ILA APPLAUDS INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENT AND JOBS ACT THAT INVESTS IN PORT IMPROVEMENTS BUT DOES NOT FUND AUTOMATION

NORTH BERGEN, NJ (November 8, 2021) – President Harold J. Daggett, issued this statement in response to the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the advancement of the Build Back Better Act in the House of Representatives:

This weekend is a historic time for tens of thousands of ILA workers across America. By sending H.R. 3684, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, to President Biden’s desk for a signature, and advancing the rule on H.R. 5376, the Build Back Better Act, Congress has taken major steps towards bringing America’s transportation infrastructure squarely into the 21st Century, to sustain and create millions of good union jobs, and to expand safety and other worker protections across all modes of transportation. The $17 billion earmarked for America’s ports will not allow any companies to use these funds to create and build automated equipment.

The $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provides $550 billion in new across-the-board infrastructure spending – the biggest investment of its kind in the history of our nation, and one that is long overdue. Importantly, the bill reauthorizes our highway, transit, and passenger rail programs for an additional five years, finally putting an end to the irresponsible pattern of short-term extensions authorized by Congress since the FAST Act’s expiration in 2020. It also provides historic levels of funding for ports and waterways, airports, and air traffic control facilities, which, along with other unmet infrastructure needs addressed in the bill, will finally help expand and modernize our entire transportation network.