Peters invites local union leader as State of the Union guest

MID-MICHIGAN (WNEM) - U.S. Senator Gary Peters (D-MI) has invited Justin Pomerville, business manager/financial secretary for the UA Local 85 in Saginaw (United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipe Fitting Industry) and secretary of the Michigan Pipe Trades Association, to be his virtual guest for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union Address on March 1.

Peters and Pomerville will highlight how the bipartisan Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act will invest in Michigan’s infrastructure, bolster economic recovery, create good-paying jobs for residents - including union jobs, and protect critical labor standards on construction projects.

“The bipartisan infrastructure law will strengthen our economy and improve the way Michiganders move, live and work for generations,” said Peters, a member of the Senate, Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. “Thanks to this significant investment we will create good-paying jobs for Michiganders, including for union workers, as we rebuild our roads and bridges, and invest in clean drinking water. I’m thrilled to have Justin join me virtually for this year’s State of the Union Address to discuss how the bipartisan infrastructure law will directly benefit Michiganders and support our local workforce.”

“I’m honored to join Senator Peters virtually for this year’s State of the Union Address,” Pomerville said. “The bipartisan infrastructure law, which Senator Peters was instrumental in helping pass, is a win for Michigan workers that enacts strong labor protections and will create good-paying, union jobs. We’ve been proud to host Senator Peters in Saginaw and see firsthand some of the incredible work our members do. I applaud Senator Peters’ leadership to strengthen our local economy and provide Michiganders with the skills and opportunities they need for success.”

The majority of the funds in the bipartisan infrastructure law are subject to Davis-Bacon requirements to ensure contractors pay workers on construction projects a fair, prevailing wage so local wages, labor markets, and workers won’t be undercut.

The law also provides $55 billion to invest in clean drinking water, including funding to replace lead service lines, and address PFAS contamination.

Peters also announced Michigan is set to receive $563.1 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to fix bridges across the state, $479 million to modernize the Soo Locks, $16 million to build electric vehicle charging stations, and $1 billion for the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative – the single-largest-ever investment to protect the Great Lakes.