Thursday, January 27, 2022

WASHINGTON (Jan. 27, 2022) - Today, U.S. Senator Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.) met with the Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters (SWRCC) and Carpenters Local 1319 to highlight how the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) will create good-paying union jobs and economic opportunity for working families in New Mexico.

PHOTOS: Heinrich visits with Carpenters Union to discuss how Infrastructure Law creates positive forecast for jobs in New Mexico

"We can't talk about how projects created by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law will improve the lives of New Mexicans without recognizing the incredible men and women who can make them possible. Every road project, every airport improvement, water line extension, broadband expansion means news jobs - jobs that working families can count on - right here in New Mexico," said Heinrich.

Senator Heinrich met with over 40 apprentices to discuss how the Infrastructure Law is delivering $3.7 billion to New Mexico right off the bat to repair roads and bridges, fix water and wastewater infrastructure, construct new high-voltage transmission that is the key to building new clean energy projects, build out an electric vehicle charging network, and connect many more New Mexicans to affordable, high-speed internet.

These new projects will create an enormous number of good-paying jobs right at home that will help New Mexicans provide for their families.

Heinrich added, "My own father's union wages as an IBEW lineman helped allow me to attend college and gave my parents the stability and peace of mind in their retirement that they deserved. I'm confident that with support from the Carpenters Union, the new investments from the Infrastructure Law coming to our state will mean more job opportunities and economic development that will benefit everyone. There's a face to the success of this bill, and those faces belong to hardworking New Mexicans." "The bipartisan infrastructure law is going to create tens of thousands of jobs for skilled union workers, and the Southwest Carpenters join Senator Heinrich's efforts to bring as many of them as possible to New Mexico," said SWRCC Executive Secretary-Treasurer and CEO Pete Rodriguez. "Our members were fully engaged in advocating for these historic investments in our infrastructure, and now we are ready to get to work building better careers, cities, and communities for all of us."

"It is great to welcome Senator Heinrich back to the Southwest Carpenters training center and hear about his work to deliver for this state,"said SWRCC President Frank Hawk. "This facility is part of a network of 15 state-of-the-art training centers across our region. Matched with our recruitment and mentoring programs to reach young people, veterans, people of color and women, we are preparing the next generation of workers to succeed."

The Southwest Regional Council of Carpenters represents more than 57,000 members in Southern California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, and Colorado, with 1,176 members in New Mexico. The Council currently has 140 total apprentices enrolled in their training program in New Mexico.

Senator Heinrich, along with the rest of the New Mexico Democratic congressional delegation, championed $3.7 billion in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in formula funding automatically heading to New Mexico, plus the opportunity to apply for additional competitive funding. This is the largest long-term investment in New Mexico infrastructure and competitiveness in nearly a century that will create union jobs and economic opportunities across the state.

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