same soil where reclamation jobs today are proposed with little more consideration for workers than were originally offered years ago. We cannot bring forth a culture of respecting and reclaiming this land without addressing the desperate need for a culture that respects and protects the workers.

We can create sustainable jobs by rebuilding our crumbling infrastructure and investing in new technology. Every dollar spent on infrastructure employs workers all down the supply chain in construction, manufacturing, design, and engineering. Montana has millions of dollars in unmet needs. The Federal Highway Administrative reports that twenty percent of Montana bridges are structurally deficient or functionally obsolete. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has identified 102 high hazard dams in Montana whose failure would cause a loss of life and significant property damage. The Environmental Protection Agency reports that Montana’s drinking water infrastructure needs an investment of $789 million over the next twenty years. Montana has $540 million in wastewater infrastructure needs. Vehicle travel in Montana has increased 36% since 1990. As a result, 11% of our major roads are in poor or mediocre condition.

New elements necessary for the creation of sustainable jobs must be established. Best Value Contracting is a method of awarding projects by merging the lowest responsible bidder with the best historical performance to gain the greatest quality contractor. It takes into account an employer’s history of wage payment claims, proper job classification, job site safety record, and more. Union neutrality agreements set a basic standard that an employer will; abide by the laws that govern labor-management relations, remain neutral in the representation decisions of workers, and recognize the union as the legal representative of the workers if the workers choose a union. Prevailing wages should be required on all jobs regardless of project size. Current federal law only applies to projects over $2,000. State law only applies to projects over $25,000. This causes some project owners to award projects in smaller phases to circumvent paying sustainable, prevailing wage rates. PLAs have been used in the construction industry since the 1930’s. Project Labor Agreements (PLA) are single-site craft labor agreements used to provide reliable, cost-effective project staffing for construction projects. It is a pre-hire collective bargaining agreement that governs labor relations and working conditions. PLAs are authorized by the National Labor Relations Act and only exist where the union and project owner or government entity have an agreement.

We all make up pieces of the same economic pie. We must respect the needs at every level of our recovery. Sustainable jobs cause communities to flourish, businesses to boom, and working families to thrive. If we invest in Montana-based businesses and give preference to responsible employers committed to offering sustainable jobs, we can rebuild a better economy that offers sustainable, home-grown jobs for Montana’s working families for generations to come.